GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. A United States electrical manufacturing concern created in 1892, and incorpo rated in New York under a special act of the legislature, Chapter Laws of 1892, as amended by Chapter 181, Laws of 1922, State of New York. Its principal office is at Schenectady, N.Y.
On Jan. I, 1893, the outstanding capital stock of the company was about $35,000,000 and at the beginning of 1935 had grown to $223,000,000. Sales increased from $12,000,000 in 1892 to $415, 000,000 in 1929 and, in 1935 were $210,000,000. The value of its manufacturing plants increased from $4,000,000 to $187,000,000 and manufacturing floor space from 400,000 to more than 25,000, 000 sq. f t., while the number of employes grew from 4,000 to a peak of 88,000 in 1929, and 56,000 in 1935. These figures do not include associated companies, which are represented by an invest ment valued at $150,000,000.
In the United States the company has 23 main manufacturing plants, is represented by distributors in all important cities and has sales offices in all trade centres. The Canadian General Elec tric Co., Ltd., operates throughout Canada. The export and for eign business is conducted by the International General Electric Co., Inc., which is represented throughout the world.
The General Electric company maintains fully a dozen labora tories, including the research laboratory (known as the "House of Magic") at Schenectady, N.Y. General Electric and its associated companies design, manufacture and sell almost every form of ap paratus and device for the generation, transmission, distribu tion, control, measurement and consumption of electric energy.
The General Electric company has had three presidents : the late Charles A. Coffin, E. Wilbur Rice, Jr., and Gerard Swope. There have been three chairmen of the board: H. McK. Twombly, Charles A. Coffin and Owen D. Young. (G. Sw.)