GREENBUSH, NY – GE Healthcare has opened what its executives call a state-of-the-art digital mammography production facility at the Rensselaer Technology Park in Greenbush, N.Y.

Company officials said the 230,000-square-foot facility would add 150 high-paying manufacturing jobs in Rensselaer County, with an annual payroll of $10 million.

Investment in the facility totals more than $164 million, including a grant of $10 million from the state.

The facility will manufacture and transfer GE's digital X-ray technology all over the world, GE officials said.

"This a wonderful example of how a long-term commitment to technology can spur the growth of our manufacturing base and create new, high-tech jobs," said Mark Little, senior vice president and director, of GE's global research division.

Little said GE Healthcare has spent 15 years and more than $200 million developing its digital flat panel X-ray technology, one of the highest performing systems in the industry based on the industry-accepted measure known as detective quantum efficiency.

The GE digital flat-panel detector is a critical component of an X-ray system and was designed to improve image quality and efficiency, he said. It is also intended to be the platform for advanced applications currently in development, including Digital Breast Tomosynthesis and Contrast Enhanced Digital Mammography, where low dose and high image quality are essential.

"This dedicated mammography manufacturing facility is a great reflection of the company's commitment to improving access to high quality healthcare products worldwide," said Mike Genau, general manage of GE Healthcare's diagnostic x-ray division.

Genau said that despite the economic slowdown, GE Healthcare expects the global market to grow by 5 percent over the next few years.