WICHITA, KAN. Boeing chief tries to reassure lawmakers on plant's future

A newspaper said the company is considering selling its Wichita plant.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- Boeing Co. chief executive Harry Stonecipher sought to reassure Kansas politicians Tuesday that the aerospace giant's future will include its large Wichita assembly plant.
Stonecipher spoke on a conference call with Republican Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, and Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan.
Tiahrt said Stonecipher described himself as "blindsided" by a story Sunday in The Seattle Times reporting the Chicago-based company is considering the sale of its 75-year-old manufacturing plant. More than 12,000 people work there.
"Mr. Stonecipher expressly said that he has not seen, reviewed or approved any plans to sell or close the Boeing Wichita facility since his return as CEO of Boeing," Tiahrt said.
Still, the company has refused to confirm or deny the story, in which the Times cited an internal Boeing planning document.
Statement
"As a standard matter of policy in dealing with all news media, especially financial media, we never comment on rumors about sales, acquisitions and/or mergers," Boeing spokesman Doug Kenneth said after Stonecipher's calls.
In a separate phone call, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Stonecipher told her he did not even know about the study cited in the article.
Stonecipher was scheduled to arrive in Wichita on Tuesday night for a previously scheduled visit to the plant.
The Wichita facility makes sections of all Boeing jetliners, except the 717, including the entire fuselage of the 737 and 757 models.