DETROIT – General Electric is expanding what is already its largest information technology center in the world.
GE is adding 300 engineers and scientific specialists to its Advanced Manufacturing & Software Technology Center in Van Buren Twp.
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The company opened the facility in 2009, touting the deep well of engineering talent to be found in Michigan.
It already employs 850 workers developing a wide range of manufacturing software and technology, and eventually may have up to 1,400 employees.
GE made the announcement as it prepares to host its annual shareholders meeting in Detroit, amidst threats of protests from the group "99% Spring."
The outgrowth from the Occupy: Wall Street movement, 99% Spring planned to criticize GE for not paying its fair share in taxes.
GE executives claim the company did pay taxes in 2010 despite $32 Billion in losses in its financial business, while in 2011, the company's tax rate was 29 percent.
In a column for the Detroit Free Press, GE Chairman Jeffrey Immelt said why the company is choosing Michigan for this investment.
"We saw a community that valued work and understood the importance of advanced manufacturing to our future. In an economy that increasingly requires highly trained and highly skilled workers, we saw a state that was home to world-class universities and hard-working, dedicated professionals with deep knowledge in new technology. Ultimately, in Michigan we saw not only a state that needed jobs but also a partner that was resilient and ready for growth."