OKLAHOMA CITY, March 21 (UPI) -- Work has started on a second facility in Oklahoma City that Boeing will lease for increased work in the area.
The return to Oklahoma City of Boeing's B-1 bomber program and C-130 Avionics Modernization Program from California has led to the increased demand for work for Boeing in Oklahoma.
Boeing said a new six-story, 320,000-square-foot building will be designed and built by the Gardner Tanenbaum Group, a commercial real estate company with headquarters in Oklahoma City.
The building is expected to open in the second quarter of 2012.
"By moving B-1 and C-130 AMP to Oklahoma City, we are able to lower our operating costs and extend an increased value to our customer," said Mark Bass, Boeing vice president and general manager of Maintenance, Modifications and Upgrades. "Boeing appreciates the positive business environment created by the state of Oklahoma and its county and city governments.
"This environment contributes to our affordability and the well-trained aerospace workforce already in place will be key to our success."
Boeing Oklahoma City houses programs for two divisions under its Global Services and Support business: Maintenance, Modifications and Upgrades and Defense and Government Services.
Boeing employs 945 employees in Oklahoma, 745 of whom are in Oklahoma City. Boeing will have nearly 1,500 employees in the state when the B-1 and C-130 transition is complete.
