GE to boost Atlanta presence, minus the jobs

"The company is aligning more of its assets under the energy division," said GE Energy spokesman Jim Healy. "There are some tangential businesses that are now going to report to the energy division."

Still, anything that boosts the size of GE's Atlanta-based units, which currently employ about 3,300 people, could have benefits down the road.

As GE Energy grows, it could add jobs here, and its involvement and impact on the area could also increase through charitable work and social efforts, said Ken Bernhardt, special assistant to the dean and professor of marketing at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State.

He pointed to the efforts of John Rice, a GE vice chairman  who runs the company's Technology Infrastructure division, also based in Atlanta. Rice has been heavily involved through his work with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce in issues such as school reform.

Healy noted that GE Energy "is getting bigger because it's a key growth area of the company."

GE's electrical operations involve products such as switchgears, substations and circuit breakers.

While GE's corporate headquarters is located in Fairfield, Conn., the two units based in metro Atlanta are among its biggest.

GE Energy generated revenue of $39 billion in 2008. The Technology Infrastructure unit, which includes medical equipment and services, generated $46 billion -- more than any Georgia-based companies except for Home Depot and UPS.

GE also owns the struggling GE Capital lending unit. It is waiting for regulatory approval to sell its majority stake in NBC Universal to Comcast, forming a joint venture.