Boeing’s global headquarters will move from Chicago to Arlington, the company announced on May 5. The announcement came after The Wall Street Journal reported the news. Its Chicago office will continue to operate.
“We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia. The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent,” said Dave Calhoun, the company’s president and CEO.
Boeing develops commercial airplanes, defense products, and space system, and employs more than 140,000 people as the nation’s largest exporter.
Boeing also plans to establish a research and technology hub in Northern Virginia, which will focus on innovations in cyber security, autonomous operations, quantum sciences, and software and systems engineering.
“Focusing our R&D and talent development in areas that support digital innovation will fuel the introduction of cutting-edge capabilities. This new hub in Northern Virginia will follow the successful implementation of this technology strategy in other regions,” said Greg Hyslop, Boeing’s chief engineer and executive vice president of engineering, test, and technology.
The move comes amidst the aerospace company’s struggles — it experienced a $1.2 billion loss in the first quarter of 2022.
The company’s Defense, Space & Security business unit is also located in Arlington, and its other business units, Commercial Airplanes and Global Services, reside in Seattle and Plano, Texas, respectively.
“Boeing is one of America’s great pioneering businesses and we are thrilled the company has decided to headquarter in Virginia. The decision to call Virginia home shows that the Commonwealth is the premier location for aerospace companies,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Boeing to attract even more talent to Virginia, especially given its reputation for engineering excellence.”
Calhoun thanked both Youngkin and Sen. Mark Warner, who has been championing the move for over a year, in the company’s statement.
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