30 BOEING FRONTIERS more valued, said procurement agent Debbie Veenstra. “The scope of work we do is a little bit different, but not a whole lot has changed—we’re still an emergent work center able to rapidly take on projects big and small,” Veenstra said. “The attitude of the people who work here is we enjoy a challenge and the tough stuff.” Employees still design, weld, paint and perform machine work like before, yet they’re more apt to produce a 787 Dreamliner galley or spacer for 777 landing gear rather than supply a C-17 antenna. However, the latter is not unusual, as out-of-production fleets still need to be supported. The Quick Response Center workforce stands right around 100 employees, though it continues to trend upward during the current growth spurt. The center is open every day; employees receive cross-training to handle all the different jobs. New hires include people who specialize on the commercial side. “When CAS took over they brought in a lot of new people, adding to our highly skilled team,” machinist Drake Spencer said. “Between all of the new people and the people already here, everyone works together. It’s pretty awesome.” The center offers support to every Boeing platform. As a buyer in the new workplace, Veenstra obtains raw materials that are dual-certified for commercial and defense use to speed production times. The center continues to fill an important need; it just has more customers now. “Our shop is one of the best examples of what Boeing does well,” Veenstra said. “Our team consists of everyone necessary to build a part, resolve an emergent need and provide outstanding customer service to all Boeing programs.” n DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM ONE-STOP shop Boeing’s Quick Response Center in Huntington Beach, Calif., is a busy place. Phones ring nonstop. Employees scurry to make airplane parts. Everyone hustles to get shipments out the door on time. What’s new is the building’s name—BDS was dropped from the original designation—and a notable shift in the customer base from predominantly defense work to a mix of commercial and military jobs. Last March, the center reopened Photos: (Left) Procurement agent Debbie Veenstra orders raw materials that are dual-certified for use on commercial and defense jobs at the Quick Response Center in Huntington Beach, Calif. (Right) Quick Response Center employee Terry Dobson inspects welds on a newly made part. BOB FERGUSON | BOEING under the aegis of Commercial Aviation Services, taking over for Boeing Defense Space & Security, a switch necessitated by the approaching closure of the nearby C-17 production line in Long Beach. Rather than shut down as well, the center was reinvigorated by CAS with new machinery and more employees. Boeing saw this as an opportunity to expand for both commercial and defense needs, making a muchneeded services component even
Frontiers November 2015 Issue
To see the actual publication please follow the link above