Boeing Bid Could Bring Jobs To McAlester

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - A bid by The Boeing Company to win a contract to build tankers for the U.S. Air Force could result in hundreds of new jobs coming to McAlester. The contract will be awarded in

Saturday, November 24th 2007, 9:39 pm

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - A bid by The Boeing Company to win a contract to build tankers for the U.S. Air Force could result in hundreds of new jobs coming to McAlester. The contract will be awarded in January. If Boeing wins it, the company would produce a military version of its commercial 767 airplane.

Some of the work on the tankers would be done at McAlester-based Spirit Aerosystems. Boeing spokesman Bill Barksdale said Oklahoma suppliers already support work on the production of the 767. Barksdale also said that Boeing projections are that winning the contract would result in 400 direct and indirect jobs in Oklahoma as well as a $15 million economic impact.

The other company that submitted a bid for the contract is the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.