From GE to GF (General Finance)

For G.E. and Jeffrey Immelt, a Return to Basics - NYTimes.com: "...Making progress, he adds, will require significantly improving the nation’s prowess as an exporter. G.E., by the way, happens to be America’s second-largest exporter, after Boeing. So Mr. Immelt’s views about what changes would benefit the economy would probably help G.E. as well.

“Many bought into the idea that America could go from a technology-based, export-oriented powerhouse to a services-led, consumption-based economy — and somehow still expect to prosper,” Mr. Immelt said in a typical speech last year before the Detroit Economic Club. “That idea was flat wrong.” He added: “Our economy tilted instead toward the quicker profits of financial services.”

Mr. Immelt is backing his words with actions — plans announced over the last 18 months include the creation of more than 4,000 jobs in manufacturing production and research in the United States. They include new factory jobs in Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Alabama and Mississippi, for making products including energy-thrifty washers and dryers, fluorescent light bulbs, sodium batteries, environmental coatings and jet engines. And the company is opening a research center in Michigan for advanced manufacturing technologies..."