Kansas Tornados Hit Boeing Supplier -Reports
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
A key Boeing Co. (BA) supplier suffered 'substantial damage' from storms and tornados that ripped through parts of Kansas on Saturday.
Spirit AeroSystems Inc. makes large parts for Boeing's 737 and 787 aircraft at its facilities in Wichita, the self- styled 'aerospace capital of the U.S.'
The company told local media that it had suspended operations Saturday and advised most staff not to come to work Sunday, potentially disrupting Boeing's supply chain.
A Boeing spokeswoman said the company was monitoring the situation in Wichita.
Wichita is also home to two of the world's largest business jet makers, Hawker Beechcraft and the Cessna unit of Textron Inc. (TXT), as well as hundreds of smaller suppliers to the commercial and military aerospace markets.
Spirit's work for Boeing included making large fuselage parts for the best-selling 737 and 787 Dreamliner, and any disruption comes as the plane maker is boosting is undertaking a big rise in production.
A damage assessment of Spirit's facilities was expected to start early Sunday. The Wichita Eagle reported that six Spirit facilities "were significantly damaged and four others had major damage".
Read more here:
http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/14/2296843/tornado-heavily-damages-south.html#storylink=cpy
-By Doug Cameron, Dow Jones Newswires; 312-750-4135;
doug.cameron@dowjones.co com
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/kansas-tornados-hit-boeing-supplier--reports-20120415-00018
