The Boeing Company Fabrication Division in 2026: Auburn, Frederickson, and Composite Manufacturing
The Boeing Company Fabrication Division in 2026: Auburn, Frederickson, and composite manufacturing
"The Boeing Company Fabrication Division" is a term that shows up on resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and job descriptions, but it's not a standalone division in Boeing's current corporate structure. Boeing organizes into three divisions: Commercial Airplanes, Defense Space & Security, and Global Services. "Boeing Fabrication" refers to the manufacturing business units within Commercial Airplanes that produce structural components — metal parts and composite structures — at facilities in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.
The two main fabrication sites
Auburn, WA — Machine Fabrication
The Auburn plant is Boeing's primary metal fabrication facility. It produces machined metal components for Boeing aircraft: wing parts, landing gear components, fuselage structural elements, and other precision-machined hardware. The facility uses CNC milling, chemical milling, and precision grinding to shape aluminum, titanium, and steel into flight-critical parts.
Auburn is also home to a Boeing Additive Manufacturing Center, placed deliberately in the middle of the fabrication operation to accelerate qualification of 3D-printed production parts. This center works on qualifying additively manufactured titanium and Inconel components for flight use — a process that requires extensive testing because every part must meet the same certification standards as traditionally machined components.
Frederickson, WA — Composite Manufacturing Center (CMC)
The Frederickson facility is Boeing's center of excellence for carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite structures. With approximately 750 employees, the CMC builds:
- Entire vertical fin (tail) for the 777
- Horizontal stabilizer for the 777
- Vertical fin for the 787 Dreamliner
- Tail structures for the 777X
The composite components are fabricated, fully assembled, and fitted with wiring, hydraulics, and systems before being shipped to the Everett or Renton final assembly lines. The CMC has been described as the incubator of all Boeing's composites expertise — the processes and workforce that made the 787's composite fuselage possible were developed here.
What fabrication division jobs look like
Fabrication roles fall into three categories:
Manufacturing engineers — Design and optimize production processes. For composites: autoclave cure cycles, layup sequences, non-destructive inspection (NDI) procedures. For metals: CNC programming, tool path optimization, fixture design. These roles require mechanical or manufacturing engineering degrees.
Production technicians — The people who build the parts. Composite technicians lay up carbon fiber plies, operate autoclaves, and perform surface preparation. Machine shop technicians operate CNC mills, lathes, and grinding equipment. Many technician roles require A&P certification or trade school training rather than a four-year degree.
Quality inspectors — NDI inspectors use ultrasonic testing, X-ray, and visual inspection to verify that every part meets specification. Quality engineers develop inspection procedures and manage non-conformance processes. This is a growing area as Boeing increases scrutiny on manufacturing quality.
Is fabrication relevant to space?
Boeing's fabrication facilities primarily serve the commercial airplane programs. However, the skills and processes transfer directly to space work:
- Composite fabrication — Boeing's Defense Space & Security division builds composite structures for SLS (Space Launch System), satellite fairings, and military aircraft. Technicians trained at Frederickson can transfer to space programs at Boeing's Huntington Beach, El Segundo, or Kennedy Space Center facilities.
- Additive manufacturing — 3D-printed metal components are increasingly used in rocket engines and spacecraft. Auburn's additive manufacturing expertise is relevant to Boeing's Starliner program and satellite hardware.
- Quality systems — AS9100 quality standards used in aviation fabrication are the same standards applied to space hardware manufacturing.
Fabrication is factory work — shift-based, physically demanding, and production-schedule-driven. The facilities run multiple shifts (first, second, and sometimes third). Overtime during production ramp-ups is common. The work is hands-on, not desk-based. If you prefer building physical hardware over sitting at a computer, fabrication roles are among the most tangible jobs in aerospace. The trade-off: Puget Sound cost of living is high, and production workers are represented by the IAM (International Association of Machinists) union, which means pay scales, overtime rules, and advancement follow union contract terms.
Browse all Boeing positions on Zero G Talent. For Boeing salary data, see Boeing aerospace engineer salary or Boeing ESS space divisions. For Boeing's Arizona operations, see Boeing Phoenix/Mesa.
