Boeing's $1 billion 737 North Line, which opened July 10 in Everett, is already rippling through the local economy.

According to a joint op-ed by Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone published Tuesday, Aug. 18, in the Everett Herald, both mayors wrote that Boeing pays tens of millions of dollars in annual taxes to both cities and that its employees buy homes, eat in local restaurants and shop in local stores.

They called the company and its workforce "the economic backbone of our two cities."

The North Line, Boeing's fourth 737 assembly line, occupies space in the Everett factory originally built for 747 and 777 widebody production.

Rebecah Reutimann, co-owner of Island Machine, a second-tier Boeing supplier, said in the op-ed: "When Boeing does well, we do well. We are proud to support Boeing as a second-tier supplier."

She added that Boeing supported Island Machine during the onboarding process and that the company is stronger because of that investment.

Frederico Ramos, owner of Torero's Cocina Mexicana & Cantina in Renton, wrote that Boeing's jobs bring customers through his doors, support local suppliers and sustain dozens of other businesses.

Beyond payroll, the mayors wrote that Boeing donated $3 million last year to nonprofits in both cities, including Cocoon House, the Boys & Girls Club and the Everett Public Schools Foundation in Everett. Boeing employees in the two cities also logged nearly 200,000 volunteer hours with local nonprofits last year.

Ray Stephanson, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance Snohomish County, said in a statement after the July 10 opening that the North Line stabilizes long-term employment in the region while reducing dependence on a single aircraft program. He added that it creates opportunities for hundreds of aerospace suppliers, machine shops, logistics firms and engineering companies throughout Snohomish County.

The grand opening began with a 31-mile relay run by Boeing employees from the Renton factory to the Everett facility. Both mayors participated.

One potential headwind: Boeing's white-collar union SPEEA, representing 17,000 workers in Washington and nearby states, was voting on a new contract with ballots closing Friday, Aug. 21, according to the Seattle Times. A strike authorization vote was included on the ballot, though any walkout could not begin until the current contract expires Oct. 6.