Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 19, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  Sharon Wallace, Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, 360-725-4019; Mary Hanson, The Boeing Company, 425-294-6101

Gov. Gary Locke, Boeing Sign Final 7E7 Agreement

Gov. Gary Locke and Mike Bair, senior vice president of the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner program, today signed the 7E7 master site development and location agreement at the Boeing Everett plant. The signing occurred three days after The Boeing Company announced it had selected Everett to be the home of 7E7 final assembly.

The agreement is among The Boeing Company, the state of Washington and various public entities. It sets forth the terms and conditions under which Boeing will locate the 7E7 final assembly facility in Everett.

"This agreement marks the beginning of a new journey," Locke said. "Today we enter a strategic partnership together, and the flight of the 7E7 Dreamliner begins. Working together, we will build the most efficient, cost-effective airplane ever. Working together, we will deliver to airlines and travelers the best value in the sky, proudly made in Washington."

"We're very proud to continue our longstanding partnership with Washington state and the Everett community," Bair said. "We’re 10 for 10 in bringing new airplanes to market. The people of Boeing and Washington state make an unstoppable team – we’re well on our way to being 11 for 11 with the 7E7."

Others who signed the agreement were: Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel; Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson; John Mohr, executive director of the Port of Everett; Jerry Henry, Senior Vice President for Puget Sound Energy; and Ed Hansen with Snohomish County PUD.

"We’re very happy to have reached this point," Drewel said. "We proved that we could work together as state and as region and today’s signing gives us another the opportunity to celebrate this victory. We hope to celebrate many more victories as we enter this new phase of our long-standing partnership with The Boeing Company."

Martha Choe, director of the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED), spearheaded the state’s 7E7 proposal and was also present at the signing.

"I am proud to be part of this event today," Choe said. "It is the culmination of a lot of hard work from our Action Washington team and The Boeing Company. With this agreement, the state of Washington pledges to work together with Boeing to build the most efficient, cost-effective airplane ever, to compete successfully against Airbus."

The state’s proposal to Boeing included:

· An estimated $3 billion in tax incentives for the aerospace industry during the next 20 years;
· A $4.2 billion transportation-improvement package to help ease congestion and improve traffic safety across the state;
· Reforms to the state’s unemployment insurance and injured workers’ compensation systems;
· Establishment of an Aerospace Futures Board to comprise Boeing, its suppliers, and public partners to design and implement a plan for an end-to-end workforce training program;
· Recruitment, screening, assessment, training and employment life cycle services for Boeing and its suppliers to implement the plan designed by the Aerospace Futures Board;
· An Employment Resource Center with state-of-the-art equipment to house the workforce development programs for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner and its suppliers located close to the assembly site;
· An Aerospace Manufacturing Degree Program that will be established by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in consultation with Boeing (Boeing will consider the graduates of this program for the 7E7 Dreamliner workforce);
· $15.5 million for improvements at the Port of Everett Satellite Rail Barge Facility;
· Offer to facilitate development of a Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) program to ensure that Boeing can efficiently transport by air the large subassemblies that will comprise the 7E7;
· Pledge to work side-by-side with Boeing to ensure that the 7E7 Dreamliner project is executed on schedule; and
· Pledge to provide more detailed facilitation services in the areas of taxing and incentives, permitting, workforce training, the LCF program and transportation.

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Related links: www.actionwashington.com; www.governor.wa.gov; www.cted.wa.gov;
www.boeing.com

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