Boeing announced on Thursday that its Arlington campus will now serve as the company’s headquarters.
Originally headquartered in Chicago, Boeing’s move to the D.C. area brings it closer to Pentagon officials and the U.S. government, Boeing’s largest customer. The company will retain a presence in Chicago and surrounding areas.
“We are excited to build on our foundation here in northern Virginia. The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent,” Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement.
The headquarters will also serve as the base for Boeing’s new research and technology hub, which will focus on cybersecurity, autonomous operations, quantum sciences and systems engineering innovation. Talent for the new hub is likely to come from local universities and tech areas, another reason Boeing decided on Arlington as its new headquarters.
The company is currently hiring 38 positions in Chicago and 26 in Arlington.
The aerospace company worked closely with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on the relocation process.
Boeing’s Chicago office is likely to shrink, partly because of the headquarters move but also due to the company’s flexible work model. With more employees working from home, Boeing’s need for office space has been reduced. Boeing said in a statement that the company plans to adapt and modernize its existing workspace to accommodate this switch to a hybrid work model.
“In today’s business environment, we have adopted a flexible work strategy in parts of our company and are taking steps to be more efficient within a reduced footprint,” Calhoun said. “This helps us channel investments toward our critical manufacturing and engineering facilities and training resources.”
