“It’s important for leaders to be side-by-side with our teammates, listening to their feedback and acting to remove obstacles as we continue to stabilize and strengthen our business,” said Steve Parker, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, in a news release announcing the move.  “The headquarters move, coupled with our senior leaders being based at and spending their time at major engineering, production, and manufacturing centers across the U.S., reflects our continued focus on disciplined performance across our business.” 

The move aims to ensure leaders stay close to the approximately 18,000 person workforce in St. Louis, and to production. The relocation announcement doesn’t affect daily operations, a Boeing spokesperson said, and there isn’t a set number of jobs to be moved from Virginia to St. Louis. 

Jesus Malave, the company’s chief financial officer, said in a recent earnings call that Boeing plans to invest in “future products and growth” in St. Louis and Charleston this year. This includes multiyear spending on combat aircraft production facilities in St. Louis, according to the news release. 

St. Louis has bustling defense tech and space sectors, anchored in part by the National-Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Boeing’s defense business was previously in St. Louis for 20 years, but has been in Arlington, Virginia, since 2017, where the company’s global headquarters will remain. The defense and space division will also still have a presence in Virginia. 

The company also recently relocated some engineering work for Boeing’s 737 from Seattle to South Carolina.