Firland is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. The current workshop is located in Shoreline, Washington. The expanded facility was built in 1993, on the same grounds as the previous building. Some of the employees are developmentally disabled, while others have varying degrees of physical and mental challenges. The employee group consists of personnel who are skilled as machinists, part-markers, packers, de-burrers and assembly workers.
The workshop is supervised by a manager skilled in dealing with disabled personnel, computers, and the ongoing production and communication that takes place with their primary customer, The Boeing Company. The shop has operated a seven-day-per-week schedule at peak times, in order to successfully support the needs of Boeing.
The workshop manufactures small metal parts. Boeing places the orders through a sophisticated computer system with very detailed specifications and timelines. When completed, the parts are delivered to them for integration into the manufacturing process of the aircraft. The shop also provides parts for grounded aircraft when requested, often on very short notice. Producing approximately 80,000 parts per year, the workshop maintains less than a 1% rejection rate.
Meeting Boeing's commitment to quality management, Firland Workshop received its approval rating for the D1-9000 Boeing Quality Services program in April 1998. The Workshop is also AS9100 and ISO9000 certified.