Washington aero firms courted

Alabama and South Carolina officials are in Seattle this week to develop relationships with aerospace suppliers, according to the Seattle Times. It's happening at an annual aerospace conference. The newspaper said economic development officials in Washington state are nervous about the Southeast's growing aerospace strength. Boeing has a 787 assembly line in Charleston, S.C., and Airbus is building an A320 assembly line in Mobile, Ala. A big concern is where Boeing will build the 777X. The paper also reports that a top Airbus executive was in Washington state to tell local suppliers the company is eager to bring work to Washington state. (Source: Seattle Times, 10/23/13)