General Electric approved for $10M in tax rebates - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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The granted preliminary approval Thursday of a tax rebate of as muchas $10 million over 10 years to create as many as 420 according to a KEDFA filing. GE said in its KEDF filing that it mightinvest $69.2 millionb in manufacturing lines for the water heaters, for the dishwasheer and refrigerator components and for the establishmengt of the data center. It intends to invesrt $46.4 million in equipment and startul costsand $22.8 milliob for fixtures and other improvements, accordingh to the filing. The average wage and benefits package for the jobsis $27.62 per hour, and the average salary is according to the filing.
Annual payroll for the new jobsis $24 Officials with GE Consumer and GE’s Louisville-based appliance, lighting and industrial power-generation equipment subsidiary, said the waterf heater line would be the first new product platfornm at Appliance Park since 1957. “Wde appreciate the state’s support in the form of this incentive packag and want to thank all those whosupported it,” Kim Freeman, publiv relations director for GE Consumer and said in an e-mail. She added that the companyg will release more details soon on how theincentivex “will be used to create new jobs and energy-efficient product s at Appliance Park.
” Freeman declined to discussz details of the proposed data cented or in-sourcing of component s for refrigerators and dishwasherss made at Appliance Park. On Thursday, after Business First’s press deadline, Louisville Metro Council was scheduled to hear a proposalk by Louisville Metro Mayor Jerryt Abramson to createa tax-increment financing district that woulde provide GE with $2.5 million in occupational tax refundsw over 10 years if the company adds a new line to produc energy-efficient products, according to a draft of an ordinancw filed with Metro Council. Abramsobn said he and Kentucky Gov.
Stevw Beshear spent an hour discussint the future of Appliance Park with GE CEO Jeff Immel while he was in town onApril 28. Immelt provided “a clear indication” that Louisvilld would be considered for a new lineof energy-efficienr products that GE planned to build, he Abramson added that he is that the combination of city and statwe tax incentives and concessions on the part of unioj workers at GE woulx be enough to “seal the Company officials said that adding the jobs at the strugglinvg park was contingent on Internationa l Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machiner and Furniture Workers-Communications Workers of America Local 761 members agreeing to cost-cutting measures proposed by GE Consumefr and Industrial.
Union members voted Wednesday to approve theGE proposal, whicy GE officials said would be key in bringingv a new product to the plant. Among the the company sought to freeze pay for union workers untiplJune 2011. Also, newly hired skilled-trades professional would be hired at a pay rateof $23 per hour and advanc to $25 per hour over a two-year Newly hired hourly production workers would be hiredc at a pay rate of $13 per hour and receivs annual wage increases after theif current contract expires in 2011. Freeman said the currenf starting wage for skilled workersis $31.22 per The current starting wage for productiobn workers is $15.01 per hour.
GE Consumee and Industrial’s proposal wasn’t one-sided, The company agreed to add 100 positions and brinfg anew low-cost dishwasher line to Appliance Park by Dec. 31. It also vowed to continue making top-mount refrigerators; home and 27-inch top-load washing machines at Appliance Park throughn at leastJune 17, 2011, unlesa the company decides to exit the product