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Win ends year of worry, work: A chronology

By Seattle Times business staff

	LOUIE BALUKOFF / AP Fearing that losing the 7E7 could lead to the loss of the state's biggest industry, Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel, center, Gov. Gary Locke, left, and other officials kicked off plans in the spring to have Boeing choose Washington. The effort paid off, above right, with Boeing CEO Harry Stonecipher, left, and commercial-airplanes chief Alan Mulally embracing after yesterday's announcement.
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December 2002

Commercial Airplanes Chief Alan Mulally announces Boeing will abandon the Sonic Cruiser, a proposed luxury high-speed jet, and instead design a "super-efficient" plane that would be more attractive to cost-conscious airlines.

January 2003

	BOEING Boeing shows off a rendering of the 7E7 in January and targets initial deliveries for 2008 if the program goes ahead.

Boeing dubs proposed jet the 7E7 and chooses Mike Bair to lead the program.

March

Boeing VP Bob Watt says company plans a "fair and open" competition among the states for a 7E7 final-assembly site.

April

Bair warns Boeing could assemble the 7E7 overseas, though the company later says it would consider only U.S. sites; Bair also says 7E7 assembly will look "vastly different" from today's jets, with many fewer workers needed. Amid gloom about whether Washington has a chance of building the 7E7, Boeing's two major unions criticize the bidding process. Gov. Gary Locke and legislative leaders pledge to fulfill a Boeing wish list, even if it requires a special legislative session. The goal, Locke said, is "to make sure that staying here is the cheapest option for them." Boeing's Mulally, joined by union officials, visit legislators in Olympia to talk about business competitiveness. In part spurred by the prospect of losing Boeing jobs, the Legislature enacts a 5-cent gas-tax increase in a package to raise $4.2 billion for transportation improvements. Watt says the move "sends a great signal to our (7E7) siting team."

May

Kansas legislators approve $500 million in loan guarantees for Boeing for its Wichita facility to retain a major role in building the 7E7. Boeing releases criteria for a 7E7 final-assembly site: access to a major seaport, an airport with a long runway and a mild climate.

June

	AP Boeing Machinists go to Olympia in June to support unemployment-insurance reform, a major goal of Boeing's.

Boeing's Machinists union kicks off a public campaign to win the 7E7. "We can do it" posters featuring Rosie the Riveter start popping up in Everett-area shop windows. Machinist leaders also provide critical backing for a change in the state's unemployment-insurance system that would benefit Boeing. Moses Lake, with a huge Cold War-era airfield and cheap land and electricity, emerges as Washington's other contender. Locke announces tax incentives worth more than $3 billion over 20 years, calling it the state's best shot at winning the plant. By June 20, at least 22 states — representing more than 50 potential sites — are vying for the 7E7.

August

Boeing announces ad campaign to drum up enthusiasm for the proposed jet, which it nicknames the "Dreamliner."

September

Locke says Washington is one of a "handful" of states still in the running for the 7E7, with two sites still contending: Everett and Moses Lake. Among other cities reported to be in the running are Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S.C., and Harlingen, Texas.

October

	JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES Boeing Machinists rally in October in support of landing the new plane and an Air Force tanker contract.

Mulally offers harsh words about Washington's business climate, telling the Seattle Rotary Club: "I think we suck," then criticizing the state's road system, workers' compensation and unemployment costs, and efficiency in handling environmental and other permits. Boeing officials ask states competing for the 7E7 to help it finance a small fleet of jumbo cargo planes to transport parts to the proposed manufacturing plant. The Times reports the only significant part of the 7E7 structure that will be built in the Puget Sound area is the tail fin, with the wings and most fuselage work going to partners in Japan and Italy.

November

	AP Boeing shows off the interior design of the 7E7 in November in Seattle as a model of the jet sits nearby.

Boeing announces plans to debut not one but two 7E7 models, one for long range and another designed to be highly efficient for shorter hops. The company says its assembly line will be flexible to turn out at least three different versions of the plane at the same time. Bair says Washington has made "tremendous progress" in improving its business climate.

December

Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit abruptly resigns following several scandals involving Pentagon contracts. Condit is replaced by former McDonnell Douglas chief Harry Stonecipher, Boeing's retired No. 2 exec. Stonecipher promptly declares support for the 7E7 project. The Times reports Dec. 5 the 7E7 executive team concludes the jet should be built in Everett. On Dec. 15, Boeing's board of directors approves the plan to assemble the 7E7 in Everett.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company