Report: Boeing’s growth in sales looks good for Rockford’s aerospace industry

ROCKFORD — The entire aerospace and aviation industry has seen a growth in sales the last several years as passenger traffic has continued to rise.  Boeing broke a company record for the second consecutive year, delivering 723 commercial airplanes to customers in 2014.  Boeing has strong ties with many local suppliers; Rockford’s B/E Aerospace, UTC Aerospace Systems, and GE Aviation Systems are just a few local suppliers that work closely with Boeing.  With more than 250 aerospace and aviation companies located in the Rockford region, the area is a competitive hub in the aerospace industry.

The Rockford Register Star quoted Mark Podemski, vice president of development at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, on how the lengthly life cycle of producing an airplane is beneficial to the security of participating companies and the economy they support.

“Aerospace is an industry that communities desire because the life cycle of an airplane is so long,” Pedemski said. “The build schedules allow smaller companies in the supply chain to reinvest because they know they can count on orders for long periods of time.”

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