Boeing's announcement today that it would build a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina rather than Everett is disappointing and a call to action, the state's business leaders said.
"Boeing's decision underscores the changing landscape of today's worldwide business climate," AWB President Don Brunell said in a statement issued shortly after the company's announcement. He added, "It is imperative that we redouble our efforts to lure new production lines and other companies to Washington and we will continue to do our part to make sure that happens."
Steve Mullin, president of the Washington Roundtable, said Washington state faces an important challenge.
"We need to work even harder to make the changes necessary to make our state more competitive, or we will lose more family wage jobs in today's highly competitive global economy," Mullin said in a statement.
Phil Bussey, president and CEO of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, said Washington state must act decisively to protect the thousands of aerospace jobs it already has and to grow the industry.
"This isn't just about the 787 second line," Bussey said in a statement. "It's about the future of aerospace and all manufacturing, large and small, in our state."
The Washington Aerospace Partnership said the decision shows that Washington can't take its long history in aerospace or with Boeing for granted.
Its focus now is the competition with Airbus for the U.S. Air Force refueling tanker contract, the partnership said in a statement.
"To win this contract, we need to be vigilant, to challenge our state and its workers and we must continue to create an environment that is forward thinking," the statement read.
