ST. LOUIS–Boeing is building a new Phantom Works facility in Berkely that will support work on future military aircraft production, the company announced Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • Boeing is building a new Phantom Works facility in Berkely that will support work on future military aircraft production

  • Construction of the 47,500 square-foot Advanced Coatings Center facility is underway near St. Louis Lambert International Airport and is expected to be up and running in 2025

  • This is the third new facility revealed as part of Phantom Works’ multi-billion-dollar 'Production System of the Future' effort

  • The company added an Advanced Composite Fabrication Center in Arizona and a new lab and test facility in St. Louis over the winter

Construction of the 47,500 square-foot Advanced Coatings Center facility is underway near St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The center is expected to be up and running in 2025. 

The Advanced Coatings Center will house critical post-assembly phases of production. It will be a secure facility operated by Phantom Works, Boeing Defense’s research, development and prototyping division. 

“This investment is not only to win new future franchise programs but, more importantly, to enable the United States to outpace increasingly capable and aggressive adversaries. We are revolutionizing how aircraft are designed, built and delivered because the threats demand it,” said Steve Nordlund, senior site executive for Boeing St. Louis.

This is the third new facility revealed as part of Phantom Works’ multi-billion-dollar Production System of the Future effort. 

Last fall, the company added an Advanced Composite Fabrication Center in Arizona and a new lab and test facility in St. Louis over the winter. Boeing says new factories supporting various phases of production are planned for the coming years. 

St. Louis leaders welcomed the news and said they were happy to support the redevelopment at the facility’s site near the St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

“We are grateful Boeing recognizes the business environment St. Louis provides, making it an ideal place to manufacture the best products and nurture the very best workforce,” said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. 

“Projects like these create economic opportunities for neighborhoods across the St. Louis region,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. 

Boeing is Missouri’s largest manufacturer with more than 15,000 employees, according to Gov. Mike Parson. He applauded the announcement, saying it is great news for Missouri and the nation. 

The growth in St. Louis comes as Boeing announced it would end production of the F/A 18 Super Hornet in 2025 and shift attention to what it calls the  “next generation” of training jets as well as future projects.

Earlier in 2023, the company also announced about 2,000 job cuts to its finance and human resources department, with plans to open up a finance hub in St. Louis.