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GE Breaks Ground on First Power & Water Advanced Manufacturing Facility

June 16, 2014
This will be GE Power & Water's first advanced manufacturing facility. The facility will serve as an incubator for innovative advanced manufacturing process development and rapid prototyping for the Power & Water businesses, including wind turbines, heavy duty gas engines, distributed power gas engines, nuclear power services and water processing.

General Electric announced last week that it will build a Power & Water advanced manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C. GE plans to invest $400 million over the next ten years in Greenville to expand the company’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.

The new Advanced Manufacturing Works is expected to open in 2015 and create more than 80 jobs.

This will be GE Power & Water’s first advanced manufacturing facility.

The facility will serve as an incubator for innovative advanced manufacturing process development and rapid prototyping for the Power & Water businesses, including wind turbines, heavy duty gas engines, distributed power gas engines, nuclear power services and water processing. By developing new techniques and production processes at the new facility, the GE Power & Water business will be able to design, test, iterate and bring its products to market for customers quicker than ever, the company said.

“Greenville serves as the ideal location for the Power & Water advanced manufacturing site," GE Power & Water CEO Steve Bolze commented. " Here we will be able to deliver even more innovative breakthrough products and services, work better with each other and our customers, and bring best-in-class technologies to market quicker.”

GE started in Greenville more than 40 years ago with a 340,000 sq. ft. site. The site has since grown into more than 1.5 MM square feet of factory and offices, manufacturing products for customers worldwide. GE has more than 3,000 employees in Greenville and, in the past five years, has invested more than $500 million to bolster critical manufacturing activities housed on the GE Power & Water campus.

 “The Greenville community has a long standing relationship with GE, and it welcomes the new GE Power & Water Advanced Manufacturing Works facility,” said South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. “Manufacturing innovation is integral to economic progression and I am delighted that South Carolina has the infrastructure and skilled workforce that enables GE to shape the future of work.”

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor - MH&L, IW, & EHS Today

Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with Endeavor Business Media and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank.

She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics, EHS Today, and IndustryWeek. 

Editorial Mission Statement:

Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes, and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I Find Manufacturing Interesting: 

On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated, and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.