Boeing will expand the capacity of its factory in Helena, Montana, by nearly 50 percent to support increased demand for commercial airplanes and new work for the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, company CEO Jim McNerney announced Tuesday during the Montana Jobs Summit in Butte. McNerney appeared at the event with Montana Senator Max Baucus and Governor Steve Bullock.
The nearly $35 million expansion will add more than 55,000 sq ft of manufacturing space, increasing the size of the Boeing Helena facility to 167,099 sq ft, it said. Boeing Helena manufactures complex parts for the 737, 747, 767 and 787 from hard metals such as titanium.
Plans call for construction to begin this fall on the south side of the existing facility and finish by the fourth quarter of next year. Boeing expects the expansion and increased work will result in the need to add 20 to 25 employees to the 144-person workforce.