GE Chairman & CEO John Flannery today reaffirmed the company’s continued commitment to Malaysia with a major US$80 million investment in GE Engine Services Malaysia (GEESM). Alongside this renewed commitment to the GEESM facility, GE also announced the establishment of the Global IT Service Desk, located at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
GEESM, an aircraft engine services workshop, will enter into a long-term tenancy agreement with Impeccable Vintage Properties (IVP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, subject to terms to be mutually agreed in relation to GEESM’s Subang facility. This long-term tenancy agreement is part of GEESM’s plans to invest in tooling, testing and skills capabilities to support the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of CFM International’s cutting-edge LEAP engine.
The LEAP engine, produced by a 50/50 joint venture between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, represents a leap ahead in terms of aviation technology and material and powers aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A320neo and Comac C919 single-aisle jets. The MRO work on LEAP will introduce the next chapter of engineering excellence for GEESM’s Subang workshop, making it the first such facility outside the United States for GE.
GE Aviation’s presence in Malaysia dates back to over 25 years ago when national carrier Malaysia Airlines began using GE’s engines for their A300 and DC10 aircraft. Incorporated in 1997, the GEESM facility at Subang was developed as a Center of Excellence for CFM56 engines. Today it employs 300 highly skilled local employees, providing MRO services for over 40 airlines globally.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Suresh Kumar Shunmugam, Managing Director, GEESM and Nik Azli Abu Zahar, Director, Impeccable Vintage Properties in the presence of Prime Minister YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Minister of International Trade and Industry Y.B Ignatius Darell Leiking and Secretary General of MITI Datuk Isham Ishak, as well as John Flannery, GE Chairman & CEO, Wouter Van Wersch, President & CEO of GE APAC, and Datuk Mark Rozario, CEO of GE Malaysia.
“Malaysia is a globally attractive investment location, and GE is a great example of the kind of company that we’re glad to see driving those investments. With our exceptional workforce and GE’s world class technology and innovation, I’m confident this is a partnership which will continue to deliver outstanding results,” said Y.B Ignatius Darell Leiking, Minister of International Trade and Industry, as he witnessed the signing of the MoU.
Also present to witness the signing was GE Chairman and CEO John Flannery who added, “GE has a long history of partnership in Malaysia, and we want to see that relationship continue. The GE Engine Services Malaysia Center of Excellence is one of our flagship facilities in the region and the renewed lease agreement is a testament to the great work delivered by the local talent. The establishment of the GE Global IT Service Desk in Kuala Lumpur further represents our belief in the hugely beneficial shared future that GE, Malaysia and ASEAN have ahead of us.”
The state-of-the-art global IT hub is one of just three such centres in the world, providing a 24/7 dual-language Chinese-English support to all GE users worldwide, with an aim to accelerate towards full operation by 31 October this year. The Global IT Service Desk will be staffed by 130 local employees.
“Malaysia offers the ideal location for GE’s commitment to accessing the best in global talent. It is a country that boasts a young, enthusiastic and highly skilled workforce with multi-language capabilities, and a supportive environment that promotes exactly the kind of technical expertise and opportunity that a company like GE is looking for. With the new investment to expand skills and capabilities at the GE Engine Services Malaysia facility, and the path towards full operation at the Global IT Service Desk, it’s clear GE is committed to its future in Malaysia,” said CEO of GE Malaysia, Datuk Mark Rozario.