After more than 100 years in Erie, Penn., General Electric Transportation headquarters is on the move to Chicago.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday the company will relocate 50 employees from Erie, and hire 150 at its new Chicago base by 2014. The specific relocation date was not announced.
"We are a transportation juggernaut," Emanuel said. "General Electric Transportation saw a city that’s on the move, saw a city that’s confident in its future, and willing to make the choices that are necessary for its future.”
Emanuel also added that Chicago’s direct transportation connections nationally and internationally put the city at an advantage.
Lorenzo Simonelli, president and CEO of GE Transportation, brought high praise for Emanuel on the city’s transportation infrastructure.
"I’d like to thank the mayor and also compliment him on the infrastructure focus, and the billions that are being placed into the infrastructure of this great city, and clearly, that was one of the decisive factors in looking at Chicago as a being the global headquarters," he said.
Simonelli also called the city a “hub to be able to reach the global customer base.”
GE Transportation’s base is energy storage, mining, and railways. The company is still looking for a space in Chicago.
Disclosure: GE Transportation is a division of General Electric, which owns a minority stake in NBCUniversal.
