Gov. Gregoire Unveils Strategy To Net 737 Deal For Washington

Editor's note: by Edmonds Patch blogger Bryan Corliss, who writes for The Machinists News.

Gov. Chris Gregoire today appeared Tuesday at to announce a series of steps intended to ensure the Boeing 737 MAX is built and manufactured in Washington state and "build an aerospace industry that can cruise at 30,000 feet."

If Washington nets the deal, production of the 737 MAX is expected to support up to 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, she said.

“There is no question that Washington state is the best place in the world to build the Boeing 737-MAX jetliner,” Gregoire said. “And I believe that when all is said and done, Boeing will make the best decision and build this game-changing aircraft in this state. But I never take anything for granted—especially in a global market where business can go anywhere at a speed unknown even a decade ago.”

The governor’s strategy centers primarily around enhancements to the state’s education system to ensure the aerospace sector has the trained workforce necessary to succeed. Gregoire’s proposal includes:

• Investing $450,000 to expand the governor’s Launch Year program and provide 12 high schools with aerospace curriculum support to prepare high school students to enter the workforce. The investment would also provide two Skills Centers with aerospace manufacturing support to help train additional high school students.
• Spending $250,000 to add “Project Lead the Way” courses at 10 high schools—courses where students learn to solve problems using their science, technology, engineering and math skills.
• Putting $7.6 million toward expanding capacity at the University of Washington and Washington State University to enroll 775 more engineering students.
• Investing $1.5 million, with additional support from companies, foundations and donors, to create a Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation at UW and WSU to support university research that will grow the aerospace sector and lead to new jobs in Washington.

Gregoire also proposed creating a new Governor’s Aerospace Office to provide focus, direction, oversight and coordination to grow Washington state’s aerospace industry. The office will also gather industry intelligence to advise the governor in advancing Washington’s competitiveness nationally and globally.

Additionally, Gregoire will ask the Legislature to extend an existing aerospace tax incentive for pre-production expenses from 2024 to 2034 to realign the lifespan of the incentive to match the anticipated production duration of the 737-MAX. The initial incentive was put in place in 2003.

A full description of Gregoire’s action agenda can be seen here.

—Information provided by the office of Gov. Gregoire.