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GE to create 61 new jobs Vieques, San Germán

Secretary of State David Bernier (center) and Pridco Executive Director Antonio Medina (far right) talk with GE Vieques employees Tuesday.

Secretary of State David Bernier (center) and Pridco Executive Director Antonio Medina (far right) talk with GE Vieques employees Tuesday.

Officials from General Electric and the Puerto Rico government announced jointly on Tuesday the addition of a new product line to the company’s plant in Vieques that will add 11 new jobs there, and the introduction of a new line in San Germán that will bump up the payroll by 50.

The 11 new jobs in Vieques will be filled by March 2014, increasing the employee base at the island municipality to 50, said Secretary of State David Bernier, Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company Executive Director Antonio L. Medina, and GE Industrial Solutions CEO in Latin America, Rubén González.

Additionally, GE announced plans to move another product line from its Singapore facility to its San Germán facility, boosting its payroll there to 400.

“GE’s decision to increase their operations in Vieques as well as their plans to transfer other product lines from Singapore to San Germán, are unmistakable signs that Puerto Rico is a globally competitive economy,” Bernier said during a visit to the Vieques plant Tuesday.

“The attractive incentives of our economic model, and the talent and excellence of our workforce, are relevant factors in driving foreign investment to the island,” he said.

Puerto Rico is home to a highly skilled and productive workforce, and GE has experienced the benefits of having those human resources on its side, Medina said.

“What we are doing at Pridco is letting the rest of the world know about the extraordinary asset our human capital represents,” he said.

GE’s operation in Vieques is the only manufacturing and assembly site in the island-municipality and is considered to be one of the most significant employers since it’s opening in 1969. GE manufactures electronic devices (terminal boards, QMR-switches, conversion kits) at its Vieques facility and currently has 39 employees.

“Puerto Rico is an important business destination for GE and we are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Commonwealth,” said GE’s González. “We’re pleased to announce the transfer of product lines to Puerto Rico, enabling us to bring more jobs to Vieques.”

GE’s Industrial Solutions business provides customers, across various industries, with end-to-end product and service solutions that ensure the reliability and protection of the electrical infrastructure; from the power station to the end point and all the sustainable power technologies in between.

The company has a long-standing history with Puerto Rico, and was one of the first U.S. manufacturing companies to establish a facility on the island during the 1950s.  Currently, GE operates eight manufacturing facilities in the municipalities of Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Arecibo, Añasco (where it has two plants), San Germán, Humacao and Vieques, including six industrial solutions facilities, and overall employs 2,000 employees.

Author Details
Author Details
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
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