Gov. Gregoire tours Boeing supplier in Vietnam

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2010

HANOI, VIETNAM � Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday, joined by members of her trade delegation, toured the Mitsubishi Heavy Industry flap factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, which builds parts for the Boeing 737.

�This summer I visited a Washington aerospace company that is hiring 80 people to fill an order from Mitsubishi,� Gregoire said. �Today I visited a Mitsubishi plant in Vietnam that supplies critical parts for a signature Washington product � Boeing airplanes. We are truly players in the global economy, and forging new ties during this trade mission helps our efforts to grow jobs, and is part of maintaining our role as the worldwide leader in the aerospace industry.�

Mitsubishi�s factory is the first company in Vietnam to manufacture and ship aircraft components. The flaps shipped from the plant will be delivered to Boeing�s Renton plant to be used in assembly.

Gregoire on Wednesday also helped celebrate the opening of a new school in Hue, Vietnam, which was funded by Boeing and constructed by the East Meets West Foundation. The new facility will benefit nearly 140 elementary students � who prior to the school�s opening studied in unsafe classrooms that were at risk of collapsing.

�It is an honor to recognize Boeing and everyone in this community for their commitment to a bright future for these young students,� Gregoire said. �I hope to see some of them join the 1,200 students from Vietnam who come to Washington universities each year to further their studies. As we exchange culture, languages and students, we will build a good foundation for trade and prosperity in both Vietnam and Washington state.�

�Vietnam is an important emerging market for Washington's aerospace companies,� said Laura Peterson of Boeing. �We're undertaking school construction projects because they help us build positive new relationships across the Pacific and underscore the importance of education in helping a young person achieve a successful future. Our future as an airplane manufacturer employing thousands in Washington depends on our customers' trust that we are responsible business partners who want to contribute to the development of their communities.�

On Thursday, Gregoire and the delegation wrap up the trade mission in Ho Chi Minh City, where they will celebrate the development by SSA Marine of a new shipping terminal at the Port of Cai Mep, 50 miles southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Gregoire will also participate in a promotional event highlighting Washington grown potatoes.

For more information on the governor�s trade mission, visit: http://governor.wa.gov/blog/2010asia/default.asp