Economically hard-hit Michigan has another 220 jobs coming its way. Today GE announced that it’s expanded the commitment it made last year to locate 1,100 new jobs in the state — with the new total now topping 1,300 over the next five years. The new jobs are part of a significant investment being made by GE Aviation and will support the development and manufacturing of advanced jet engines and avionics systems. GE is now hiring technical talent at the rate of two per day in the state — with over 90 percent of the first 200 new hires coming from Michigan.
Pedal to the metal: With the expanded jobs commitment, GE will bring its total Michigan employment to 3,500 across several facilities including those in Van Buren Township, Muskegon and Grand Rapids. Among those at the ribbon cutting today at GE’s new Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center in Van Buren Township were, from far left: Wayne County Executive Bob Fianco, GE’s AMSTC Site Leader Vic Bhagat, GE’s Charlene Begley (slightly hidden), Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, GE’s John Rice, Senator Carl Levin and Congressman Sandy Levin.
“While we are in the early days of our partnership with Michigan, we love what we’ve seen and want to accelerate our growth,” said GE Vice Chairman John Rice. “The exceptional number of talented, experienced professionals — coupled with the state’s strong advanced technology manufacturing capabilities — makes putting additional jobs here an easy decision. Growing jobs in Michigan means growth for GE.” The video below provides a recap of the day’s event.
Go time: As Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm told CNBC this morning in the video below : “This is the time to invest…. the smart CEOs are doing investments counter-cyclically.”
Getting technical: The focal point of GE’s efforts will be its Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center in Van Buren Township. Having opened its doors in October 2009, the state-of-the-art IT and R&D center will house GE’s largest concentration of information technology professionals worldwide. It currently employs over 200 senior IT professionals.
Jetting to the future: “The workers at this facility will help bring innovation from the research lab to the manufacturing floor,” said. Sen. Carl Levin, above. Of the 220 jobs, 90 will be added to GE’s Johnson Technology facility in Muskegon, where GE will expand capabilities in high-pressure turbine coatings. The other 130 will be added to the Van Buren Township tech center and will focus on advanced turbine technologies. GE is also investing further in its Engineering Center of Excellence in Grand Rapids.
Adding value: John Rice told the audience: “These are more than 1,300 high-value jobs that will make our business — and our customer’s businesses — even more productive and competitive.”
Where the action is: Charlene Begley, President and CEO of GE Home & Business Solutions and Senior Vice President and CIO for GE, said of the new hires already at GE’s Van Buren Township tech center: “You represent the tenacious, passionate spirit of this great state. You represent technical excellence in your fields. You also represent our commitment to making this site GE’s largest concentration of IT professionals around the globe.” She’s pictured at left with Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow.
The Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center will also include a GE research facility where GE will develop the next generation of manufacturing technologies to drive continued innovation in aircraft engines, renewable energy and other high tech areas. It will also bring together GE experts in software development, data architecture, networking, business intelligence, and program management.
Read today’s GE Global Research blog post by Doug Dinon about his work establishing their new R&D operation at the Van Buren Township center.
* Read today’s announcement
* Media can access photos and videos at: http://ge.presslift.com/michiganjobs
* Visit the tech center’s website
* Watch a video about the tech center
* Listen to a podcast from Vic Bhagat, the center’s Site Leader
* Read Jeff Immelt’s announcement about the center on GE Reports
* Follow coverage in: AnnArbor Business Chronicle, Detroit Free Press, Lake Living Magazine
* Find more Aviation stories on GE Reports
* Read “It’s electric: GE announces R&D center in Ohio” on GE Reports
* Read “Building smart washers/dryers in KY to create 430 jobs” on GE Reports
* Read “American Renewal: Immelt addresses Detroit Econ Club” on GE Reports
