Boeing to Shut Weapons Plant in Georgia

Boeing Co. said it will close an 825-worker weapons plant in Duluth, Ga., in a move to streamline its businesses after a spate of acquisitions. The plant makes the Hellfire antitank missile for the AH-64 Apache helicopter and parts of the Patriot missile interceptor. One-third of the jobs will be shifted to other plants, and 300 to 400 workers could be cut because of declining orders, Boeing said. The Seattle-based company plans to sell the 71-acre site and complete the transfer within a year. The work would be moved to plants in Huntsville, Ala., and St. Charles, Miss. Boeing shares rose 81 cents to close at $34.25 on the New York Stock Exchange.