Richard White, Senior Manager, State and Local Government Operations, The Boeing Company.
Rich is responsible for representing the company before elected and appointed public officials and their staffs, industry and business association executives and community based organizations in the Central Puget Sound region. Prior to joining the Boeing Company, Rich was the director of government affairs for the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce and previously worked for U.S. Senator Slade Gorton in both Washington D.C. and in the state of Washington.
Bill Boeing started the Boeing Company in 1916 based out of the Red Barn in Seattle on a small airport now known as Boeing Field. Bill Boeing left Yale University in 1903 to begin a career in the risky but financially rewarding Northwest timber industry in Aberdeen to run the family business.
However, in 1910 while attending a horse show in Los Angeles he witnessed an air show and wanted to get a ride but was declined by the pilot. But, he found another pilot who would give him a ride. In 1910, he commuted between Seattle and Los Angeles to learn how to fly. In 1912, Bill Boeing moved to Seattle and joined the Rainier Club with his friend & Navy engineer Cdr. George Conrad Westervelt. That experience would serve him well in aviation.
In 1915 after crashing a Clenn Martin "Flying Birdcage" seaplane, Boeing realized he could combine efforts with Commander Westervelt to design and construct the B&W Seaplane. At this point Boeing, incorporated and became the Pacific Aero Products Company, and eventually renaming it the Boeing Airplane Company. During this time, he sent two new Model C's to the Navy. The Navy loved the design and ordered 50 more to use for WWI training, giving Boeing the first break and the excuse he needed to move to a larger facility.
In 1917, the first charitable contribution to the University of Washington created the UW Wind Tunnel. In order to save the company, Boeing used his personal funds to pay payroll, create furniture etc. The B17 & B29 followed and were used primarily in the Pacific theater, arguably the most important heavy bombers in WWII. During the 1930's Boeing created the first passenger plane with Pacific Air Transport and eventually changing the name to United Aircraft and Transportation Corporation better known today as United Airlines. Their Model 40 mail plane won the U.S. Postal Office's contract. Unfortunately, shortly after the Air Mail Act of 1934 forced the company to split into three smaller airlines. Boeing sold all of his holdings in Boeing in 1934/35.
Today, Boeing is the largest exporter in the United States, exporting 60% of all Washington exports according to 2015 statistics. The 737 program will increase production of the airplanes to 57 per month beginning in 2019. Boeing's money is made delivering airplanes. Huge backlog. Everett has produced all of the 747, 767, 777 and 787 at its Everett facility. Boeing's current market is very strong. There is so much more to the story of Boeing but we will close this article with Aerospace workers for Washington with $50 million in contributions to communities in Washington. The industry employees more than 10,000 veterans. The Employee Community Fund is currently over $600 million. Current commercial airplane revenue in 2016 was $65 billion.
Thanks Rich for a great program.