So much has been made of the innovative global production system we’ve assembled for the 787 Dreamliner, that we sometimes forget to talk about the key components of that system right here inside Boeing and in the Puget Sound area of Washington.

In fact a vital piece of the Dreamliner, the vertical fin, is being manufactured at Boeing’s Composite Manufacturing Center (CMC) in Frederickson, Washington, which is located just southeast of Tacoma. CMC is one of 9 major Boeing Fabrication (“Fab”) sites, and has been a major supplier of wing components and empennage (tail) structures since 1992.

CMC unveiled the first 787 vertical fin on March 14, in a celebration event in Frederickson, Washington.

Last week marked a major milestone for the Frederickson CMC, with the delivery of the first 787 vertical fin – in support of the rollout and first flight of the Dreamliner this summer. CMC’s on-time delivery of the vertical fin helps the 787 Program remain on schedule.

The vertical fin, at 33 feet tall (10m), is the largest 787 primary airframe structure built by Boeing. And this milestone delivery builds on about 15 years of success producing the composite empennage for the 777.

Employees maneuver a skin panel sub-assembly for the first production 787 vertical fin at the Boeing CMC in Frederickson, Washington. Composite structures designed and assembled by CMC combine high strength carbon fibers with new toughened resins that save weight and improve airplane fuel efficiency.

CMC is a part of Boeing, but is also considered a “tier-one” or major structures supplier-partner to the 787 Program. That means this facility is responsible for designing, building, and testing the structure, as well as co-managing the supply base for the 787 vertical fin. Other Boeing Fabrication parts manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada, and Australia also serve as tier-one partners on the Dreamliner program.

We also have Boeing Fabrication sites in Auburn and Everett here in Washington, in the Portland, Oregon area, and in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which provide key support to the 787 Program as tier-two suppliers.

And what I hope you’ll take away from all of this is the fact that yes, Boeing has put together an international team to design and assemble the breakthrough 787, but key to that team is the work that thousands of Boeing employees are doing along with our partners to deliver the Dreamliner as promised, and on time.