FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mr. Atsushi Shima Appointed Executive Vice President of GE Fanuc

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - April 17, 2002 - Mr. Atsushi Shima has been named executive vice president of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., a leading global supplier of automation controls and a joint venture between General Electric and FANUC, Ltd.

Mr. Shima currently serves as senior vice president, general manager of the software development center, and board member at FANUC’s world headquarters in Japan.  He has played a leading role in the software development of FANUC’s CNC business for more than 20 years. Having previously served as vice president of GE Fanuc Europe, Mr. Shima brings to his new position a wealth of knowledge about GE Fanuc and its global markets.  

“Our highly reliable CNC technology was developed under Mr. Shima’s leadership, and our customers will continue to benefit from his knowledge and expertise,” said Charlene Begley, president and CEO of GE Fanuc Automation. “We welcome Mr. Shima, and we look forward to working with and learning from him to an even greater extent here in North America.”

As executive vice president of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Mr. Shima will help support GE Fanuc’s CNC customers from both a commercial and a technical perspective.

About GE Fanuc Automation

GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc., is a leading global supplier of automation solutions and is a joint venture between GE and FANUC, Ltd. of Japan. GE Fanuc products and services include CIMPLICITY® collaborative production management software, nano to high-end PLCs, a wide range of CNCs, motion control, operator interfaces, industrial computers, lasers, and a wide range of integration and customer support services. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., GE Fanuc is part of GE Industrial Systems. For more information, visit www.gefanuc.com.

About GE Industrial Systems

GE Industrial Systems spans the globe as an industry leader in integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. The business brings to customers the latest technological products used to distribute, protect and control electrical power and equipment, and provides innovative product and service solutions for commercial, industrial, residential and utility applications.  Headquartered in Plainville, Connecticut, USA, GE Industrial Systems is one of the major businesses of the General Electric Company.

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CIMPLICITY is a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.