A Roanoke County-based company is taking up an office collection today for disaster relief in Japan. And as News/Talk 960’s Evan Jones reports, in many cases, the reasons are personal.

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TMEIC GE is a joint venture between General Electric here and Toshiba and Mitsubishi in Japan. It’s headquartered in the valley with 300 employees; there’s production and more offices in Japan. TMEIC GE  President Dale Guidry says many workers here have strong personal relationships with colleagues in Japan, and while they’re relieved everyone is safe, US workers share Japan’s collective pain. TMEIC GE designs and develops advanced control and automation systems. The company’s production facilities were not damaged by the earthquake, but some are subject to rolling blackouts. Guidry does not expect TMEIC GE to encounter delays in meeting customer orders.

Click here for TMEIC GE’s letter to customers on the earthquake’s impact on operations.