A 10-year deal by United Airlines to purchase 100 new 787 Dreamliners from Boeing is expected to send glee throughout the North Charleston workforce that builds the jets.
United Airlines this morning announced it would buy 100 jets — with the option to buy 100 more — in a fleet modernization deal that will stretch to 2032. The deal will add flexibility for United’s long-term strategic plan, but stability for the local workforce with the big order.
“What better endorsement of North Charleston and its workforce than with United Airlines completing the largest purchase of widebody jets in commercial aviation history, all to be manufactured in our city,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said today. “In North Charleston, we build innovative jets, and we are mighty proud of it.”
It’s a huge deal worth tens of billions of dollars. While top United officials on Monday wouldn’t reveal the total value of the package, the company said it would spend at least $20 billion over the next two years on part of the order for jets made locally. More details will be unveiled in an announcement just after noon today in North Charleston.
In other headlines:
Three file for vacant school board seats in Charleston Co.. Three candidates will face each other in a special Feb. 7 election for the Charleston County School Board. The position will fill the West Ashley seat for the November winner who didn’t take it. Meanwhile, the board’s parliamentarian failed to show up for the new trust’s first meeting.
Woman-owned distillery expanding in Charleston. Striped Pig Distillery announced a $10 million investment to expand its North Charleston facility. The 24,000-square-foot expansion will accommodate a new bottling line and event space, as well as create more than 50 new jobs in the area. The expansion is expected to finish summer 2023.
Battery recycling firm comes to S.C. Financial incentives were added to a multi-million dollar deal to bring battery recycler Redwood Materials to Berkeley County. The company proposed a $3.5 billion investment in the project that will bring 1,500 new jobs to the area.
S.C. agriculture chief wants more processing in the state. South Carolina’s agriculture chief is asking lawmakers for $75 million to help bring processing and packing to the state so farmers don’t have to send their products out of state. The state’s agribusiness has a $51.8 billion economic impact and processing in-state could help grow that number, according to officials.
Giant winter storm headed east. More than 10 million people across 17 states are under a severe weather warning, causing blizzard conditions in the Great Plains and icy weather in the Midwest. The storm first hit the western coast of the United States and is expected to continue traveling eastward.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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