GE to open new locomotive plant in Texas

Written by jrood

GE Transportation intends to open a new locomotive manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to meet accelerating global demand. GE will invest up to $96 million in the new plant and will create more than 500 new high-tech manufacturing jobs. GE also announced that it will expand its manufacturing workforce at its Erie, Pennsylvania, plant by hiring an additional 250 workers. GE will build a 9,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to manufacture, assemble and remanufacture GE's rail and transportation-related products, including GE's most fuel-efficient locomotives to-date. Production is scheduled to start by 2012. "Bringing more high-tech manufacturing jobs to Fort Worth is good news for the community and the people who live here," said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. "GE has chosen well in deciding to locate its new plant in Denton County. The area's highly trained workforce and strong business climate make it a prime location for these types of skilled jobs." "We are excited to expand our operational footprint in the United States to better serve our customers," said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. "We see robust growth in the U.S. and around the globe. A new site will help us to effectively respond to the cyclical demand in the transportation industry and to strengthen our overall position." GE anticipates launching its formal hiring process for both salaried employees and production workers for the Texas facility later this year. Production workers include welders, assemblers, painters and related skilled labor. The proposed location in Fort Worth will become final upon conclusion of pending local approval. The State of Texas will commit up to $4.2 million in incentives toward the project through the Texas Enterprise Fund.

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