Oregon business leaders are looking forward to a long relationship with Boeing. The company opened a new wing of its Gresham factory Friday.

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Boeing has spent about $100 million dollars and hired about 350 more people for its expanded factory. The director of the nearby Port of Portland, Bill Wyatt, says it’s great news — because local Boeing suppliers will also probably need to expand.

“They’re a growing company, their order book is enormous. So to have them make this additional commitment is terrific because it indicates that they intend to stay here and to grow here and it represents one of America’s most successful manufacturers,” says Wyatt.

The new factory is really a series of chemical baths that are used to clean and protect aircraft parts.

Gresham’s Boeing facility makes some of the most critical parts for Boeing jets — including the new 787 Dreamliner.

The company’s 1800 workforce in Gresham is a small fraction of the 83,000 people the company employs in Puget Sound.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.