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GE project would boost Ohio aerospace growth

Company says 2 sites in region are candidates for research center

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By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 10:58 PM Saturday, March 6, 2010

DAYTON — General Electric Co.’s pending decision about whether to build a research and testing center to advance the production of electrical power systems for military and civilian aircraft would boost Ohio’s effort to establish itself as a national hub for aerospace research and development, officials said.

GE has said that southwest Ohio is a leading candidate for the site, if the company’s leadership gives the go-ahead for establishing the center at a current GE operation. That would include GE Aviation’s jet engine plant in the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale and its GE Electrical Power Systems business in Vandalia.

Ohio has offered GE a $7.6 million incentive grant to support the project.

Company sites in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Erlanger, Ky., and Cheltenham, England, also are possibilities.

GE Aviation officials hope for decisions later this month on whether the project will be done and, if so, where, company spokeswoman Jennifer Villarreal said.

Putting the center in this region would complement the aerospace businesses GE already has in southwest Ohio, would attract additional talent, and could take advantage of the aerospace R&D proficiency of the state’s major universities, said Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.

“You’re going to attract people who want to teach, who want to study, to work, in these fields,” Fingerhut said last week. “This is a very important project for Ohio. We are building a world-class cluster of aerospace research and manufacturing facilities.”

GE has told the state it would commit $50.75 million to the Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center. It initially would employ 10 to 15 people, but that eventually could increase to 100 to 300 people if the company’s Electrical Power Systems unit approaches its goal of doubling annual sales to $700 million by 2019.

The University of Dayton Research Institute would be a partner for GE if the project is located in the Dayton area. If GE decides on the Evendale location, the University of Cincinnati could be the lead partner.

Mickey McCabe, the University of Dayton’s vice president for research, said his school has 400 full-time researchers who provide a technology development core that could support GE.

“We have so many things coming together right now in this region that could contribute to the success of that facility,” McCabe said.

With the Air Force Research Laboratory as a catalyst, the Dayton region has developed expertise in propulsion and sensors R&D and is striving to build fluency in support and technology development for unmanned aircraft.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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