Boeing expanding South Carolina footprint

470 acres should be enough for a 777X plant and a new wing plant for both 787 and 777. Should be some unhappy union folks in WA.

Somebody is getting a big lump of coal...

This is just a painting facility. But as you joyfully point out, it could foreshadow a much bigger announcement.

Don't think so. They may see that but in this case they will be getting paid more money than they have ever made in their lives. Seems like it's just that way when you can live down South and make good money too. Don't know of anybody that retired down here and moved up North?

Na we just like getting paid. besides we don't have to pay for $15. an hr. hamburger when we go out. We are not an extension of Cal.

Don't hold your breath Wesley. Folks here are smart enough to not bite the hand that feeds 'em. Ever been to SC? Helluva lot cheaper to LIVE here than out there too. So with ALL that extra money they make in Seattle, they aren't living any better.

They won't mind the job security of having great jobs makin great products that are well paid, that don't go away during the next cyclical downturn in commercial aircraft manufacturing, as more expensive plants in othr parts of the word close and workers have to worry whether they'll have a job at all.

Watching your neighbor work at obscenely high wages as he closes diwn the plant you used to work is no better than having a good paying job with good healthcare and pension benefits (that are largely similar to everyone else with a decent corporate job).

With all the new manufacturers coming on line in the near future with much lower cost products, that downturn is coming sooner than later.

The others will essentially be copies of Boeings to some degree. People are delusional if they think that most airlines around the world will be willing to pay double to own Boeing planes.

In the near term, Boeing must build planes that are more economical to operate to blunt the effect of the much cheaper planes coming to market.

But in the not too distant future, Boeing must get their costs under control or thier fiscal solvency and existence may come in question.

(Note how Air Canada recently ordered 737 max8 and max9, but left the max7 out of the order. The smaller size need can be filled with a future order of the new Canadian plane, that is being sold at great discount to the 737. It's only a matter of time, before they have multiple sizes to compete against the full range of 737 variants.

Once they have their first successful narrowbody selling well, why wouldn't they get into the widebody market, with similar cost advantages.

Eventually the Japanese and Chinese will also get into the jet making business. The Brasilans may also decide to build bigger jets, as the Canadians are doing.)

This is the time to rebalance costs. There is lots of revenue currently flowing to Boeing and Airbus. Eventually the capital flows will change. The only question is who will be ready and who will be caught by surprise.