Boeing Breaks Ground on $1B Expansion in North Charleston, Adding 1,000 Jobs

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Boeing marked a pivotal moment Friday with a groundbreaking ceremony for its $1 billion expansion at the South Carolina campus, elevating an initial December 2024 announcement into action. The project adds over one million square feet, including a new final assembly building, parts preparation and vertical fin paint facilities, expanded flight line stalls, and upgrades to the Interiors Responsibility Center. Officials project more than 1,000 new jobs in the Lowcountry, with construction employing 2,500 workers across 6.2 million hours.[1][2] The expansion targets boosting 787 Dreamliner production to 10 airplanes per month by 2026 at the campuses on 5400 International Blvd. and 9775 Patriot Blvd., near Charleston International Airport. Operations are slated to come online in early 2027, supporting market-driven rate increases. This follows Boeing's acquisition of the Orangeburg facility at 174 Millennium Drive earlier in 2025, though it remains unaffected.[1][2][3] Gov. Henry McMaster, joined by U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and James Clyburn, and state Commerce Secretary Scott Bessent, celebrated the event as a testament to South Carolina's aerospace leadership. Since opening in 2009, Boeing South Carolina has grown to employ over 8,200 across North Charleston and Orangeburg, rebounding from 211 layoffs in January 2025 that trimmed 10% of the national workforce.[1][4] The investment underscores the Lowcountry's role as the sole site for the full 787 Dreamliner production cycle, drawing skilled talent and bolstering an industry vital to the state's economy.[3]