GE PLASTICS’ “LEXAN® RESIN INNOVATION DAY” INSPIRES IMAGINATIVE THINKING FOR CHARLOTTE AREA CHILDREN

— GE Fund and GE Plastics Donate $125,000 to Five Charlotte-Mecklenburg Elementary Schools —

CHARLOTTE, NC, April 22, 2003 – Ask any child where plastic comes from and nearly a third will say a rubber tree plant, a plastic tree or even outer space*. Today, GE Plastics, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), hosted “LEXAN® Resin Innovation Day” to help local schoolchildren learn about the impact plastic has on their everyday lives and to generate excitement about science by encouraging imaginative thinking. 

GE Plastics’ “LEXAN Innovation Day” was celebrated by more than 500 Charlotte area school children—from both Charlotte and Huntersville—at the Charlotte Convention Center and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the invention of LEXAN® resin, a uniquely strong and lightweight plastic that is one of the most widely-used engineered materials in the world. 

The event was held in association with the GE Annual Share Owner’s meeting, which will take place tomorrow (April 23) at the Convention Center. GE Plastics, which has a facility in Huntersville, is the host business for this year’s annual corporate meeting.

To further the long-standing relationship between GE Plastics and schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district, the GE Fund and GE Plastics presented a total of $125,000 to five schools in the district to further educational opportunities sparked during today’s “Innovation Day.” The five grants of $25,000 each will support enhanced computer access, curriculum and teacher development at Charlotte-area schools.

“For 50 years GE LEXAN resin has helped improve the lives of people around the world, and we’re proud to celebrate this incredible technology with the children of Charlotte,” said Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE. “We’re especially pleased that, through the generosity of the GE Fund and GE Plastics, we’re also able to make a donation that will help encourage children to push the limits of their own creative thinking.

“We’re delighted to be part of GE Plastics’ ‘LEXAN Innovation Day’ and feel the experience is a great benefit to our students,” said Dr. Wilhelmina Rembert, chairperson, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, who attended today’s event. “The resources of GE and GE Plastics will go a long way to help improve science and technology programs at the five schools here today.”

To kick off this year-long celebration, GE Plastics was joined by Dr. Buzz Aldrin, who donned a space helmet—with a visor made of LEXAN resin—on his trip to the moon in 1969. Dr. Aldrin spoke with children about his career in space exploration and some of his experiences as an astronaut. NASA continues to use LEXAN resin in its face shields to this day.

“From Buzz Aldrin’s visor shield, to helmets worn by NFL football players, to CD and DVD technology, and today’s NASCAR windshields, GE Plastics’ mission has always been about innovation,” said John Krenicki, president and CEO of GE Plastics. “These children represent the next generation of innovators and we want to encourage them to push the limits of their own creative thinking.”

In a recent survey commissioned by GE Plastics, nearly 70 percent of six to 11 year-olds said that plastic was important to their daily lives. When asked about their favorite plastic item, 46 percent listed their computer, 25 percent cited music CDs and 20 percent preferred sports helmets, such as those worn by hockey or football players.

To demonstrate the significance of some of the children’s favorite items, Charlotte Panthers football stars Rodney Peete and Mushin Muhammad—who wear football helmets made of LEXAN resin on gamedays—led an interactive discussion on sports safety at the event. 

Also on hand were representatives from Comedy Central’s “BattleBots,” who demonstrated their remote-controlled robots “TerrorHurtz” and “KillerHurtz,” and explained how the robots rely on their tough LEXAN® resin outer shields to battle it out during competition. The children were also treated to a chemistry magic show by GE Global Research chemists who demonstrated how science and experimentation can be fun.    

Today’s “LEXAN Innovation Day” is part of a “12 Months of LEXAN” celebration, which GE Plastics is taking to cities across the country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of LEXAN resin and help encourage children to carry on the legacy of innovation.  

  
About LEXAN® Resin

Discovered in 1953 by GE lab chemist Daniel Fox, LEXAN resin is one of the most widely used engineered materials in the world and has contributed to product revolutions in virtually every industry. It has helped make cars safer and lighter, enabled the digitization of music and film as CDs and DVDs, and ushered in new design trends in computers, cell phones and literally hundreds of other products. LEXAN resin is widely used in sporting and boating equipment, building and construction materials, commercial and military aircraft and outdoor signage. It also plays a vital role for the security industry in the form of LEXGARD laminated bullet-resistant window glazing. GE Plastics produces approximately one million metric tons of LEXAN resin each year, serving customers around the world in dozens of industries.      

About GE Plastics

GE Plastics is a leading producer of engineering thermoplastics with major production facilities worldwide. GE Plastics materials, including LEXAN® polycarbonate, are used in a wide variety of applications such as CDs and DVDs, automobile parts, computer housings, cookware, outdoor signage, cell phones, bullet- resistant shielding and building materials. Through its LNP Engineering Plastics business, the company is a worldwide leader in the custom compounding of engineering thermoplastics. GE Plastics is also a global distributor of sheet, film, rod and tube products through GE Polymershapes and GE Structured Products. In 2003 GE Plastics is celebrating 50 years of innovation and the 50th Anniversary of LEXAN polycarbonate, discovered in 1953 by GE chemist Dr. Daniel W. Fox. The company’s web site is located at www.geplastics.com , and to learn more about LEXAN visit www.gelexan.com. 

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified technology and services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.ge.com .

* According to a survey commissioned by GE Plastics of six to eleven year-olds.
LEXAN and LEXGARD are registered trademarks of General Electric Company.