In ‘Around The Table,’ we highlight member news and share information on industry trends. In this edition, we shine the spotlight on Boeing, Microsoft, PACCAR, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Boeing Sponsors Second Annual Washington STEM Signing Day
Last month, 49 seniors from across the state were celebrated as they made commitments to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at our state’s and country’s top technical schools, colleges, and universities. The event, co-sponsored by Boeing and Washington STEM, was held in the state capitol building in Olympia. The day started with students being commended for their hard work on the Senate floor. Ted Colbert, Boeing Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President, congratulated the students and urged them to find mentors who will support them throughout their educational and career journeys. “The theme today is STEM signing,” said Colbert. “We watch these future athletes sign, today you guys are the future athletes. You are the future technology, science and math athletes of our world.” Read more and watch a video of the event by clicking here.
Microsoft Invites Students to Global Innovation Event
Every year, professionals from around the globe join Microsoft at Build, the company’s premier developer conference, to learn about new technologies, gain hands-on experience, and level-up their development skills. This year, Microsoft is inviting students to come with their parents and participate for free! From the Microsoft Blog: “The newly created Student Zone at Build is designed to provide an immersive educational experience for the students and attendees, with access to a Surface-equipped lab, on-site experts, a career center, workshops, tech talks and live co-coding opportunities.” Learn more about the event – which will take place May 6-8 at the Washington State Convention Center – here.
PACCAR’s Kenworth Trucks Unit Launches $140M Expansion
Bellevue-based PACCAR, Inc. has launched construction of a $140 million, 120,000 square-foot facility in Chillicothe, Ohio. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the facility is expected to open in 2021 and will be adjacent to the company’s 502,000 square-foot plant in Columbus. The project will create a state-of-the-art paint facility at its Chillicothe assembly plant, which has more than 2,000 employees who produce three of Kenworth’s model trucks, the T680, T880, and W990. Paccar said the painting facility will use robotics to increase painting capacity by 50 percent and include modern emission control systems. Learn more here.
PNNL’s Commitment to Transform the World
In a letter published in the Tri-City Herald, Dr. Steven Ashby, Director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) wrote about PNNL’s “commitment to transform the world” through science and technology. “Our researchers are advancing scientific discovery in disciplines ranging from chemistry and materials science to biology and climate change. They are creating new catalysts and identifying the biomarkers of disease. They are exploring the biogeochemical processes that occur in fragile coastal ecosystems and revealing the mysteries of the universe by studying the physics of dark matter.” Dr. Ashby went onto write about the lab’s investments in the future generations, donating $273,000 last year toward STEM education. Read the full letter here.
Tony Mestres, President & CEO of Seattle Foundation, was featured on the front page of last week’s Puget Sound Business Journal. Mestres discussed the lagging pace of philanthropy in greater Seattle, and his organization’s work to tackle complex issues like education, transportation, housing, and income inequality. When asked about the most critical issue to focus on, Mestres said, “It’s impossible to not want to wave a magic wand on education. We know investing in a person early in their life has the greatest positive impact … A good education is the fastest route to leveling the playing field.” Read the full article here.
A March 2019 report by The Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University documented the economic impacts of Cherry Point on Whatcom County. According to the report, the Cherry Point Industrial Zone supports at least 3,320 jobs, which have an average wage of $110,690. Wages paid in Cherry Point accounted for 9 percent of all wages paid in the county. Opportunity Washington covered the report on a blog post, noting “it sheds light on the significance of the manufacturing industry in anchoring regional economies, an issue of statewide importance.” Read more here.