MORNING HEADLINES | Boeing on Wednesday announced plans to expand operations and create 500 new jobs in Charleston County over the next five years with a $1 billion investment in infrastructure upgrades.
The company said it will expand both of its North Charleston campuses, on International and Patriot boulevards to support increased 787 Dreamliner jet production targets and potential future rate increases driven by market demand. The 787 Dreamliner program plans to increase production to a rate of 10 airplanes per month by 2026.
“Boeing’s decision to expand in Charleston County further solidifies South Carolina’s position as a leader in the aerospace industry,” S.C. Gov. HenryMcMaster said Wednesday, “This significant investment and the 500 new jobs it will bring to the Lowcountry reflect Boeing’s confidence in our workforce and highlights the strength of our pro-business environment.”
Scott Stocker, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of the 787 program Scott Stocker, added, “This decision reflects Boeing’s commitment to the workforce, the 787 program and the community. We are building a legacy at Boeing South Carolina for ourselves and for future generations in the Palmetto State.”
The aerospace giant’s announcement comes roughly a month ahead of 220 planned layoffs in the Palmetto State, announced by the company last month, following a seven-week strike by 33,000 unionized machinists on the West Coast.
Boeing reported a financial loss of more than $8 billion in the first nine months of this year, with $6 billion of that coming between July and September. In response, CEO Kelly Ortberg announced in October the company would cut 10% of its workforce, or about 17,000 employees nationwide.
South Carolina has been the home of the full 787 Dreamliner production cycle for more than a decade. The company established operations in South Carolina in 2009 and currently employs more than 7,800 people across its Airport and North campuses in North Charleston, and its West Campus in Orangeburg.
In the new issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP COVER STORY: Fünfrock delights Charlestonians with his French creations. As the executive chef at La Patisserie, Hotel Bennett’s French pastry shop in Charleston, Fünfrock is constantly whipping up culinary delights for hotel guests and visitors alike.
CP NEWS: GOP factions fight for power in 2025 legislative session. For Republicans old enough to remember President Ronald Reagan’s once-hallowed 11th Commandment — “Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican” — last week’s knives-out GOP infighting over leadership positions in the state legislature’s 2025-26 session might have seemed like a sin against party unity.
CP NEWS: Majority of preschool suspensions are Black students, data shows. Seventy percent of the preschool suspensions in the Charleston County School District after August 2020 involved a Black child, according to four years of the district’s data.
CP ARTS: Best movies to see over the holiday break. Over the past few weeks, movie theaters have felt a boost in business due to big-budget hits Wicked Part One, Gladiator 2 and Moana 2. With Christmas around the corner, these venues will be bustling even more, thanks to the arrival of five new releases.
CP FOOD: Local gifts for the Charleston foodie in your life. It’s not too late to stock up on cool, local gifts for the Charleston foodie in your life.
CP FOOD: ‘Southern Charm’ stars open new Spring Street bar. It’s opening day for the highly-anticipated neighborhood den, By The Way, from Uptown Hospitality Group in collaboration with Southern Charm stars Craig Conover and Austen Kroll.
CP OPINION: No education in third kick of voucher mule. “South Carolina Republicans have tried to craft a private school voucher plan that could pass constitutional muster for years — and twice since 2020. Both recent incidents got them a solid ‘F’ from the state Supreme Courts. S.C. Senate Education Committee Chairman Greg Hembree’s response heading into 2025? Hold my beer.”
In other recent headlines:
Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk, prejudicial evidence. Lawyers for disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh are taking two paths to appeal his murder convictions for killing his wife and son.
Inside complaints claim neglect, suffering in North Charleston-area rehab facility. A place meant to heal is actually a place of pain, suffering and even death, all of which could potentially have been prevented.
State, Charleston police hold ‘Sober or Slammer’ campaign. Law enforcement agencies, local officials, and the victims’ family members met for the “Sober or Slammer” kickoff at the sight of a tragic double hit-and-run.
Bond denied for man accused of killing another last year. At the conclusion of a Dec. 12 court hearing, a judge denied bond for the man accused of killing Wesley “Wes” Francis, a well known Lowcountry food and beverage worker.
New MUSC College of Medicine to lower projected state physician shortages. Medical school students will have a new official “home base” for their studies when a new facility opens in 2027.
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