FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2014
Contact: Stacey Swank
Pinellas County Economic Development
(727) 464-7425 or sswank@pinellascounty.org
EXPANSION OF GE ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN PINELLAS COUNTY
PROJECTED TO CREATE 250 JOBS
$50 million investment builds on GE Energy Management's manufacturing leadership
CLEARWATER, FL (July 24, 2014) - Florida Governor Rick Scott, Pinellas County Commissioner Norm Roche, Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos and GE Energy Management CEO Mark Begor (NYSE: GE) today broke ground on a new 190,000 square feet manufacturing Center of Excellence (COE) in Clearwater, Florida. The COE will encompass GE's existing manufacturing facility for instrument transformers, as well as new manufacturing operations for capacitors. GE plans to create 250 new jobs as part of this investment.
"Thanks to the support from Governor Scott, Commissioner Roche and Mayor Cretekos we are well positioned to more quickly deliver improved outcomes for our customers and solve some of the world's toughest energy problems," said GE Energy Management CEO Mark Begor. "From this facility, we'll serve customers as close as Duke Energy right here in Florida, and as far away as Southeast Asia and South America."
The new COE is part of GE Energy Management's continued commitment to advanced manufacturing which is about building leading edge technology using better and faster methods. It encompasses new digital fabrication technology, lean methods and rapid-prototyping, advanced materials sciences, supply chain efficiency and open innovation. Advanced manufacturing is enabling GE Energy Management to more quickly and efficiently invent and build things that matter. The manufacturing COE is expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2015.
"We're so pleased to welcome these new jobs and to celebrate GE Energy Management's expansion and newest manufacturing 'Center for Excellence' in Pinellas County," said Pinellas County Commissioner Norm Roche. "Manufacturing in Pinellas is a point of pride, and GE's innovators here in Clearwater are an important part of over 30,000 experienced manufacturing professionals in our county."
"The City of Clearwater is committed to expanding job opportunities, and this investment by GE in our community will provide economic benefits to the entire Tampa Bay area," said City of Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos.
The $50 million manufacturing COE represents a reinvestment in Clearwater, where GE and its 430 employees have had a presence for almost 40 years. The investment also demonstrates GE's continuing commitment to expand its operations in Florida and broaden its existing employee base of 4,400 employees across the state.
This project was made possible with the help of close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the City of Clearwater, Pinellas County, Duke Energy, Pinellas County Economic Development and the Department of Economic Opportunity.
"We value our partnership with The City of Clearwater and commend their leadership and shared focus on economic development," said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy state president - Florida. "They acted quickly to assemble the right partners to win the GE expansion, and we appreciate being a part of the team from the beginning. The GE expansion is a win for the City, the County and the Tampa Bay region resulting in new high-wage jobs and significant capital investment."
"The expansion of GE Energy Management in Clearwater is a great boost for Florida's cleantech and manufacturing industries," said president and CEO of Enterprise Florida Gray Swoope. "Florida's position in both industries is rising as more and more companies in those sectors look to locate and expand here. World leaders like GE have been leading the energy industry from Florida for decades and we look forward to their continued growth."
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About Pinellas County Economic Development: Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to our community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the Ideal Business Climate of Pinellas County, Florida.
Contact: Stacey Swank
Pinellas County Economic Development
(727) 464-7425
sswank@pinellascounty.org
