When I was growing up, my uncle Gene worked at Boeing. I saw what that job meant for our family: a steady paycheck, a sense of pride, and the security of knowing there’d be food on the table. A good job like that doesn’t just support one person. It uplifts an entire family and has the power to change a community.
That’s why I couldn’t be more excited that Boeing continues to bring major wins back to our region.
Last week, the U.S. Navy announced it has selected Boeing to build the F/A-XX, its first sixth-generation strike fighter. The contract is worth more than $20 billion for development alone, and it comes on the heels of the Air Force selecting Boeing to build the F-47.
Back-to-back wins for the next generation of American air superiority. Both built in our backyard.
These wins follow Boeing’s announcement earlier this year that it would move its headquarters of Defense, Space & Security here, putting its leadership side by side with the 18,000 Boeing employees who already call our region home.
The message is clear: When the nation needs the best in aerospace and defense, it turns to the St. Louis region.
And that is a win for all our families.
Investments like these mean careers that put kids through school, pay mortgages, and keep roots planted in St. Louis. They mean work for the suppliers, small manufacturers, and the local businesses that support them.
And they send a signal to every defense and technology company in America: leading innovation happens here.
The greatest force for change in any community is a good job. These are some of the best.
At Greater St. Louis, Inc., we won’t rest on this moment. We cannot assume we’ll win tomorrow because we won today.
Instead, we will continue supporting the defense employers already here, recruiting the companies that will shape what comes next, and convening key partners to compete for every opportunity.
The work continues, but it’s clear the St. Louis region has never been better positioned.
Always forward,
Ron Kitchens
Artist rendering courtesy of The Boeing Company