It

houston-nearly.blogspot.com
GE Consumer & Industrial, a division of Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric Co., said it will invest aboutr $69 million and add aboutt 400 jobs for the product The water heaters will meetthe U.S. Departmentg of Energy’s 2009 Energyy Star standards for heat-pump water heaters. Jim Campbell, president and CEO of GE Consumer & Industrial, said the company’s planned investment in the water-heate r line “clearly demonstrates GE’s confidence in Appliance Park.” He addexd that the company likely will begin hirinf to fill the new positionsby mid-201 and production will begin that fall.
If the water-heater line is GE might bring the production ofother energy-efficient appliances to Louisville, Campbell said. “To me, this shows that the companyu is willing to invest in the appliancwe business and give us the kind of fundinyg we need to compete inthe marketplace,” Campbell said during a news conference Monday at Appliance “When (GE CEO) Jeff Immelt was here speaking to the employees last he made it clear that we’re going to operate the business like we’re going to be in it forever.” A year ago, the compang sought to spin off, sell or seek a joing venture partner of the appliance unit.
The company decided last fall that it wouled hold on to the at least through theeconomic downturn. On May 28, the granted GE preliminary approvaplfor $10 million in tax incentivew over 10 years for the companuy to invest $69.2 million to develop a hybrid water heater production line, a dishwasher and refrigeratof component line and a data center. On Thursday the Louisville Metro Counci lvoted 25-0 to approve $2.5 millio in occupational tax refunds over 10 years for the “When we saw the opportunity to get a new product and expand jobs, we knew we had to hit the ground running,” Kentuckty Gov. Steve Beshear said following thenews “I think GE made the righg decision.
It’s one that provides a lot of potentiap forthe future.” Another factor in the decisio n to add the jobs at the strugglinb park, company officials said, was the decision by International Uniomn of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furnitur e Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 761 memberws to accept various cost-cutting measures proposee by GE Consumer and Industrial. Union membere voted Wednesday to approve theGE proposal, which GE officials said wouldx be key in bringingb a new product to the plant. Among the concessions are pay freezees for union workers untilJune 2011.
Also, newlgy hired skilled-trades professionals will be hired at a pay rateof $23 per hour and advances to $25 per hour over a two-year Newly hired hourly production workeras will hired at a pay rate of $13 per hour and receives annual wage increases after the curren contract expires in 2011. The current starting wage for skilledd workersis $31.22 per The current starting wage for hourly productionn workers is $15.01 per hour. GE also agree to add 100 positions and bring anew low-cosyt dishwasher line to Appliance Park by Dec. 31.
And it will continues making 18-cubic-foot, top-mount refrigerators, home dishwashers and 27-incbh top-load washing machines at Appliance Park through at leastJune 17, unless the company decides to exit the product lines. “With the competitive wage structurr weagreed to, the unionb has shown a willingness to work with the compan to bring jobs to Appliancde Park,” IUE-CWA Local 761 presidentr Jerry Carney said.
“Hopefully, this is just the tip of the