Boeing has selected a joint venture of BE&K and HITT Contracting as construction manager for upgrades to infrastructure that are part of the aircraft maker's $1-billion expansion in Charleston, S.C. BRPH is project architect of record with work set to begin later this year and complete in early 2027, according to a HITT announcement. 

Boeing said last December it would invest $1 billion to expand operations around the city. Its South Carolina unit fabricates, assembles and delivers 787 Dreamliner airplanes, including the 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10.

The company's investment will expand two campuses in North Charleston, supporting increased Dreamliner production targets, aiming to produce 10 airplanes per month by 2026. Boeing also operates a campus in Orangeburg, S.C., about 75 miles northwest of Charleston that will not be expanded, the manufacturer said. 

The CM joint venture did not share the exact scope and contract value for infrastructure work related to the expansion. 

Boeing began operations in South Carolina in 2009, and is now employing more than 7,800 in the state. The expansion plan is expected to add 500 employees to that total when it goes online. The firm's existing production is focused around its 1.2-million-sq-ft LEED Gold-rated plant, constructed with more than 18,000 tons of structural steel and 11 614-ft roof trusses. The facility has the largest clear span of any Boeing facility, with 464 ft between support columns, according to BE&K.