Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 119 • One Section
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Private sector to lead the effort
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
General Electric Co.’s television commercials feature “Owen,” who was hired to be a programmer for the transitioning company.
CEO touts being ‘first digital industrial company’
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General Electric Co. began its annual shareholders meeting at the Prime Osborn Convention Center on Wednesday by showing some television commercials that you’ve probably already seen in recent months. The commercials feature “Owen,” a young man explaining he’s going to work as a programmer for GE, which confuses friends and family who think of the company as an industrial giant. The ads are promoting GE’s transition into what it calls the “first digital industrial company,” Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt told shareholders. “We think this is the transition that every company has to make and GE is in the forefront,” he said. GE’s transition included the sale of its financial services businesses last year and the acquisition of the power systems division of European company Alstom.
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DIA will work with parking providers
Why ‘Owen is the new GE
By Mark Basch Contributing Writer
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We think this is the transition that every company has to make and GE is in the forefront. Jeffrey Immelt General Electric Co. chairman and CEO
“We’ve really pivoted the portfolio to being one that is fundamentally a hightech industrial company,” Immelt said. GE last year opened an advanced manufacturing plant in Jacksonville for its GE Oil & Gas division at Cecil Commerce Center. The Connecticut-based company moves its annual meeting every year to highlight operations in different cities, which is why GE’s top officials came to Jacksonville this week. “We do business in Jacksonville because we like it and its people,” Immelt said.
“Our businesses are doing great here.” Immelt also singled out the largest Jacksonville-based company, CSX Corp., as one that could benefit from GE’s capabilities. “They need more productivity and they just haven’t been able to generate the amount they want to achieve,” he said. “In many ways, GE has the applications that can provide that kind of productivity.” Immelt did not say if GE has been working with CSX and he was not available for questions after the shareholders meeting. During the meeting, Immelt did hear GE
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Parking Downtown is poised for a paradigm shift. The Downtown Investment Authority, which assumed oversight of the Office of Public Parking as part of the recent reorganization of city government, is developing a plan to work with the urban core’s private parking providers for the benefit of parking suppliers and users. CEO Aundra Wallace said Wednesday at the DIA’s first parking workshop the authority will “find a solution that works for the private sector and the city” with a focus on economic development. “And we’ll make Wallace sure the private sector leads the effort,” he said. Chief of Public Parking Bob Carle reported the city operates about 4,800 parking spaces Downtown, including metered spaces, surface lots and garages. “But the city controls less than 25 percent of the parking,” said Wallace. He said there’s a perception there is not enough parking Downtown. The reality is there’s no shortage, it’s about where the spaces are. “There’s plenty of parking in certain areas Downtown,” Wallace said. “In other areas, there’s little or no parking.” Authority board member Oliver Barakat, senior vice president at the CBRE commercial real estate firm, said even with thousands of spaces available at privately owned parking garages and lots, the assets are underutilized. “The missing link is connecting the supply with the demand,” he said. On the economic angle, Barakat said the authority should work toward providing a “one-stop shop” to the business and real estate communities. Parking continued on Page A-3
Almost 800 headquarters employees joined the Baymeadows area workforce the past week as Southeastern Grocers relocated most of its Jacksonville Store Support Center from the Westside. Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers LLC, whose banners are Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie and Harveys, moved into Building 200 in the Prominence office park at Baymeadows Road and Interstate 95. The move includes the grocery chain’s top executives. Southeastern Grocers said the move also creates more conference space, two private mother’s rooms, a state-of-the-art test
Public
kitchen, nature paths and more parking. The workspace is designed as an open environment with no offices but with conference, meeting and other private rooms available as needed. While 790 associates moved, more than 330 remain at 5050 Edgewood Court, which has become the Southeastern Grocers Technology Center.
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The Westside building was home to Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., which Bi-Lo LLC bought in 2012. Greenville, S.C.-based Bi-Lo located the merged company’s headquarters in Jacksonville and later changed the name to Southeastern Grocers. Zack Bingham, senior director of communications, said the majority of associates at the Edgewood support center, Astor, Baldwin and Baypine offices have moved to the four-story, 160,000-square-foot building at 8928 Prominence Parkway. Bingham said the remodeled space streamlines operations. Mathis continued on Page A-4
Photo by Karen Brune Mathis
Southeastern Grocers moves HQ to Baymeadows
Southeastern Grocers LLC moved last week from West Jacksonville to the Prominence office park in Baymeadows, where it leases Building 200.
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