GE looking better, but Boeing....

Carmen Miranda in a 1945 advertisement for a General Electric FM radio in The Saturday Evening Post

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

After many cheers when giant General Electric company decided to move its headquarters to Boston from Fairfield, Conn., the noise turned to boos as its stock price tanked. But last year, the stock of the venerable company surged 53 percent from 2018, its biggest jump since the 1980s, and much better than the nearly 30 percent increase in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, notes The Boston Globe’s estimable Jon Chesto.

Much of the turnaround has been attributed to new CEO Larry Culp’s rigorous and decisive management.

Still, there might be a big problem this year as GE waits to see if engine orders pick up for Boeing’s 737 Max jetliners, grounded last year after two crashes that killed hundreds of people. The engines were not a factor in the crashes.

In any event, the Boston area should still be happy that a company with such engineering expertise as General Electric is based in Boston – a world-renowned center for science and engineering. Synergy! And investors should always keep in mind how fast things can change even for the biggest companies.

A week is an eternity in business….

Meanwhile, haggling continues on what sort of building should go on the site of what was to have been GE’s headquarters in Boston’s Seaport District. The company had planned to put up a sort of sci-fi 12-story headquarters building but decided to settle for two rehabbed older buildings next door – a touch of New England conservatism.

To read Mr. Chesto’s piece, please hit this link.

WPI is setting up an operation in Boston's burgeoning Seaport District

This is from the New England Council

"New England Council member Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) recently announced that it will launch an Innovation and Collaboration Space in Boston’s Seaport District this fall to improve access to industry partners and other agencies for students and faculty.

"WPI has signed a seven-year lease for a 6,400 square-foot space that is within walking distance of major innovation sector leaders such as GE, Vertex, Amazon and Red Hat. The new space will create and strengthen strategic partnerships, professional development, and research opportunities in addition to advancing the university’s position in the state’s innovation economy. The new space will be home to WPI’s Boston Project Center, where students have analyzed and tried to solve real-world problems in the community over the past few years.  The space is expected to open in October. 

“'The Seaport District is playing a critical role in what has been dubbed Mass Miracle 2.0., and WPI will use this new space for industry-centric meetings, classes, projects, and events that are tailored to the interests and needs of our neighbors who are working in areas such as healthcare technology, robotics, cybersecurity, and big data,' said Stephen Flavin, Vice President and Dean of Academic and Corporate Engagement.

 “It will be a top priority to better serve these businesses and organizations by providing them with more convenient access to our high-caliber programs, and to connect them to our students and alumni.”