The first version of this article had some information that is out of date and three minor factual errors, this is the corrected and expanded version. This is not my final version this is merely what my first version should have been.
Shawn -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Report on General Electric Corporation by Shawn Ewald <ewald@ctaz.com>
Newsweek magazine once called Jack Welch (CEO of General Electric) "the most heartless CEO in corporate america." If the attitude that GE employees have toward Jack Welch is any indication of what kind of man he is, then that remark is a vast understatement.
According to former GE employees in Syracuse, N.Y., Jack Welch was so hated by his employees that on the rare occasions when he came to inspect the plants in Syracuse, he would be constantly accompanied by an attache of armed plain clothes security for fear of being assassinated by one of his employees, and would take a helocopter directly to and from the plant to the airport.
I mention Jack Welch because most of GE's monstrous growth had occured under his "leadership", and because he is one of the originators of, as well as a cult hero of, the "lean and mean" school of corporate management.
I am writing this report (to be clarified and updated pending future research) to alert the U.S. (and global) activist community to the fact that, as of GE's attainment of virtual controlling interest in Lockheed- Martin corporation, the "defence" business in the United States is now effectively controlled by one corporation: General Electric. And, by extension, it is effectively controlled by one man: Jack Welch.
My hope in writing this preliminary report, is to inspire others to do simmilar research and to educate the public on this very important issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ General Elecric: A 120 year old company (Thomas Edison was one of the company's founders), it has consistently been in the top ten of america's largest companies (top ten of Fortune 500 companies) since World War II. GE is also active in over 100 countries around the world.
Businesses:
Atomic Power: GE has its hands in every aspect of the Nuke Business; it owns the unranium mines, it builds the reactors and everything in between. It also owns several nuclear power companies around the globe.
Jet Propulsion: It is the largest manufacturer of military jet engines (even Air Force One flies on GE built engines).
Prisons: GE "manages" many state (possibly federal) prisons throughout the U.S. it also exploits the prison populations it manages through forced labor at substandard wages.
GE Capital Services: GE has possibly the richest pension fund of any company in the U.S., which it routinely gambles on venture capital schemes, as well as using it for mergers and stock trades with companies it aquires. Also, its stock has a market value of $138 billion (U.S.), the largest in the world.
Entertainment: GE owns NBC television network, and thus everything that NBC owned at the time it was aquired. GE also owns RCA, which originally owned NBC (refrigerators, and other household appliances, and government contracts -- T.V.'s, camcorders, etc. that bear the RCA logo are actually made by the Thomson Corporation which swapped these businesses with GE in exchange for a medical imaging business that Thomson owned).
Hardware and Appliances: Black & Decker Inc. bought out most of GE's hardware appliance division, it is believed that GE returned the favor by buying controlling interest in B & D. Most products (i.e. microwaves, light bulbs, toaster ovens, etc.) that bear the GE logo are not actually made by GE but by Eastern European manufacturers.
The following are the businesses that GE publicly (via its wesite) admits to being involved in (this information is provided for interested boycotters):
GE at a Glance
GE Aircraft Engines
Commercial Military Marine & Industrial Engine Services
GE is the world's largest manufacturer of military and commercial aircraft jet engines. It produces large and small jet engines for airlines, charter and leasing companies, and military aircraft. It also supplies aircraft-derived engines for marine and industrial applications and provides extensive aviation services. CFM International, a joint company of SNECMA of France and GE, enjoys a leading position worldwide as a supplier of mid-sized commercial and military jet engines.
GE Appliances
Kitchen and Laundry Air Conditioners GE, Monogram, Profile, RCA and Hotpoint Brands
GE Appliances is one of the largest manufacturers of major appliances in the world. Products include: refrigerators and freezers; electric and gas ranges; conventional, convection and microwave ovens; gas, electric and radiant cooktops; regular, heavy duty and coin-operated washers and dryers; built-in and portable dishwashers; disposers and compactors; and portable and built-in room air conditioners. GE products are sold under the GE, Monogram, Profile, RCA and Hotpoint brands, as well as several private label brands of national chain stores.
GE Capital Services
Transportation and Container Leasing Computer Equipment Leasing Modular Space Specialty Insurance Specialized Financing Consumer Financial Services Mid-Market Financing
GE Capital Services' (GECS) business is helping other businesses succeed. It provides the services which give businesses an advantage - more productivity, more efficiency - in whatever they do. GE Capital's financing activities span the world through an aggregation of highly focused niche businesses. Its products and services - such as financing, leasing and loan servicing - give customers greater financial and operating flexibility. With more than 60 years of experience behind it, one of the strongest capital positions worldwide and AAA credit ratings, GE Capital provides capital and value-added services that give customers a competitive advantage in the marketplace. GE Capital, with headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company.
GE Electrical Distribution & Control
Circuit Breakers, Controls, Transformers Transmission Systems and Components Switchgear, Switchboards, Panelboards Disconnect and Safety Switches, Service Entrance, Modular Metering Power Management Systems
GE Electrical Distribution & Control provides the most complete range of products and services of their type worldwide. It is a global leader in electronic and electrical products used to distribute, protect, manage, transform and control low and medium voltage power. In addition to the United States, GE ED&C has active manufacturing and sales presence in Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America, Saudi Arabia, and the Asia/Pacific market. It serves customers throughout the global marketplace, supplying products for industrial, residential, commercial, institutional and utility applications. GE/MICRO SWITCH Control, Inc., a joint venture sales company with Honeywell, provides specialized sales and application engineering services to a broad range of production and process OEMs serving general industry with control solutions.
GE Information Services
Business Productivity Solutions Electronic Commerce Services Consulting and Implementation Services Systems Integration
GE Information Services is a leading provider of global business productivity solutions using electronic commerce. Its comprehensive range of Commerce*Express Services - including electronic messaging, electronic data interchange (EDI), information management services, consulting, systems integration and implementation - links businesses with their suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, and banks to streamline business transactions and improve the flow of information. Currently, GE Information Services is helping more than 30,000 companies worldwide reduce product cycles, slash inventories, speed the order-to-remittance process, gain real-time market intelligence, increase sales force productivity, and improve their profitability.
GE Lighting
Lighting Products for Consumer, Commercial and Industrial Markets Outdoor Lighting Systems Wiring Devices and Lighting Components
GE Lighting is a leading supplier of lighting products for consumer, commercial and industrial markets. Products include incandescent, fluorescent, quartz, high intensity discharge, tungsten-halogen, decorative, miniature, subminiature and holiday lighting products. In addition GE Lighting markets ballasts, batteries and specialty lighting products. It is also the nation's largest supplier of lamp glass for all types of lighting applications. GE Lighting Systems manufactures outdoor lighting fixtures for HID lamps. GE Wiring Devices supplies plugs, switches, lighting controls, receptacles, cord sets, wall plates, and fuses.
GE Medical Systems
Computer Tomography (CT) Magnetic Resonance (MR) Equipment X-Ray Equipment Nuclear Medicine Imaging Cameras Ultrasound Products Radiation Oncology Equipment
<snipped in the interest of brevity>
GE Motors and Industrial Systems
AC and DC Electric Motors (fractional to several thousand horsepower) Appliance and Automotive Controls Computer Numerical Controls, Motion Control and Industrial Lasers Engineering Services Programmable Logic Controls & Supervisory Control Drive Systems and Turbine-Generator Controls
<snipped in the interest of brevity>
GE Plastics
Engineered Plastics-Resin, Sheet and Film Petrochemicals Silicones Superabrasives Electromaterials Specialty Chemicals
A world leader, GE Plastics offers versatile, high-performance, engineered plastics for use in automobiles, aircraft, appliances, reusable consumer packaging and residential and commercial construction. Operating components include GE Electromaterials, GE Petrochemicals, GE Silicones, GE Specialty Chemicals, GE Superabrasives and GE Polymerland, Inc., a wholly - owned subsidiary for plastics marketing, distribution, service and recycling.
GE Power Systems
Gas, Steam, and Hydro Turbines, Generators, Combined Cycle and Cogeneration Systems Utility, Industrial and Marine Power Generation & Utilization Environmental Systems
<snipped in the interest of brevity>
GE Transportation Systems
Diesel Electric Locomotives Off-Highway Equipment Transit Propulsion Systems Locomotive Leasing
<snipped in the interest of brevity>
NBC
Cable Services including CNBC and MSNBC International Services including NBC Super Channel, CNBC Asia, Canal de Noticias NBC Multimedia Ventures including NBC Desktop Video, NBC Digital Publishing, NBC Data Network Television Network
Founded in 1926, NBC is a diversified entertainment and news information company. It is one of the three major U.S. television networks with 215 affiliated stations throughout the United States. In addition NBC owns and operates six television stations covering more than 21 percent of the country and two U.S. cable networks, CNBC and America's Talking. NBC also has partial ownership in 17 other cable networks. NBC's international ventures include NBC Super Channel in Europe, CNBC Asia, and Canal de Noticias NBC in Central and South America. NBC has also entered the multimedia field with the recent launch of three multimedia businesses: NBC Desktop Video, NBC Data Network and NBC Digital Publishing.
Support Operations
Support Operations include GE Supply , which sells and distributes electrical products manufactured by GE and other quality suppliers; GE's Corporate Research and Development Center, the world's largest and oldest privately owned, industrial research facility; and a number of corporate components which provide international trade support, market development, licensing and investments for various GE businesses.
The above is from www.ge.com ----------------------------
Military Contractors: due to the fact that GE owns, or has controling interest in, most of the major U.S. defense contractors, this makes GE effectively the largest defense contractor in the U.S., and, no doubt, the world.
Rockwell International: aeronautics, modems (worlds largest manufacturer of modem chips), etc. Rockwell sold its aerospace and defense businesses to Boeing, for reasons that will become clear in the Lockheed- Martin entry below -- Boeing and McDonald-Douglas are the two remaining major defence contractors that GE does not, to my knowledge, control. GE has controlling interest in Rockwell International.
Honeywell: industrial and residential control systems, industrial automation, some military contracts. GE has controlling interest in this company via a stock trade.
Martin-Marietta: military radar and sonar systems (a GE business that was transfered to M-M), satellites, non-nuclear missles (such as the patriot missle). Martin-Marietta also has contracts with the federal government to manage Sandia Laboratories in New Mexico, and now most of the NASA space program on behalf of the federal government. GE has virtually controlling interest in this company.
Lockheed-Martin: the merger of Lockheed and Martin-Marietta -- there's a good chance that GE helped M-M come up with the money to buy Lockheed (it gives an idea of how enormus GE really is when one considers that Lockheed- Martin, as huge as it is, is still relatively an imp of a company compared to GE) and that, because of this, they've added another GE appointed member to the Lockheed-Martin board of directors. Thus possibly giving GE true controlling interest in this company. Lockheed "won" a contract to make the next generation of fighter planes for the U.S. millitary, beating out McDonald-Douglas for this "honor".
This is a list of Lockheed-Martin holdings taken from the Lockheed-Martin website:
Aeronautics Sector
James A. Blackwell, President & COO
Lockheed Martin Aero & Naval Systems Lockheed Martin Aeronautics International Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Lockheed Martin Aircraft Center Lockheed Martin Logistics Management Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems
Energy & Environment Sector
Albert Narath, President & COO
Hanford Corporation Innovative Ventures Corporation Lockheed Martin Advanced Environmental Systems Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company Lockheed Martin Specialty Components Lockheed Martin Utility Services M4 Environmental LP * Nevada Technologies, Inc. Sandia Corporation Technology Ventures Corporation *M4 Environmental LP is a limited partnership between Lockheed Martin Corporation and Molten Metal Technology, Inc.,for environmental remediation.
Space & Strategic Missiles Sector
Mel Brashears, President & COO
Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Operations Lockheed Martin Astronautics Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space Lockheed Martin Manned Space Systems Lockheed Martin Telecommunications Lockheed Martin Special Programs
Electronics Sector
Thomas A. Corcoran, President & COO
Lockheed Martin Aeronutronic Lockheed Martin Control Systems Lockheed Martin Defense Systems Lockheed Martin Defense Systems - Great Neck Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles Lockheed Martin Federal Systems - Manassas Lockheed Martin Government Electronic Systems Lockheed Martin Ocean, Radar & Sensor Systems Lockheed Martin Vought Systems Sanders
Information & Services Sector
Peter B. Teets, President & COO
Lockheed Martin Communications Systems Lockheed Martin Enterprise Information Systems Lockheed Martin IMS Lockheed Martin Wideband Systems United Space Alliance * Commercial Systems Group Access Graphics Lockheed Martin Commercial Electronics Formtek Integrated Business Solutions MountainGate Real 3D CalComp Technologies ** Products Group Lockheed Martin Conic Lockheed Martin Display Systems Lockheed Martin Hycor Lockheed Martin Randtron Lockheed Martin Telemetry & Instrumentation Lockheed Martin Microwave Group Microwave - Narda Microwave - Narda West Microwave FSI Services Group Lockheed Martin Environmental Services Lockheed Martin Information Support Services Lockheed Martin Naval Systems Services Lockheed Martin Space Mission Systems & Services Lockheed Martin Systems Support & Training Services Lockheed Martin Technical Operations KAPL
* Joint Venture with Rockwell Corporation ** Majority owned affiliate of Lockheed Martin Corporation
C3I & Systems Integration Sector
Frank C. Lanza, President & COO
Federal Systems Group Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management International Lockheed Martin Federal Systems (MD) Lockheed Martin Federal Systems (NY) Lockheed Martin Quintron Lockheed Martin C3Integration Systems Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management Lockheed Martin Command & Control Systems Lockheed Martin Electro-Optical Systems Lockheed Martin Electronic Defense Systems Lockheed Martin Electronic Systems, Canada Lockheed Martin Fairchild Systems Lockheed Martin Information Systems Lockheed Martin IR Imaging Systems Lockheed Martin Canada Lockheed Martin Management & Data Systems Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems (AZ) Lockheed Martin Tactical Defense Systems (MN) Lockheed MartinTactical Defense Systems (OH) Lockheed Martin Space & Range Systems Lockheed Martin Western Development Labs
Subsidiaries
Lockheed Martin Corporate Properties, Inc.
The above is from www.lockheed.com -----------------------------------
My future report will give a more detailed listing of GE's key businesses and what they manufacture or sell, as well as the political activities that GE is or has been involved in.
Shawn Ewald __________________________________________________________________________ "Political rights do not originate in parliaments; they are rather forced upon them from without. And even their enactment into law has for a long time been no guarantee of their security. They do not exist because they have been legally set down on a piece of paper, but only when they have become the ingrown habit of a people, and when any attempt to impair them will meet with the violent resistance of the populace."
--Rudolf Rocker "Anarcho-Syndicalism", 1938 (Pluto Press, London, 1989) __________________________________________________________________________
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