Officials seek incentives to secure Boeing plant

Three areas in Ohio are competing for the plant.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;By STEPHEN SIFF & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- State representatives from the Mahoning Valley are calling on Gov. Bob Taft to offer generous incentives to entice Boeing Corp. to build a plant in Ohio.
State Rep. John Boccieri, D-61, of New Middletown, said he and Rep. Sandra Harwood, D-65, of Niles, are to speak on the importance of offering a strong incentive package to Boeing at a press conference today at the Youngtown-Warren Regional Airport.
"We have to make sure the governor offers them the best incentive package we can to get them to come to the state," Boccieri said.
Competition
A site near the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is one of three Ohio locations competing for the new Boeing plant, which will produce a new passenger plane and employ up to 1,200 people.
Other states are courting Boeing with generous incentives, including Washington, where Boeing's airplane manufacturing plant is now based.
However, Ohio Department of Development officials have decided not to bring up possible incentives with the company until later in the selection process.
The process laid out by Boeing called for site information only to be submitted last month, officials say. Financial incentives will be discussed after the sites are evaluated.
Boeing hasn't committed to building the new plane but is conducting a nationwide site search in advance of the project being approved by its board.
It says it expects to select a site late this year or early next year. Plane assembly would start in 2005 with the first flight in 2007.
More than 10 states are competing for the plant.