WHEREAS, William E. Boeing was born in 1881 in Detroit, Michigan; and
     WHEREAS, William Boeing left Yale Engineering College for the West Coast in 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers made their first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; and
     WHEREAS, William Boeing began construction of a twin-float seaplane in his boathouse in 1915; and
     WHEREAS, On July 15, 1916, Boeing incorporated his business and one year later changed the name to the Boeing Airplane Company; and
     WHEREAS, That company has grown over the past century to become the world's leading aerospace manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined; and
     WHEREAS, Boeing also designs and manufactures rotorcraft, missiles, satellites, electronic and defense systems, launch vehicles, and advanced information and communications systems; and
     WHEREAS, Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest importers in the United States; and
     WHEREAS, Late last year the Boeing Company reached a major milestone with the first flight of its 787 "Dreamliner"; and
     WHEREAS, That tremendous achievement would not have been possible without the skill and dedication of Boeing's talented and hard-working employees; and
     WHEREAS, Each Boeing job supports two and a half additional jobs across our state; and
     WHEREAS, The aerospace industry accounts for 15 percent of Washington state's economy and one-sixth of our gross state product; and
     WHEREAS, There are more than 250 aerospace-related companies in Washington; and
     WHEREAS, there are more than 200,000 aerospace-related jobs in Washington, with direct wages totaling 5.4 billion dollars and an economic impact of 36 billion dollars; and
     WHEREAS, A new study shows the aerospace industry accounted for 28 percent of our state's job growth from 2004 to 2008; and
     WHEREAS, The Senate values these jobs and the people who hold them, and will make it a priority to ensure Washington remains the best place to design, build, and market commercial airplanes;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate acknowledge and honor the Boeing Company for its tremendous contributions to Washington's economy, the families of our state, and the vitality of our citizens; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Boeing Corporate Offices in Chicago, Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.