General Electric

From Scramble - The Aviation Magazine

Contents 1 Introduction 2 History 3 Subsidiaries 3.1 RCA 3.2 General Electric Aviation 3.3 Dowty Propellers

Introduction

The General Electric Company, or GE (NYSE: GE), is a multinational American technology and services conglomerate incorporated in the State of New York. In 2009, Forbes ranked GE as the world's largest company.

History

By 1890, Thomas Edison had brought together several of his business interests under one corporation to form Edison General Electric. At about the same time, Thomson-Houston Company, under the leadership of Charles A. Coffin, gained access to a number of key patents through the acquisition of a number of competitors. Subsequently, General Electric was formed by the 1892 merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Company.

Subsidiaries

RCA

The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was founded by GE in 1919 to further international radio. RCA would quickly grow into an industrial giant of its own. In 1986 GE reacquired RCA, primarily for the NBC television network. The remainder was sold to various companies, including Bertelsmann and Thomson SA.

General Electric Aviation

Manufacturer of civil and military engines.

Dowty Propellers

Manufacturer of propeller systems.