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Boeing updates North Charleston on third‑line assembly, 1,600 projected jobs and community outreach
Summary
Boeing South Carolina told the council it has about $3 billion in capital investment in the region, is building a new final‑assembly building for a third production line, expects roughly 1,000 production/maintenance jobs and about 600 engineering positions, and said it is coordinating neighborhood outreach about expansion impacts.
Jessica (Jess) Williford, representing Boeing South Carolina, briefed the council on May 21 about the company’s ongoing expansion in North Charleston, citing large capital investment and plans for a new final assembly building that would host a third production line.
"We're currently sitting on 3,000,000,000 in capital investment and adding to that every day with our site expansion work," Williford said as she described Boeing’s local footprint of roughly 850 acres and multiple production and technology operations. She said the new final assembly building is under construction, with cranes visible on site and an expected topping‑out later in the year; occupancy was described as likely pushed into 2028.
Williford outlined production goals and hiring projections: Boeing is building about eight of the 787 Dreamliners a month now with plans to raise output to 10, eventually 12 and possibly study a path to 14. She said the company publicly projects about 1,000 new production and maintenance teammates and roughly 600 engineers tied to the expansion. On workforce development, Williford said Boeing recently moved its training contract to Trident Technical College to support the local hiring pipeline.
Council members asked about local‑hire percentages and neighborhood impacts. Williford said Boeing is pursuing a regional recruitment strategy, prioritizes local pipelines where possible and has met with neighborhood groups to share information before construction activity such as tree removal. On concerns about encroachment, she said the company ‘‘has no plans to take over Glen Terrace neighborhood’’ and framed outreach as a priority.
Why it matters: Boeing’s expansion represents substantial private investment and projected job growth for North Charleston and surrounding counties. The project will affect land use, traffic and the local labor market and will intersect with efforts to shape local workforce training and housing policy.
What happens next: Boeing will continue community outreach and work with city staff on permitting and construction schedules; council members requested follow‑up data on local hiring percentages and training outcomes.
Attributions: Direct quotes are attributed to Jess Williford (Boeing South Carolina).
