General Electric Aviation
The global economy of the 21st century demands a fast-paced schedule where every
second counts; GE Aviation understands that and has hammered down the throttle
to help meet the needs of commercial and military customers worldwide. With more
than 23,000 GE and CFM56 engines being actively used in the world market today,
a GE- or CFM-powered aircraft takes off every 2 seconds somewhere around the
world, feeding market demands and fueling the global economy. Thanks to the new
GE Aviation facility in Batesville, our state of Mississippi has a hand in
helping to make this possible.
GE has produced well-known and reliable products found in many American homes
over the years since its founding in 1892. Not long after its founding, GE began
to branch out; one of the first subsidiaries was in aviation. In 1917 GE was
charged with building the first airplane engine booster to help kick-start the
young American aviation industry. It all started on Pikes Peak with the test of
the superturbocharged Liberty aircraft engine, which produced a mere 350
horsepower, equivalent to the engines found in today’s Chevrolet Corvette. That
mountaintop test of the first superturbocharger landed GE’s first
aviation-related government contract and paved the way for GE to become a world
leader in jet engines; its most impressive to date the GE90-115B which has
produced during testing a recording-breaking 120,315 pounds of thrust.
GE Aviation makes up approximately ten percent of global giant, General Electric,
and is the top supplier of aircraft engines in the world. GE’s aviation business
produces jet engines as well as marine and industrial gas turbine engines used
by companies around the world. Its engines are some of the most reliable and
fuel-efficient found on the market today. Beyond its commercial business, GE
Aviation is also a major supplier to military forces including the U.S. Army,
producing engines for fighter jets, military transport aircraft, and
helicopters.
GE Aviation includes some 40 manufacturing, assembly and service sites within the
U.S. alone, including one of its newest which opened in Batesville in October
2008. The Batesville facility for GE Aviation was introduced to help supply
composite components and assemblies, which are a lighter-weight option to their
metal counterparts. Composite parts are typically used within engines and are
often more durable than traditional metal components. The composites allow the
engine to shed weight, making the engine and aircraft lighter, which in turn,
increases fuel efficiency and lowers overall operating costs. The Batesville
plant currently produces composites for commercial aircraft engines including
the GEnx, GEnx-1B and -2B used to power the Boeing 787 and Boeing 747-8, and the
GE90 found in the Boeing 777.
GE Aviation employs over 38,000 workers worldwide and is constantly growing and
fueling economic development within the United States. The Batesville facility
currently employs 56 team members with an additional 50 to be added by the end
of the year, and hopes of further expansion in the coming years. Employees show
off their product.
GE Aviation in Batesville is also active in public service initiatives ranging
from leadership forums, to support of the Boys & Girls Club of Batesville and
Panola County, South Panola School District, Meals-On-Wheels and the March of
Dimes. The facility is also extremely active in education, working with the
local Panola County School District in addition to partnering with research
programs at Mississippi State University and the University of Southern
Mississippi.