Two months after a tornado did significant damage to the Kansas factory that builds many critical Boeing aircraft components, some of the airframer’s top brass visited Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita to pay thanks to the men and women who quickly got the factory back up and running.
Boeing’s Vice President and General Manager of Supplier Management, Kent Fisher visited the plant with Vice President and General Manager of the 737 program, Beverly Wyse, where they treated Spirit employees to lunch and a midday celebration. Every Boeing 737 fuselage is built at Spirit, along with large sections of nearly every other Boeing commercial aircraft.
Also on hand were Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner and Kansas Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer.
“On behalf of the Boeing Company I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the employees of Spirit AeroSystems, the city of Wichita, and the many utility and construction workers for your recovery efforts,” said Fisher. “This was a devastating event yet you performed nothing short of a miracle in getting your factory back up and running in just one week. That speaks volumes to the value we place in our partnership with all of you.”
“It’s in times of crisis that teams show what they’re made of, and the team at Spirit did just that. They demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism, commitment and resourcefulness, and ensured we minimized delivery impacts for our airline customers,” said Wyse. “The tornado was a compelling reminder of just how interdependent our successes are on the 737. I can’t think of another partner I’d rather have.”
The April 14 tornado damaged 40 buildings at the facility while knocking out power and water service. Thanks to the hard work of hundreds of Spirit workers from around the country, all 10,800 employees were back at work only eight days later without missing a single delivery to Boeing.
Click for more tornado damage photos.
