OREANDA-NEWS. Boeing (NYSE: BA) Canada Winnipeg today announced plans to increase its Murray Park Road manufacturing site by more than 22 percent, primarily to house new composites work for Boeing's 737 MAX airplane.

The building will be expanded by 14,000 square meters (150,000 square feet) to a total of 62,000 square meters (665,000 square feet) of manufacturing space. It will be used mainly to construct the one-piece composite acoustic inner barrel on the newly designed engine nacelle inlet for the 737 MAX. 

The inner barrel is one of the latest quiet engine technologies that will be employed on the 737 MAX to help reduce the operational noise of the airplane by up to 40 percent.

"Boeing Canada Winnipeg has a great future ahead in support of unprecedented production rates," said Kevin Bartelson, general manager, Boeing Canada Winnipeg. "Earlier this year, we negotiated a successful contract extension with our local Canadian Auto Workers union. This contract ensures we have the stable workforce, skills and now the manufacturing space we need to take on exciting new production for the 737 MAX."

The expanded building, which includes two bays about the size of 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools, will house the 737 MAX and some 787 Dreamliner production. Construction will begin immediately on the west side of the existing Murray Park facility, with an estimated completion by the fourth quarter of 2014. Today's event was held in conjunction with Stantec and Graham Construction, the design-builders of the facility.

"I am very pleased with how our Winnipeg team has actively taken steps to be globally competitive and a reliable supplier to Boeing," said Ross R. Bogue, vice president and general manager, Boeing Fabrication, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We value the Canadian aerospace industry by consistently placing work with our Boeing Canadian facilities and supplier partners."

This site investment and contract award supports Boeing's continued presence in Winnipeg and enduring relationship with Canadian industry. These investments are aligned to the Industrial & Regional Benefits policy.

Canada is one of the largest international supplier bases for Boeing. Today, Boeing has 1,900 employees across Canada and partners with more than 200 major suppliers across the country. Combined with the Boeing facilities, this supply network significantly contributes to the Canadian economy by generating approximately USD  1 billion in business annually in Canada. Boeing Winnipeg is the largest aerospace composite manufacturing centre in Canada and manufactures complex composite parts for the 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes.