Boeing Company — Corporate Overview

The Boeing Company (founded 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle WA) is the largest U.S. aerospace and defense manufacturer, and one of the largest exporters in the United States. Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes business assembles the 737 at Renton WA, the 747 / 767 / 777 at Everett WA, and the 787 Dreamliner at Charleston SC and (historically) Everett WA. Boeing Defense, Space & Security assembles the F-15 and F-18 at the former McDonnell Douglas St. Louis MO campus (acquired in the 1997 Boeing–McDonnell Douglas merger), the C-17 Globemaster III at the former Douglas Long Beach CA site (through 2015), and rotary-wing platforms at Ridley Park PA (former Vertol / Piasecki) and Mesa AZ.

Through the asbestos era, Boeing and its predecessor / subsidiary companies — Boeing Aircraft Company (Seattle WA), Boeing-Wichita (Wichita KS), McDonnell Aircraft (St. Louis MO), Douglas Aircraft (Long Beach / Santa Monica / El Segundo / Torrance CA + Tulsa OK), North American Aviation / Rockwell (Downey / Palmdale CA + Tulsa OK), Vertol / Boeing Helicopter (Ridley Park PA), and the Boeing Company defense electronics operations (Anaheim CA + Seal Beach CA) — operated aircraft and spacecraft assembly complexes numbering in the millions of square feet across Washington, California, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and other states.

Documented ACM Footprint

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Boeing — and its predecessor McDonnell Douglas, North American Aviation, Rockwell, and Vertol / Boeing Helicopter operations — exposed the aerospace workforce to asbestos through the following documented pathways:

  • Aircraft and spacecraft assembly plant: allegedly asbestos pipe covering on paint-oven and curing-oven steam and hot-oil feeds
  • Test cells and control cabinets: allegedly asbestos-fabric arc chute plates in engine test-cell control cabinets and load-bank switchgear
  • Heat-treat and vacuum furnaces: allegedly asbestos-block lagging on aluminum and titanium heat-treat, autoclave, and vacuum-furnace equipment
  • Structural fireproofing: allegedly asbestos sprayed fireproofing on multi-story hangar and final-assembly structural steel at Everett WA, Renton WA, Long Beach CA, St. Louis MO, and Wichita KS assembly halls
  • Aircraft-brake and gasket assembly: allegedly asbestos brake dust from Bendix / Goodrich / Goodyear brake linings, and asbestos-fabric engine-nacelle firewall blankets on 707, 727, 737, 747, DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, F-15, F-18, and C-17 airframes
  • Powerhouse and utilities: allegedly asbestos-block lagging on assembly-plant powerhouse boilers and steam distribution manifolds
  • Space-launch and rocket-motor operations: allegedly asbestos rocket-motor liner and heat-shield materials at former Rocketdyne / Rockwell facilities integrated into Boeing after the 1996 Rockwell aerospace and defense acquisition

Workers Allegedly Exposed

Plaintiffs allegedly worked at Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Douglas, North American / Rockwell, and Vertol / Boeing Helicopter aerospace and defense plants — Everett WA, Renton WA, Auburn WA, Wichita KS, St. Louis MO, Long Beach CA, Santa Monica CA, El Segundo CA, Downey CA, Palmdale CA, Tulsa OK, Ridley Park PA, Mesa AZ, and other Boeing-legacy sites — in trades including:

  • Aircraft assemblers, riveters, and mechanics on 707 / 727 / 737 / 747 / 767 / 777 / 787 commercial airframes and DC-8 / DC-9 / DC-10 / MD-80 / MD-11 predecessor airframes
  • Military aircraft assemblers and mechanics on F-4 Phantom, F-15 Eagle, F-18 Hornet, C-17 Globemaster III, AV-8B Harrier, and rotary-wing CH-46 / CH-47 / V-22 platforms
  • Insulators (HFIAW) applying and removing asbestos pipe covering and block on plant steam, hot-oil, and heat-treat systems
  • Pipefitters (UA) breaking asbestos-gasketed flanges on autoclave, hydraulic, and process piping
  • Boilermakers servicing asbestos-refractory-lined powerhouse boilers
  • Electricians (IBEW) working on asbestos arc chutes in plant switchgear and test-cell control cabinets
  • Sheet metal workers (SMART) on hangar HVAC and paint-booth exhaust duct systems
  • Brake shop and landing-gear mechanics servicing Bendix / Goodrich / Goodyear asbestos brake linings

If You Worked at Boeing or a Boeing-Legacy Plant

If you or a family member worked at a Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense, McDonnell Douglas, Douglas, North American / Rockwell, or Vertol / Boeing Helicopter aerospace or defense plant — Everett WA, Renton WA, Wichita KS, St. Louis MO, Long Beach CA, Ridley Park PA, or any other Boeing-legacy facility — during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Plants by State

Boeing and its predecessor McDonnell Douglas, Douglas, North American / Rockwell, and Vertol operations spanned multiple U.S. states. Detailed premises information is available on the following state jobsite pages: