General Electric is about to launch a sales and marketing blitz for its $17-billion-a-year healthcare business that's modeled on the Ecomagination campaign it rolled out in 2005. The division provides
medical services to hospitals and governments and manufactures imaging and diagnostics equipment. It was run by Jeffrey Immelt before he succeeded Jack Welch as CEO in 2001 but has been dogged by
regulatory and operational issues in recent years, Francesco Guerrera and Justin Baer report.
The drive is part of the strategy launched by Immelt to identify mega-trends -- such as green
issues -- that give the diversified global company an edge over rivals. Based in the U.K., GE Healthcare is the conglomerate's first division to maintain a headquarters outside the U.S. Details have
yet to emerge but company executives say the project will involve numerous parts of the sprawling conglomerate, ranging from its industrial divisions to the media unit, NBC Universal.
Ecomagination met some initial skepticism but the company says it helped drive $17 billion in revenue last year from the sale of products ranging from efficient jet engines to wind turbines.
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