Gov. Nathan Deal said General Electric is "serious" about potentially ditching its Connecticut headquarters for a tax-friendly locale. And he said Georgia is intent on laying out the welcome mat.
The governor said Tuesday that he's preparing a proposal for GE chief executive Jeff Immelt, who told employees he is considering a move to another state with a "more pro-business environment." Immelt said the $40 billion budget approved by state lawmakers Wednesday would impose "significant and retroactive tax increases for businesses."
"I think a company as large as GE is serious when they start publicly talking about these things," said Deal. "They can do all of the pressure they need behind the scenes. They don't have to go public in order to put pressure. And it appears they are at the point of being very serious in their considerations that they may relocate and if they are we want to make sure we make the good pitch for Georgia."
The global conglomerate has significant ties in Georgia, including 5,000 workers who staff the global headquarters of its energy management business in Cobb County and other divisions. John Rice, who heads GE's global operations, owns a Buckhead condo and was a one-time champion of the late Beverly Hall, the former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools.
Of course, the firm also has deep roots in Connecticut, where it employes more than 5,700 people.
Deal said he has yet to connect with Immelt, but he gave a preview of the pitch he'll deliver:
"GE already has a major presence here with several of their centers, and they're well aware of what we have to offer in terms of workforce. And obviously we have a favorable tax structure, which seems to be a part of the problem they're encountering in Connecticut. We are, it appears to be, the place to be for Fortune 500 companies, home-office companies and high-tech companies. And GE fits into all of those."
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