Boeing Plans to Spread Out Operations

SEATTLE-Since The Boeing Co. announced last month it would move its world headquarters to Denver, Dallas or Chicago to be closer to many of its customers, Puget Sound-area employees have felt anything could happen. If headquarters could be moved, why wouldn’t other divisions be moved out of the Puget Sound region? Chairman Phil Condit sent a mixed message yesterday in that regard.

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.