04.09.10

Cantwell: Tanker Win Will Result in Small Business Growth for Washington State

SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) met with a group of small businesses stakeholders who supply parts and services to the Boeing Company for the NewGen Tanker.  The group discussed the importance of the tanker project for the economy of Washington state.
 
“Washington state’s small businesses are at the core of our innovation, ingenuity, and economic prosperity,” said Senator Cantwell. “Winning the tanker contest will be a significant economic boom for our state and give all of you the opportunity to grow.  With so much at stake, we must ensure the long overdue tanker competition is fair and transparent.”
 
If Boeing wins the tanker contact, the company estimates it will use 68 suppliers based in Washington state.  Approximately 65 percent of these tanker suppliers are small businesses, many of them owned by women and veterans.  In total, the tanker would support approximately 11,000 Washington state jobs and have more than $693 million in annual economic impact on the state.
 
Currently, Boeing is the only bidder for the tanker contract.  Europe’s EADS consortium is considering a bid.  If EADS enters the competition, the Pentagon has announced it will extend the request-for-proposal deadline by 60-days.  Read Cantwell’s statement on the announcement here.
 
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