(The Center Square) – Thirty communities in 17 states will be impacted by a $1 billion investment by Cincinnati-headquartered GE Aerospace in American manufacturing.
The package includes hiring 5,000 workers in manufacturing and engineering roles. A year ago, the company announced a plan to hire 5,000 as well.
“Maintaining U.S. aerospace leadership requires sustained investment in our people, our facilities, and the technologies that will define the future of flight,” said Chairman and CEO Larry Culp Jr. “This investment is for our customers, our communities, and our country.”
GE Aerospace said the investment comes on top of an already annual $3 billion toward research and development.
In Cincinnati, the company will funnel $115 million to modernize infrastructure, increase test cell capacity and expand advanced 3D metal printing capabilities.
Overall, GE Aerospace says more than $275 million “will upgrade sites that produce defense engines and components, strengthening the U.S. defense industrial base to deliver at pace for military revisions.”
This includes more than $40 million in Lynn, Mass., for refreshing machinery, expanding test cell capacity and flexibility to meet delivery page. Building upgrades are also planned. With $10 million in Madisonville, Ky., GE Aerospace will invest in new machines to increase part production, inspection equipment, tooling and make facility upgrades.
Another $200 million goes toward scale of durable parts production. These sites manufacture “high pressure turbine durability kits extending time on wing, and a new system that reduces the need for on-wing maintenance.”
Hundreds of millions are set for sites manufacturing and assembling commercial engines.
GE Aerospace bills itself as “a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 57,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely.”
