December 2014–January 2015 21 “In Canada, you have a complete cross section of The Boeing Company and what we do.” —Shep Hill, president of Boeing International and senior vice president of Business Development and Strategy with increasing 737 production rates. “I like the fact you can work at one site but move around to a lot of different jobs,” said Dexter Magri, a manufacturing manager for 777 ducts and doors. The Winnipeg site’s opportunities extend to those who are deaf. A larger-than-average proportion of the site’s employees are deaf or otherwise hearing-impaired, Jensen said. Accommodations include strobe lighting to warn of passing forklifts, as well as American Sign Language interpreters and closed captioning on training videos. While Boeing Canada contributes to leading-edge composite manufacturing within the company, it also is supporting the advancement of the nation’s aerospace technology. More than a decade ago, Boeing Canada helped launch the Composites Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, a not-for-profit composite materials research organization. Through the center, Boeing also has supported the Canadian Composites Manufacturing Research and Development consortium, a group of Canadian industrial and research organizations working to further advance composite manufacturing processes. Additionally, Boeing is the founding industrial member of the University of British Columbia’s Composites Research Network. Boeing Canada’s partnerships extend to corporate citizenship as well, with Boeing Winnipeg and AeroInfo in Richmond specifically contributing to a number of organizations in their communities. Boeing Winnipeg’s partners include the United Way of Winnipeg and Siloam Mission, which offers employment training to help the less fortunate and homeless move off the streets. In the arts and culture realm, Boeing Canada supports a number of arts and performing arts programs for children, as well as science education programs. Back on the floor in the Winnipeg Fabrication building, the team working on the first 737 MAX inner barrel pores over details as it collaborates with other composite experts in Washington and South Carolina to build the first production parts. The new nacelle component is designed to be one seamless piece, which will improve its noise-reduction qualities and performance. “This is a learning curve, but we’re learning a lot from this first prototype,” said Leila Dimacali, a plastics technician. Brian Korchak, also a technician, said production of the barrel will involve robotics, another first for the site. Zacharias, the industrial engineering specialist working on the 737 MAX team, said she knows there are a limited number of places in the world where this work is being done. She said she’s pleased that Boeing has a strong, and growing, presence in Canada. “I wanted to stay local,” said Zacharias, who came to Boeing right after graduating from the University of Manitoba. “It’s a great opportunity to work for such a world-renowned company while being able to stay here in Winnipeg.” n eric.c.fetters-walp@boeing.com Photos: (Far left) A CF-18 Hornet escorts a C-17 Globemaster III, designated the CC-177 in Canada. DND-MDN Ca nada (Above) Aneta Zacharias, an industrial engineering specialist in Winnipeg, is helping set up the site’s production process for the 737 MAX acoustic inner barrel. Bo b Fer guson | Boe ing
Frontiers December 2014–January 2015 Issue
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