Boeing names 2 7E7 vendors

Two American companies will supply major systems for the 7E7.

Hamilton Sundstrand of Connecticut and Rockwell Collins of Iowa will build systems such as the environmental controls and cockpit displays, the companies announced Monday.

Both plan to base employees at the Boeing Co.’s Everett site, but they likely will be small groups, spokeswomen for both companies said.

Hamilton Sundstrand said the agreement will bring it an estimated $5 billion over the life of the 7E7 program. The company will provide four major systems — environmental controls, electric power generating, the remote power distribution system and the auxiliary power unit.

"We’re very excited about it," spokeswoman Peg Hashem said. "These are clearly the big systems for us."

The company said work on the project will take place at its facilities all around the globe, including an office in Kirkland where a small number of workers already work on Boeing-related projects.

Rockwell Collins will provide displays and communications and surveillance systems for the program.

Details of the contract were not final on Monday, so it wasn’t clear how much it would be worth, spokeswoman Nancy Welsh said.

Rockwell Collins has about 20 employees in Kirkland now, doing engineering support for the displays and flight controls the company makes for Boeing jets. Welsh said she couldn’t say how many people would work on the 7E7 program, but added "I don’t anticipate it would be a big number."