"The Aircraft and Parts Industry in Southern California: Continuity and Change from the Inter-War Years to the 1990s

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the history and the geography of the aircraft and parts industry in Southern California from its origins in the 1920s and 1930s to the present day. We begin by tracing out the early growth of the industry in Los Angeles and San Diego in the inter-war years. We then show how, with the advent of the Second World War and concomitant increases in federal military expenditures, the role of Southern California as the dominant center of aircraft and parts manufacturing in the United States was effectively consolidated. A detailed geographical description of the industry over three time periods-1956, 1972 and 1988-is presented. We then engage in two major analytical exercises: first, a statistical description of the contemporary spatial organization of local labor markets around major plants; and second, an investigation (with the aid of questionnaire data) of intraregional linkage structures in the industry. We suggest that these two domains of economic activity engender significant external economies. We also suggest that the same economies must be seen as being major sources of the long-term success of the aircraft and parts manufacturing complex of Southern California. The paper ends with a brief review of the competitive advantages and possible future dilemmas of the industry in Southern California.