Boeing is considering whether to launch a new airplane program – dubbed the New Mid-Market Airplane (NMA). Will it be built in Washington or somewhere else? The competition is already fierce from all corners of the country and beyond.
NMA Council in Action
Brought together by Gov. Jay Inslee, elected officials and community leaders from business, labor, education and economic development from throughout the state have joined together to advocate for Washington state. The Council has been hard at work assembling the facts and data to prove Washington’s aerospace infrastructure and workforce are second to none.
The Council’s first big step was to commission an independent competitive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages for aerospace manufacturing in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Washington state is the best, most competitive, location in the U.S. for aerospace design and manufacturing, according the study done by the Virginia-based Teal Group, led by Vice President of Analysis Richard Aboulafia and research firm Olympic Analytics.
You can download a copy of the full report here: nma.choosewashingtonstate.com
Labor costs in Washington are very competitive
Teal researchers found that it is a myth that labor costs are higher in Washington state.
“The Teal Report looks not just at the basic cost of the labor, but they also looked at the output of that labor,” said Jon Holden, IAM District 751 president and a Council member. “What they found is that machinists and engineers here in Washington are very efficient and productive. We produce more aerospace output per dollar cost of labor than almost anywhere else. So Washington ranks very well in the labor cost criteria.”
Washington Storms Farnborough Airshow
A 60-member delegation took the message about Washington’s aerospace competitiveness to England last month at the Farnborough International Airshow – one of the industry’s largest. The delegation included 14 companies, 11 economic development organizations, ports, education and workforce training schools from around the state – as well as the Aerospace Futures Alliance and Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance.
“Farnborough provided an excellent venue to tell Washington’s story,” said Brian Bonlender, state Department of Commerce director. “We sent a large and capable delegation commensurate with our state’s role as the world’s largest aerospace cluster. We wanted to make sure everyone there understood why aerospace is successful in Washington. The Teal Report gave us the facts to back us up.”
Aerospace Employers – Take the Workforce Survey!
Our Workforce Development Work Group is creating strategies and policy recommendations to serve aerospace industry needs.
The group is seeking additional feedback from employers on their draft findings. Aerospace employers, take Aerospace Futures Alliance’s NMA Council Workforce Development Work Group – Aerospace Employer Survey (https://www.research.net/r/AerospaceEmployerSurvey).
Does your community have a stake in aerospace?
You bet it does! More than 250,000 Washington state jobs depend on aerospace.
Bring the NMA Council to your community to learn more and how you can help. Request a Council member to visit by sending a request to: nma@choosewashingtonstate.com or call 206-971-3051.
– Choose Washington
