A Very Big Deal. From the New York Times:
The center will include renewable energy components like wind turbines, said Mr. Immelt, who is on President Obama’s board of economic advisers. G.E. is the biggest United States maker of wind turbines. Existing space on the site will be used to develop software and health care information technology, G.E. said."Export" is not a word that comes up a lot anymore. Immelt indicated that GE is in this for the long haul, and expects other companies to spring up around this effort.
Mr. Immelt said the United States must be a “strong exporting country” to help speed recovery from the recession. The center will open later this year, creating 1,100 to 1,200 jobs, according to G.E., and Mr. Immelt said it might grow further. A Web site through which engineers can submit job applications should be running by next week, he said. The jobs pay about $100,000 a year, Ms. Granholm said.
“This country’s future has to be about exports,” Mr. Immelt said.
“We’re a $19 billion exporter in 2008. We don’t do anything unless we can compete on a global basis. Our willingness to invest here in Michigan says we think we can be competitive here so that that export base grows into the future.”
And they chose us. Not New York. Not California. Here.
That is saying something.