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Boeing to Move Headquarters From Seattle
Boeing stunned its hometown Wednesday by announcing it is moving its headquarters out of Seattle, where the aircraft manufacturing giant was founded 85 years ago. Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said Boeing is considering Chicago, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Condit said the reason for the move is to save money and give the world's No. 1 maker of passenger jets a headquarters central to its operations, now spread over 26 states. The company's huge jet manufacturing plants will remain in the Seattle area, as will much of its research and development work.
Condit said that less than half the 1,000 employees working at its Seattle corporate center will be moved to the new headquarters. The others will be transferred to other departments or may be laid off, he said.
Condit said the decision to move was made six months ago and was announced as the company began actively seeking a new site.
Boeing hopes to choose the new headquarters site by early summer and have it running by the fall.
Boeing is Washington state's biggest private employer, with 78,400 people in the Seattle area alone. Worldwide, it has 198,900 workers, with major operations in St. Louis and Southern California.
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