Taking it to the MAX… 737 that is!
I can’t think of better news for this holiday season than the announcement that the new Boeing 737 MAX is going to be built in Renton, Washington.
Boeing’s history in the Seattle area dates back to 1910 when William E. Boeing purchased the Heath shipyard on the Duwamish River. This would later become his first airplane factory in Seattle near the Museum of Flight. Boeing took his first airplane ride on July 4, 1914 with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Conrad Westervelt in a small seaplane piloted by barnstormer Terah Maroney.
According to legend he later told Westervelt “we could make a better one.” Bill was so enamored by the flying experience he built a hangar on the shores of Lake Union in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle to do just that and by June 1916 he built his first plane, the B & W. Soon after they incorporated and in July moved production to a new factory at the Duwamish location.
The rest was history! Boeing History
The Boeing 737 MAX… Photo Courtesy of The Boeing Company.
Renton has been home to Boeing for 70 years and when I was growing up our local paper, The Record Chronicle, proclaimed us “The Jet Capital of the World.” During World War II Renton’s population soared as workers from all over the country were moved here to build the B-29 Superfortress. As a kid growing up in Renton we witnessed the first 707 (1957), the 727 (1962), the 737 (1967), and the first (wide-body) jumbo jet the 747 (1968). The 747 was so big Boeing had to build the Everett plant. By volume it is the largest building in the world with a floor area of 398 million square feet.
Boeing has over 80,000 employees in Washington State, mostly at the Renton and Everett plants. It’s estimated that building the 737 MAX here will create 20,000 new jobs. That’s fabulous news for our local economy and the approximately 650 companies in the State of Washington that provide parts, materials, and services to Boeing.
Kudos to Governor Chris Gregoire for her work behind the scenes to help make this possible. Upon hearing the news, she commended Boeing and the union stating the agreement “shows a strong commitment by both sides to secure the future of aerospace in Washington state.” She was also quoted as saying, “At a time when I don’t get much good news, this couldn’t be better!”
Personally, I think Boeing’s 737 MAX and the 787 Dreamliner are two of coolest looking planes ever built. Just sayin’… I got to see both land and take off on several occasions commuting to Seattle during the week.
More on the 737 MAX.
Renton Reporter: Boeing to build the 737 MAX in Renton
RentonPatch: Renton Lands 737 MAX Production
The Seattle Times: Boeing, union seal deal for jets, jobs, peace
The Seattle PI: Boeing Machinists: 737 MAX to be built in Renton
Originally posted on the Activerain.com real estate network, December 1, 2011.
2 months ago