So the question is whether Boeing will keep and expand manufacturing here or move it elsewhere. Two days after news broke about Boeing's plans to move its headquarters, the company announced it will move production of the fuselage for its 757 twinjet from Renton to Wichita, Kan., during the next three years. Even so, it's noteworthy that the Puget Sound region's economy boomed during the past decade, with high job creation, low unemployment and substantial venture capital investments. By every major economic growth measure, it was a healthy business environment. So whether the business climate is good or bad is a matter of judgment and perspective.
Critics use comparisons with other states and with national averages to make their case.
That said, the costs of doing business here unquestionably matter to Boeing. That's our business climate. We've got a lot of work to do in this area. Hopkins said Boeing had recently examined the cost of doing business in the 27 states where the company has plants and employees. Washington ranked 16th, and only as well as that because of the region's low energy rates.