Everett Mayor Issues Statement On 787 Production Move By Boeing

Everett, Washington Mayor Cassie Franklin issued the following statement Thursday afternoon:

“This has been a tremendously difficult year for our city, our economy and our community. The global pandemic has completely changed our entire way of life, causing sickness and tragic loss of life, anxiety and uncertainty, and widespread economic damage. Our aviation and aerospace sectors have been among those hardest hit due to the drastic reduction in air travel triggered by the pandemic. I know that the Boeing Company has faced serious challenges this year and did not arrive at this decision lightly.

The impact of losing the 787 line here in Everett will be deeply felt throughout our community. We have been home to the Boeing Company and its workers and families for more than 50 years. Boeing has helped shape our character and culture as a city. We are incredibly sad to see our Dreamliner, and the team that worked on it, leave us.

But we have a long history in aerospace and it is part of our DNA. Everett remains a world-class aviation and aerospace manufacturing center and home of the largest number of Boeing and aerospace employees – the most trained, talented and experienced in the industry. We still produce the 747, 767 and 777 airplanes, as well as their military derivatives, and are the proud home of the Composite Wing Center. Despite the challenging times we all are experiencing, I know that Boeing and the aerospace sector will come back strong.

We in Everett will do all that we can to ensure that the company, our many aerospace partners, as well as our trained workforce, continue to thrive in the years to come.

Everett will continue to focus on our economic recovery, supporting our local businesses and attracting new investment and jobs to the region. We continue to support recent growth in advanced manufacturing, robotics and healthcare. We soon plan to introduce new incentives to attract investment in select industries with enormous potential, including biotech manufacturing, green energy technologies and hydroponic agriculture.

We are also collaborating with Everett Community College, Washington State University Everett, Workforce Snohomish and the Northwest Innovation Resource Center to retrain and tap into the skills of displaced workers. We are also introducing new regulations to attract remote workers and home-based business owners.

This has been the most challenging time in our lifetimes, but it is not the most challenging time in our city’s history. We have weathered tough times before and I have no doubt that we will weather these as well. We are a strong and resilient community and we will resume our course toward growth and prosperity. As I said, the economic recovery of all sectors is a top priority. I look forward to working with Boeing and all of our aerospace partners to continue to foster growth and innovation for the future of aerospace, so that the world’s best planes can continue to take flight from Everett.”