18 May Green Bay Software Company Purchased by GE
Charlottesville, Va. – GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc., a division of GE Industrial Systems, announced Tuesday it has purchased Mountain Systems, Inc. (MSI), a Green Bay manufacturing software development company.
Since 1994, MSI has developed and distributed Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) technology for the manufacturing of consumer-packaged goods, food and beverage products, life sciences as well as for pulp and paper products. Mountain Systems Inc. develops Proficy for Manufacturing, an MES created for plant optimization.
Erik Udstuen, president and CEO of Mountain Systems Inc., said they are excited to join GE because of its strengths in technology, innovation and growth. “Mountain Systems’ customers will gain significant benefits from our now extended capabilities in terms of product offerings, commitment to technology, and global resources,” he said.
According to Michael Weas, media representative for Mountain Systems Inc., the company complements GE because MSI offers a product that is “perfectly teed up” to GE’s needs. The merger also gives GE an opportunity to use MSI’s global presence.
Lloyd Trotter, president and CEO of GE Industrial Systems, said that GE purchases and develops growth technologies to ensure peace of mind for GE clients. “Our acquisition of Mountain Systems expands GE’s critical information management and control offerings for customers and enhances their abilities to execute reliably on critical data, improve quality, regulatory compliance and decrease costs,” he said.
According to Terry Dunn, media representative for GE Industrial Systems, “MSI is exactly the type of company that GE seeks to purchase. It is a high technology growth company in an essential industry.” The financial terms were not disclosed.
MSI employees will benefit by increased opportunities that will result being a GE Company, according to Weas. “They are looking at taking our business and growing it four- and five-fold over the next few years,” he said. “In all, we are going to need more people not less, so jobs are more secure and with growth will come more opportunities for employees.”
Currently, over 100 manufacturing corporations utilize MSI’s technologies for plant optimization and product management. In addition to the Green Bay office, Mountain Systems Inc. has offices in Iron Mountain, Mich.; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Copenhagen, Denmark.
—————————————————————————
Alexis Johnson is a Madison, Wisconsin based writer and can be reached at