Boeing has chosen South Carolina as the location for fabrication and assembly of interior parts for the 787 Dreamliner. The company continues to review potential sites for the new facility and expects to reach a final decision by midsummer.

Boeing plans to locate the new facility, called Boeing Fabrication Interiors South Carolina, near the new North Charleston final assembly and delivery site now under construction. As many as 150 employees will work at the new interiors facility, which will serve as an extension of the existing Interiors Responsibility Center in Everett, Wash., “leveraging” the opportunities of a single, integrated production system. This decision represents part of Boeing’s plan announced last year to provide an independent parts sourcing stream for 787 final assembly and delivery in South Carolina. The close proximity of this new facility to Boeing’s Charleston site will help improve the efficiency of the final assembly and delivery process in the state, according to Boeing. 

“By expanding Boeing's footprint in South Carolina, we enhance our existing foundation with Boeing Charleston and further contribute to the growth of aerospace in the region," said Ray Conner, vice president and general manager of supply chain management and operations for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Ultimately, the decision we made in 2009 builds on our overall strategy to successfully meet our 787 customer commitments and to optimize our production capability.”

The Boeing Fabrication Interiors South Carolina team will make 787 stow bins, closets, partitions, class dividers, floor-mounted stow bins used by flight attendants, overhead flight-crew rests, overhead flight attendant crew rests, video-control stations and attendant modules.

Located within the Boeing Everett complex, Boeing’s existing Interiors Responsibility Center designs, manufactures, assembles and integrates a wide range of interior systems for production, aftermarket and spares for Boeing commercial jets. About 1,380 people work at the IRC, making products that include crew rest area furnishings, doors and doorway linings, overhead stowage bins and floor-mounted stow boxes, life raft boxes, closets and partitions, secure flight deck doors, video control centers, purser work stations, dry galleys, ceilings, sidewalls, decorative laminates and proximity lighting.