Boeing: Taking Innovation to Higher Altitudes

BOEING: TAKING INNOVATION TO HIGHER ALTITUDES

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Brief history

Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace

company and manufacturer of commercial jetliners,

defense, space, and security systems.1 The

company’s origins date back to 1916 when William

E. Boeing founded the ‘Pacific Aero Products Co.’ in

Seattle, Washington. In 1917 the company was

renamed to the ‘Boeing Airplane Company’.

Shortly after that, the company followed a

strategic and systemic approach by merging with and

acquiring several aircraft and component

manufacturers. To comply with antitrust legislation,

which prohibited airlines and manufacturers from

being under the same corporate umbrella, the

company split up into three smaller companies —the

Boeing Airplane Company, United Airlines, and the

United Aircraft Corporation.2

Boeing recently celebrated its 100th

anniversary, building on a heritage that mirrors the

history of flight.

Company culture

Today the company is a top-ranked U.S.

exporter, supporting both airlines and U.S. and allied

government customers in over 150 countries. Their

high ranking is due to the innovation-driven company

culture. The purpose and mission of the company is

to “connect, protect, explore and inspire through

aerospace innovation”.3

More recently, Boeing’s corporate culture

has shifted dramatically. The focus is now on the

bottom-line profits, outsourcing work, driving a hard

bargain with labor unions, and taking a cautious

1 www.boeing.com

2 http://marketrealist.com/2015/04/boeing-companybeginning

3 www.boeing.com/resources/boeingdotcom/company/

general_info/pdf/boeing_overview.pdf