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Siemens USA CEO Eric Spiegel on efforts to boost U.S. economic growth and job creation.
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-- -- -- -- So if you watch the state of the union last night President Obama made a push for American job creation for big infrastructure.
And he says that'll strengthen the economy in his state of the union speech he specifically mentioned several companies by name not all of them American in fact.
One industrial German conglomerate with a big footprint in the US listen.
Ask any -- where they'd rather locate and higher.
The country -- deteriorating roads and bridges.
For one with high speed rail and Internet.
Hi tech schools self healing power grids.
The CEO of -- America company that brought hundreds of new jobs North Carolina said that if we upgrade our infrastructure.
I'll bring even more jobs.
And that's the attitude of lot of companies all around the world.
And here in a Fox Business -- -- is the CEO and president of Siemens USA Eric Spiegel it is it is so nice.
To have you here to to first get your impression of when he says your company name obviously you guys are in big gas and electric turbine businesses but.
What -- like for a big a company that has a base in the US.
Well it's it's a great thing for us of course we are big company here in the US but we like to be seen as a company that's doing the right things and obviously.
With over 60000 employees here in the US I'm sure it made thousands of our employees very proud to be part of Siemens knowing that we're doing the right things here in the US.
Just so you know we're showing video of some of the gigantic pieces of equipment that you make and these are turbines that you -- in North Carolina steam and gas turbines.
And you were able to hire many people in North Carolina -- when you really started to ramp up on this.
When the president talks about big infrastructure plans that he would like to see what would you like to see what would help you create the most jobs.
Well I think you know -- if you think about some of the things he talked about around growth.
You know we now have more control over energy future we have huge shale oil and gas.
Reserves that's not only gonna require a lot of infrastructure itself but as you go -- -- and think about all the pipelines and then all the chemical plants fertilizer plants.
Even steal lot of industries that we haven't seen a lot of growth that for many many years in the US are now coming back to life.
And maybe even LNG facilities things that's all gonna require a lot of infrastructure and then of course we just built this huge gas turbine plant in Charlotte.
That those burn and burns natural gas to generate power shall we think there's going to be a lot more gas used to generate power and hopefully that's gonna help the expansion.
And the growth of that market in that plant for us.
What kind of other operations are you hoping to hear the president -- push.
For get his shoulder behind or at least listened he can do nothing about congress and vice Versa but offshore wind applications is that something that you could get a piece of.
Well -- all the world's biggest player and offshore wind -- one of the largest so wind and general.
We've built two wind plants here in the US won in Iowa one in Hutchison Kansas.
And now we're hoping that that market continues to grow was a very good market for us last couple years and we're hoping that we have one of the first offshore wind.
Plants go -- with Cape Wind this year were a supplier of turbines to that project so we're hoping to see that development and there's lots more opportunity for offshore.
When here we also see rail and -- transit infrastructure.
We have the only light rail manufacturing facility in the US in Sacramento.
We've recently expanded that facility and we're making medium speed electric locomotives for Amtrak.
We see a big need for that expansion -- modernization so we've seen -- destruction of -- -- across many of -- sectors.
I I love this I love hearing you talk about the plants in the opportunities.
And it and it really spans.
The spectrum because it isn't just steam or electricity but but the grid as well and you talk about wind that's a great opportunity.
What would you love to say to members of congress because right now there seems to be real intransigent.
When you're trying to get out of of people from one side of the -- -- the other together to get decisions made when it comes to infrastructure spending because people look at it and say.
More spending come -- we've got to cut spending.
But where and where shouldn't we be -- Well I think if you take a look around the world right now.
You know we have Europe which is this pretty slower no growth China has been slowing people are looking -- the US as a big growth opportunity with.
With more control over energy and manufacturing coming back to this country.
That's gonna require lots of infrastructure but frankly.
In the US has fallen behind infrastructure we need to modernize -- we have -- we need to put move more infrastructure in place if we want to bring all this energy market if we wanna bring this power market.
So they've got a they've got to release some of the uncertainty that's been out there let's get this thing resolved that they're they're negotiating I don't wanna get into the politics but.
We really like to see this -- get behind this over the next few weeks so the weakens our focus on driving growth because I think this country.
Probably hasn't any major company no country in the world has the best growth opportunities out there.
And we it -- as wanna take advantage that.
We you've just articulated a bunch of real opportunities and what doesn't look attractive to you as the Siemens CEO right now.
Well I think one of the big issues is skills.
You know we we have a lot of we over a hundred manufacturing plants in this country -- several new ones in the last couple years.
We do see this skills gap Israel and the skills gap for us is more about production workers people who are working on the -- for.
Most of the manufacturing that's coming back to the US is going to be advanced manufacturing.
That requires more math skills more computer skills it's really a soft it was a rare manufacturing -- -- area so your children.
Yes that's where the big gap is here in the US and I think a lot of companies have seen that.
We really need to do something to bring those kinds of skills develop and train people the workers we have out there today.
Bring new workers into the country things to really develop that area.
Otherwise we're gonna see this -- get wider and wider it's gonna really slow growth down the -- I want our viewers to know something you wrote a book that's been translated into many different languages because it released strikes a -- it's called energy shift game changing options for fueling the future so.
You know from what you speak -- not just a sales guy and we're watching this company very closely thank you so much let us know when your hiring and where your hiring anywhere in particular.
Any state in particular right now in the US.
Well -- all fifty states and a lot of our big operations as we -- -- places like Orlando Charlotte Norwood Ohio Sacramento.
Outside of Philadelphia so we're hoping to see we're hoping to see growth and although there is Eric so great to have you on the show thank you so much.
Thank you Eric is of course the CEO of America's version of -- Siemens America it.
