Dear Mr. McNerney: please take note of this.
SEATTLE--(Business Wire)-- A wide group of CEOs and corporate leaders recently sent this letter to Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO James Albaugh urging the company to site its second 787 line in Washington state: Dear Mr. Albaugh: Washington is justifiably proud of the fact that Boeing`s presence here has firmly established the state as the commercial aerospace capital of the world. From William Boeing`s original 1916 seaplane, to the 707 that revolutionized commercial air travel, to today`s innovative 787, Washington has benefited greatly from Boeing`s tremendous economic and community contributions. We also believe that, in return, the State of Washington has provided a supportive and productive home for Boeing and its employees. As you make a significant decision - where to site a second production line for the 787 - we encourage you to locate that line here in Washington, where we have a long track record of demonstrable success together. Like that of Boeing, our companies` histories provide clear evidence that companies can be built and operated successfully here in this state. We recognize that Washington continually must improve its competitive standing in today`s global economy. In recent years, we have made progress on a number of issues that are important to both Boeing and the rest of the business community, but agree that more work remains to be done. As leaders of the local business community, our commitment is to work closely with you and state officials to create a business climate that allows all Washington firms to attract the talent, capital and other resources necessary to compete successfully in the competitive global economy. In particular, we pledge our support to you and your entire company in working to ensure Washington remains the single best place for you to design, build and market commercial airplanes. Thank you for considering Washington as a location for the next 787 production line. We join many others in our community in looking forward to building on our great history with Boeing and creating an even more successful future together. Sincerely, William S. Ayer, Chairman & CEO, Alaska Airlines Colleen B. Brown, President & CEO, Fisher Communications Jeff Brotman, Chairman & Co-Founder, Costco Wholesale Phyllis J. Campbell, Chair/Pacific Northwest, JPMorgan Chase Craig Cole, President & CEO, Brown & Cole, Inc. Robert W. Cremin, Chairman, President & CEO, Esterline Technologies, Inc. Craig Dawson, President & CEO, Retail Lockbox, Inc. Fred Devereux, President, Wireless Operations, West, AT&T Andrew Doman, President & CEO, Russell Investments Melanie Dressel, President & CEO, Columbia Bank Reginald Fils-Aime, President & COO, Nintendo of America, Inc. Michael Hughes, President, Safeco Insurance Companies Barbara Hulit, President, Fluke Corporation Michael Kluse, Director, Battelle Tod Leiweke, Chief Executive Officer, Seattle Seahawks Bill Lewis, President, Lease Crutcher Lewis Howard Lincoln, Chairman, Seattle Mariners Steve Loeb, President & CEO, Alaska Distributors Stan W. McNaughton, President & CEO, PEMCO Financial Services Colin Moseley, Chairman, Green Diamond Resource Company Carol Nelson, President & CEO, Cascade Financial Corporation Kirk R. Nelson, President-Washington, Qwest Communications Jeff Pitzer, Business Unit Leader, BP Cherry Point Stephen P. Reynolds, Chairman, President & CEO, Puget Sound Energy George W. "Skip" Rowley, Jr., CEO & Chairman of the Board, Rowley Properties, Inc. Johns W. Stanton, Managing Partner, Trilogy Partnership Brad Smith, Sr. V.P. & General Counsel, Microsoft Corporation Randall H. Talbot, President & CEO, Symetra Financial Corporation Jim Warjone, Chairman & CEO, Port Blakely Tree Farms Washington Roundtable Sara Garrettson, 206-623-0180 sarag@waroundtable.com
Staying here is the best business decision.
Moving is risky with not enough upside to justify that risk. There may well be no upside at all.
But IMO, this is less a test of McNerney, and more a test of Albaugh.
Just how smart is he, how compelling, and how much weight does his leadership have? Just how much business sense does he have in the commercial world vs military? And will McNerney place his faith in him?
Yep, it’s all on Albaugh. McNerny has and will continue to be able to deflect all criticism. But Albaugh can be held accountable.
I can’t believe McNerny didn’t choose Albaugh because he was the best available to him withing the confines of the company, and I find it harder to think that the choice to move or stay isn’t Albaugh’s.