Originally Posted by
TallFlyer
Granted I'm just a lowly piston guy, but moves like Corp HQ to Chicago, manufacturing to Japan, training to Miami, don't make a lot of sense for a company with its beating heart in Seattle.
Corporate HQ move right after Senior Senator dumped by liberal voters in 2000. No love from politicians in Washington State. Also needed international airport, banking and legal services not available in left corner of country as production and marketing become more international driven (that's where the growth is). Seattle is very parochial. Salesman now run company, not engineers (for better or worse).
Manufacturing et al is driven by high cost of living in Seattle area since MicroSlave and Amazon have more than doubled housing prices and wage rates. Cheaper to pay factory worker in the South than Liberalsville. Also avoids routine walkouts by Union members disrupting production. South = Right to Work states.
Boeing has sold off much of its Seattle area real estate over the past decade. Would not be surprised if all manufacturing moved to the South over the next decade. I believe all future 787's to be built in South Carolina.
"The power to tax is the power to destroy," and Dumbocrats never met a tax they didn't like! There are consequences to electing anti-business politicians.