Boeing announces another out-of-state plant expansion

BUTTE, Mont. -- Boeing corporation continues to expand construction of the 787-10 Dreamliners. But once again, the planned manufacturing expansion will take place outside of Washington state.

Boeing announced Tuesday it will expand its Helena, Mont. manufacturing site by nearly 50 percent in an effort to keep up with new work on the Dreamliner. The planned $35 million expansion will add 55,000 square feet of manufacturing space and add 20-25 jobs to the already 144-person workforce at the plant. The plant will continue to build parts for the Dreamliner, as well as other planes.

Officials said the expansion was in an effort to keep up with the plant's unprecedented production rate.

"This expansion ensures we have the stable workforce, skills and now the manufacturing space we need to support production requirements and take on new production for the 787-10," Director and Site Leader and Boeing Helena Eric Smith said.

The announcement comes on the heels of other plant expansions in California and South Carolina, and a continued reduction in local workforce as Boeing announced local engineer and technician layoffs earlier this year.