Investing in the future of Wisconsin makes sense. That’s why this past week has been so exciting for all of us at GE in the Badger State. We’ve just finished the Wisconsin leg of a national “GE Works” series of events, where we again experienced the spirit of a state that’s committed to growth and innovation for the future.
Over the course of several days, we welcomed Gov. Scott Walker to unveil a state-of-the-art engineering center that has helped put people to work at GE’s Waukesha gas engines facility. We joined leaders at the state’s two largest universities for major announcements that will help drive the next generation of healthcare technology. And we released results of a third-party study that, for the first time, details GE Healthcare’s $3.8 billion annual economic impact in Wisconsin.
Here are the highlights:
- In Waukesha, Gov. Walker and local economic development officials cut the ribbon on a $3.1 million innovative Engineering Center at GE’s Waukesha gas engines facility while celebrating 115 new jobs for local residents over the last 18 months. The newly renovated engineering center represents GE’s largest investment in the facility to date. Engines produced at the Waukesha facility are used in all stages of natural gas production, helping meet the global need for cleaner fuels. “GE’s Waukesha gas engines facility epitomizes both Wisconsin’s robust manufacturing heritage and a growing spirit of innovation – making us more nimble and competitive on the global stage,” Gov. Walker said.
- With UW-Milwaukee (UWM), we announced a $3 million collaboration to build a robust pipeline of highly trained, Wisconsin-based medical imaging software developers and researchers. This first-of-its-kind collaboration and the new GE Healthcare Center for Advanced Computational Imaging at UWM is expected to create more advanced medical tools, improved patient care, more workforce-ready local graduates and expanded local research and academic strength that can make a difference worldwide.
- GE Healthcare leaders also gathered with educators from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison to announce an anticipated $32.9 million GE investment in a state-of-the-art imaging research facility that will give UW doctors one of the most advanced imaging centers in the world. This 10-year agreement will focus on enhancing personalized medicine by expanding research on molecular imaging – the next frontier in radiology research.
- The GE Healthcare economic impact study painted a bigger picture of the company’s footprint on and activities in Wisconsin, home to our U.S. headquarters and global headquarters for several GE Healthcare divisions. With 6,500 GE Healthcare employees statewide, the study found that GE Healthcare generates over $10.4 million in economic activity in-state every day – and while we are big fans of our hometown teams, that’s more than the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks combined. The company also helps support more than 21,000 jobs, including GE and more than 1,100 supplier sites throughout Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has been GE Healthcare’s home since 1947. For 65 years, we have been able to reach toward the future, find solutions to tough problems, create new jobs and programs that improve people’s lives, and make a difference in our communities. As we look back on this “GE Works” week in Wisconsin, we recognize that none of this would be possible without the dedication and talents of our thousands of local employees, a strong statewide network of exceptional local suppliers, committed local research and educational partners like UW-Madison, UWM and the teams of civic and government leaders who also recognize Wisconsin’s growth potential. We are indebted to each and every person, institution and business that makes this state a great place to do business.
Marcelo Mosci is president and CEO for GE Healthcare, U.S. and Canada, based in Wauwatosa.
