First he said the headquarters would be separate and independent of the company's plants in Seattle, St. Louis and southern California. "I don't expect to then have any of the business units go where we are,'' said Condit. "When you are co-located with one of your business units . . . the other units are reasonably sure that unit is getting special attention. The one you are with is reasonably sure you are meddling.''

But then Condit added that the look -- and location -- of the company would be significantly different a decade down the road. "I think 10 years from now you will find us with a lot of different operations in a lot of different countries,'' Condit said.

Boeing currently has six units, but the three largest - commercial airplanes, space and communications and military aircraft and missiles - account for the bulk of company revenues. A majority of Boeing's employees work in the greater Seattle area.