Boeing celebrates 70 years in St. Louis
St. Louis Business Journal
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Boeing Co. and its predecessor company, McDonnell Douglas, celebrated 70 years in St. Louis on Thursday.
More than 600 people were anticipated to attend the event, including U.S. Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., and former McDonnell Douglass Chief Executive John McDonnell.
Seven decades ago, McDonnell Aircraft began operations with two desks and a rented typewriter in leased office space in the American Airlines building at Lambert-St. Louis Municipal Airport.
The St. Louis site is now home to Chicago-based Boeing's (NYSE:BA) Integrated Defense Systems unit, a $34 billion business.
Boeing IDS, led by President and Chief Executive Jim Albaugh, is the second-largest employer in the region with 16,000 workers.
