LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/23/09 -- The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) has announced Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., executive chairman of Abraxis Bioscience (NASDAQ: ABII) and CEO of Abraxis Health, as its individual honoree and The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) as its corporate honoree for the 14th Annual Eddy Awards®. Established in 1996, the annual gala has become the most important economic development award program in California. This year's celebration pays tribute to leaders of two vital technology sectors, life sciences and aerospace, which will play a critical role in the region's economic recovery.

The 14th Annual Eddy Awards® will be held on Thursday, November 12, 2009, at the Beverly Hilton.

As the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined, The Boeing Company is the cornerstone of our aerospace defense industry, directly employing more than 15,000 people in L.A. County and thousands more in their supply chain network to various programs including production of the C-17 Globemaster aircraft.

Nearly 5,500 skilled workers are employed on the production of the aircraft in the City of Long Beach where the C-17 is manufactured. The production of this aircraft also provides employment to more than 14,000 skilled workers at 384 manufacturing and supply firms throughout the state, and the C-17 program contributes about $2 billion to the California economy each year.

"The Boeing Company's leadership in aerospace, particularly in L.A. County, has helped to shape the economic makeup of our diverse region," said Bill Allen, LAEDC president and CEO. "Boeing's C-17 program has created thousands of good quality jobs for L.A. County residents and the LAEDC is proud to recognize and publicly celebrate their contributions to the aerospace industry, an industry that has been critical to the economic health of our region." For the full story visit: http://tinyurl.com/nwy69o

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