The massive fire that gutted SPS Technologies’ fastener manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania on February 17 could slow Boeing's 737 MAX production.
The fire, which was still burning days later at the plant in suburban Philadelphia, “has caused significant enough damage that top-tier aerospace companies are taking notice,” Aviation Week reports.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated February 20 that, while the overall 737 MAX supply chain is in good shape as the U.S. jet manufacturer aims to grow output of the model to 38 a month by mid-2025, the troubled aerospace giant is working to assess the impact of the fire.
Founded in 1903 as Standard Pressed Steel Co., SPS operates under PCC Fasteners, a division of Precision Castparts Corp., which has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2016. SPS crafts aerospace bolts, nuts, and components using superalloys.
SPS Technologies’ owner PCC Fasteners said the fire “significantly damaged the facility,” and likely started with an electrical transformer inside the plant.





