William Boeing founded Boeing in 1916 as the Pacific Aero Products Company.
William Boeing became interested in aircraft after seeing an airplane demonstration and purchased a seaplane in 1915. In Seattle, he and George Conrad Westervelt developed an aircraft, and Boeing’s new company began building planes for commercial and military customers. The first airplane produced by the company was the B&W seaplane.
The business was renamed the Boeing Airplane Company in 1917. It later became one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers, producing commercial airliners, military aircraft, spacecraft and defense systems. Boeing’s founding date is sometimes given as 1917 because of the name change, but the original company was established in 1916 as Pacific Aero Products.