GE Transportation to invest $231 million in U.S. plants

Written by jrood

GE Transportation will invest $231 million in manufacturing improvements and site upgrades to its Erie, Pa., site and a new manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to meet accelerating domestic and global demand. "These latest investments in our U.S. facilities put GE Transportation in a position to shape the future of the transportation industry worldwide," said Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation. "We're making significant investments in GE's technology leadership, product innovation and state-of-the art manufacturing operations to serve our customers worldwide." GE Transportation's return to double-digit growth in 2011 has resulted in job growth in the U.S. The business has announced more than 2,000 jobs in the U.S. in 2011, including more than 1,100 jobs filled at GE Transportation's key manufacturing location in Erie. GE Transportation will hire about 360 new employees in Erie by the end of 2011, including 160 production workers to meet increasing demand for mining equipment. GE will also hire about 200 employees to backfill positions following the upcoming early retirement of production workers in Erie. The company is offering a Special Early Retirement Option and a Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program to eligible employees as part of the union contract ratified in June 2011. In Erie, GE will invest $58 million in research and testing technology, facilities and equipment to reduce engine emissions and improve fuel efficiency of GE locomotives and as well as engines used in the marine and stationary power industries. This includes investments in test laboratories, called test cells, for large-scale diesel engines at the Erie plant. The enhanced test cells will enable GE engineers to refine an industry-leading locomotive that is fuel-efficient, reliable, durable, affordable and meets stringent EPA Tier 4 emissions standards scheduled to take effect in 2015. GE will invest an additional $38 million in the Erie plant this year to increase capacity and modernize machining, equipment and tooling used for producing locomotives, drive systems for mining trucks and other transportation products. Production at the Erie plant is currently at levels equivalent to the facility's peak production levels achieved most recently in 2008. GE Transportation will also spend $40 million on facility upgrades and site beautification at its more than 100-year-old Erie plant, including new offices for hundreds of employees and a Customer Showcase Center. The Company also intends to build a 236,000 square-foot facility adjacent to its new manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to complement its manufacturing operations in Erie. Pending necessary public approvals, GE plans to invest approximately $95 million in the new facility to manufacture and assemble AC motorized wheels for off-highway vehicles. The Company plans to launch production at the new facility in mid-2012 and anticipates hiring approximately 130 employees there.

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