Horacio Repetto,

General Manager, GE Aviation

When people see the name GE, the first thing which comes to mind is typically appliances – washers, or refrigerators –  none of which will be found in this GE plant.

With a motto of “Invent the Future of Flight, Lift People Up and Fly Them Home Safely,” it’s not hard to determine that this plant is all about jet engines.

Manufacturing each part, and having the capacity to fix any jet engine, has made GE Aviation the largest manufacturer on this side of the border in the Rio Grande Valley.

“‘Fly Them Home Safely’ is what all 550 of our employees live by,” said Horacio Repetto, General Manager of GE Aviation. “When we’re working on a part and ship it out of here to go back into an engine, it has to be perfect. We take a lot of pride to  ensure our work is not 99.99 percent quality, it’s 100 percent quality.”

With a growth rate exceeding 20 percent yearly for the last two years, GE Aviation continues to increase its number of employees.

“We are constantly searching for qualified employees who possess a positive character, and bring diversity to our plant,” Repetto said.

After 13 years with GE, two of which have been in McAllen, he acknowledged that his favorite parts of the job are working with the diverse, international employees and getting involved with the technology.

Aligning themselves with the Chamber, Repetto said, “We see value in having a partnership to help us with recruitment to support our growth.”

Repetto noted that having a strong partnership with STC, UTRGV, the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, and the South Texas Manufacturing Association is extremely important. GE Aviation will go on giving back to the community, Repetto said, with the intention of remaining one of the Top 10 United Way supporters in the region.

Established in 1986, and a GE facility since 1997, the plant uses the most advanced technologies available, working daily on 68 percent of the jet engines in the market and 100 percent of the jet engine parts. 

You, yourself have very probably flown on an aircraft with an engine whose parts were serviced here in McAllen.