Business

Top Lighting officials praise GE plant's 'transformation'

Maryrose Sylvester listens to GE plant officials explain the operations during a tour of the plant Thursday.

By Bill Moss, Published: June 7, 2012

EAST FLAT ROCK — The top-ranking GE Lighting officials in the world on Thursday praised the "transformation" of the manufacturing plant here to become competitive worldwide and help lead the company to major sales in a growing market.

Maryrose Sylvester, who was the plant manager and CEO of the plant here from 2002 to 2002, returned to see the plant changes that has made it a company model for speed, efficiency and quality. Now president and CEO of Cleveland, Ohio, based GE Lighting, Sylvester met with senior plant officials, toured the plant's manufacturing and shipping operations and spoke to employees on Thursday.
The outdoor lighting industry is undergoing a change that presents a market for the plant here to make millions of LED lights to replace older technology lights for roadways and parking lots.
"Hendersonville is becoming our center of excellence for outdoor lighting," she said. "What we've had to do is invest in technology and alongside that technology invest in manufacturing processes that allow that technology to be put to good use for our customers."

The plant, which has about 475 employees, makes about 3,000 units of lighting a day in a 1 million-square-foot facility. LEDs, the new technology lights, now make up about 25 percent of the plant's output. They are expected to grow to 50 percent by 2014. If sales volume continues to ramp up, the plant expects to hire 25-40 new employees this year.
She praised the local work force for its commitment to the what the company calls a transformation in everything from how the assembly line works to shipping to customer service.
"What's really interesting is it's not just a one dimensional change we're driving now. It's a technology shift, complemented by a manufacturing shift and a business philosophy shift," she said.
Of 50 million roadway lights, only 1 percent have converted to LED, which GE says are brighter, use less electricity and require less maintenance.
"Opportunity is huge," she said. "We think LEDs in outdoor roadway and area lighting, like a Wal-Mart parking lot, eventually all of that will convert to an LED system and we think by 2020 about 60 percent of that will have converted.
It's a good deal for the public, she said, "because you're got a 50 percent reduction in your energy cost, you've got an 80 percent reduction in your maintenance cost and there's great safety implications too. You've got light where you need the light, and it allows you to have much better security."
Besides the world lighting president, the visitors from headquarters included the chief financial officer, general counsel, general manager, chief marketing officer and chief quality officer. Plant manager Paul Morse said the visit was gratifying for local workers and managers who had sent reports and videos about the plant's transformation but looked forward to showing processes to the top executives in person.

 "It's really a proud day for our team for a couple of reasons," Morse said. "To have her come back as president and CEO of GE Lighting worldwide after she was here in 2001 and 2002, and she's the one who's given us the investment, and we're giving her a return on that investment. It's really 'welcome home, Maryrose.'"