“We’re overhaul existing, aging buildings is quite H-47 Program manager, said the invest-Leanne Caret, vice president andsite like we did in South Carolina. To fully optimizing new final assembly factory was built for was necessary to achieve productivityment in upgrading to a world-class facilityanother.” At Boeing South Carolina, a this work production of 787 Dreamliners. commitments. It also will help Boeingtargets needed to meet current customerThe multimillion-dollar renovation to environment more than 1,100 construction workers, is win new business.“These renovations are a reflectionthe Ridley Park site, which has involved to bring the infrastructure needs associated with our employees and the Philadelphia region,”of Boeing’s commitment to our customers,occurring in phases. Phase one addressed best for the will have doubled by the time the entire are being executed demonstrates ourCaret said. “The way the improvementsincreased Chinook production rates, which employee, project wraps up in 2015. enterprise, and we couldn’t be morepartnership with SSG and across theFlight ramp improvements and office customer creating a much improved working environ- environment to bring the best for theproud of how we’re optimizing this workand factory modernization are complete, and Boeing.” issue of Frontiers.) Massive windows employee, customer and Boeing.”The biggest challenge since the massivement for employees. (See the July 2011 replaced solid steel walls, providing terrific project began more than two years ago – Leanne Caret, vice president and views and bringing natural light into the has been managing the project’s phases to H-47 Program manager work area; installation of a central utility avoid disrupting Chinook production. Not plant now provides much-needed only has production increased during the air conditioning. ongoing renovation, but the construction Indeed, many of the site’s buildings work has been accomplished with no lost were originally constructed in the 1920s time due to accidents. for steel manufacturing. The buildings had “They laid out a good plan before start- no lights at the time; the work area used ing each phase,” Morais said. “Disruption natural lighting, streaming through glass has been minimal, and it’s been a pretty walls and an atrium, two design features smooth ride considering all the work that’s the renovation re-emphasized. been going on.” “It’s bright, clean and new,” said engi- Tim Lunger, a manager with Defense, neer Kevin Morais, H-47 Manufacturing Space & Security who serves as the project’s lead and a 20-year rotorcraft employee. factory representative, has worked closely “There’s more room for the support func- with Site Services and construction and tions to colocate, and everyone I need to planning teams. He said the renovation help support the production line is now required careful choreography between an arm’s length away. It’s great seeing the construction and production work. faces of folks coming through on tours. The success of undertaking such They can’t believe it’s the same place.” a massive project and not interrupting Construction teams now are replacing vital production, he added, mirrors the the site’s ancient boilers and reconfiguring groundbreaking “Move to the Lake” manufacturing-support areas into office initiative in Renton, Wash., where Boeing and training space as well as a new builds 737 jetliners. Boeing consolidated cafeteria. Latter stages of the project operations there nearly 10 years ago. will include further mechanical and Engineering and administrative offices now electrical infrastructure improvements are close to the factory floor, improving and conversion of the old boiler house operations and efficiency. into a firehouse. “Like Renton, we’re connecting office The sitewide overhaul and consolida- space and the products we produce,” tion includes Boeing’s first Leadership in Lunger said. “This investment speaks to Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) how important our work is to Boeing, factory renovation, meeting criteria en- to our customers and to the soldiers acted by the U.S. Green Building Council, we support.” n and supports Boeing’s initiative to be a debra.j.arkell@boeing.com leader in energy-efficient design. BOEING FRONTIERS / AUGUST 2012 33
Frontiers August 2012 Issue
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