New venture with Chinese manufacturer brings nearly 200 high-paying jobs to GE Aviation in Cascade

Nearly 200 new engineering technology workers will be hired at the GE Aviation facility in Cascade Township, thanks to a new joint venture announced between General Electric Co. and a Chinese aerospace manufacturer, AVIC System.

The new yet-unnamed avionics company will be launched by mid-2010 in either Beijing or Shanghai, China, but some design and engineering work is planned for workers at the GE Aviation offices at 3290 Patterson Ave. SE, says Jennifer Villareal, spokeswoman for GE Aviation.

GE officials says the new venture will offer fully integrated, open architecture avionics and services for future commercial aircraft programs. GE will build on its extensive avionics capabilities and its China Technology Center in Shanghai to create a technology center of excellence to serve the commercial aviation market.  AVIC will build on more than 20 years of experience providing integrated avionics systems for various types of aircraft.

Hiring locally for these highly paid office jobs is expected to begin immediately and continue through 2010, Villareal says.  GE Aviation, formerly known as Smith Aerospace, employs 1,300 locally. To learn more about applying for these opportunities, click here. (www.geaviation.com/joinus/)

"It's a good thing," Villareal says of the expansion into commercial avionics.  "It's adding on to our capabilities and is complimentary to our business."

GE Aviation is part of a GE operating unit based in Cincinnati that is known as a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft.