Charlie

Boeing's Bright Star

Trust us on this one: You want to know Marco Cavazzoni. This is a man who’s going to do great things for Charleston.

When Boeing announced the decision to move its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing center to North Charleston, we all rejoiced. It was, after all, the news of the year, if not the decade.

Now we give you an even bigger reason to celebrate: the plant’s new point man. If you were excited before, wait until you meet this powerhouse behind the plane.

First, a bit of a confession. When we heard titles like “General Manager” and “Vice President,” we were half expecting to meet a stoic, bureaucratic executive.

Well, that’s laughable.

In actuality, Cavazzoni’s a charismatic leader who probably could’ve succeeded in any number of industries. He’s a former world-ranked swimmer. He speaks four languages. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and a PhD in organizational leadership.

In other words, he’s accomplished. And very, very smart. He’s also captivating, charming and really likeable.

And, he’s sincerely devoted to making Boeing an integral part of the Charleston community.

Take, for instance, the Boeing Employees Community Fund. In other cities, the program has raised tens of thousands of dollars for local organizations and services. It’s the kind of arrangement Cavazzoni is hoping to introduce to Charleston once the plant gets settled.

“There’s truly a lot more to Boeing than building airplanes,” he says. “If we do it right, which I know we will, we’ll attract the kind of people who really want to be part of the Boeing family.” A family, he adds, that “wants to be a big part of the community.”

This isn’t just rhetoric, folks.

Ask Cavazzoni about Boeing’s economic reach, and he’ll tell you the goal is to build up the local workforce. Last week, when the big news story was a 35-foot steel beam marking the start of assembly plant construction, we got a taste of how such objectives are playing out. The facility itself is highly specialized, and yet—get this—90 percent of construction contracting is going to South Carolina suppliers and workers.

During our recent interview, Cavazzoni mentioned Boeing’s eventual involvement in things like local nonprofits and school boards with genuine zeal. He talked about how one of his favorite Saturday morning rituals is taking long, waterfront strolls —like “La Passeggiata” in his native Italian—as a way to learn more about our vibrant historic district. He talked about the people of Charleston, using the word “incredible” to describe those he’s met so far. He used this same word not once, not twice, but nearly a dozen times in the span of 20 minutes. Pretty impressive for a globetrotter who’s lived in four countries and held several high-level positions at one of the world’s largest aerospace corporations.

This is someone who loves the Holy City and wants to see it thrive.

The jury is in: Charleston’s future has Marco Cavazzoni’s name written all over it.

Story by: Heather Mueller