Editor's Note Northwest Passage

Working with Bill Kennedy and Nancy Bowen at Boeing, Paul and I had set up a tour of Boeing's in-plant for the group. About 15 managers drove from school districts up and down Washington's east coast to attend.

We had time to talk before the tour, so I asked them what concerns they had as in-plant managers. I learned that the state has been cutting funding to school districts, forcing districts to eliminate staff. To keep their in-plants intact, the managers have had to be more responsive to customers than ever.