Boeing will move at least 800 jobs to Oklahoma City
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January 05, 2012
BY STEVE LACKMEYER, Business Reporter
The Oklahoman
1/4/2012
Boeing has announced that more jobs will be added to its Oklahoma City operation as it prepares to close a plant in Wichita, Kan.
Oklahoma City likely will get at least 800 jobs, the majority coming from Wichita — with others coming from Puget Sound, Wash.
In a news release issued Wednesday morning, the company announced it will be closing its Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) plant in Wichita by late 2013.
The plant employs 2,160 employees, and the company intends to move remaining aircraft maintenance, modification and support work at Wichita to its operation in San Antonio, while remaining engineering work will be moved to Oklahoma City.
“The decision to close our Wichita facility was difficult but ultimately was based on a thorough study of the current and future market environment and our ability to remain competitive while meeting our customers’ needs with the best and most affordable solutions,” said Mark Bass, vice president and general manager for BDS’ Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades division. “We recognize how this will affect the lives of the highly skilled men and women who work here, so we will do everything possible to assist our employees, their families and our community through this difficult transition.”
Boeing Wichita is the base for the company’s Global Transport & Executive Systems business and its B-52 and 767 International Tanker programs. The facility also provides support for flight mission planning and integrated logistics.
Boeing announced in 2010 it would be moving the B-1 program and C-130 Avionics Modernization Program to Oklahoma City from Long Beach, Calif. About 550 jobs are being added to its Oklahoma City operation, and the company is building a six-story office building next to its current operation at SE 59 and Air Depot.
Altus Air Force Base will be site of landing equipment
BY PAULA BURKES, Business Writer
The Oklahoman
1/4/2012
McLean, Va.-based Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced on Monday that the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base has awarded the company a five-year, $22 million contract, including a one-year base period and — based on performance — four, one-year options renewable in August every year.
The logistics center at Tinker provides depot maintenance, management expertise, installation services and information support for weapon systems, commands, U.S. Air Force bases and allied nations.
SAIC recently completed tests on equipment at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and, by late next month, will begin testing different configurations at Altus AFB, said Paul Rohen, SAIC vice president and division manager.
Replacing equipment
Globally, SAIC will replace 30-year equipment that is 6-foot-tall-by-5-foot-wide-by-3-foot deep with new equipment, a quarter of the size, Rohen said. Though streamlined, the instrumentation technology remains much the same, he said, from guiding pilots up and down and left to right on their 3-degree landings into airports.
The update, however, will enable remote maintenance and monitoring, Rohen said. If hardware maintenance can’t be done remotely, problems can be diagnosed, he said, and technicians dispatched.
This year’s SAIC contract is worth $6.1 million, according to SAIC.
Tinker officials on Monday confirmed the contract. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center employs more than 14,000 civilians and military personnel, a spokesman said.
Its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, SAIC had annual revenues of about $11 billion, officials said.
U.S. AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Analyst expects Boeing to miss 2011 target, likes 2012 outlook
by Daniel McCoy, Reporter
Wichita Business Journal
1/3/2012
Although it may miss its delivery target for 2011, a financial analyst believes the Boeing Co. is poised for growth in 2012.
Analyst Peter Arment wrote in a research note provided to the Wichita Business Journal that he expects Boeing to fall six aircraft short of its forecasted delivery total of 480, based mainly on fewer deliveries than expected of the 787 Dreamliner and the 747-8 in the fourth quarter.
But he also expects things to pick up for Boeing in 2012 and beyond as the aerospace giant begins to complete some of its previously announced rate increases and begins work on new programs, such as the 737 MAX.
“In the near term, we would look to add to BA on a pullback, while over the long term we expect the BA shares to continue to grind higher especially as the significant cash generation begins to be realized,” Arment wrote.
The Street’s Jim Cramer last week also pointed to Boeing as one of his favored stocks of the new year.
Boeing’s stock was up 1.8 percent to $74.67 in early trading on Tuesday.
The company has not yet announced a date for the release of its fourth quarter and full-year earnings report for 2011.
