While I don't see much reason to oppose this kind of foreign investment and am pleased someone wants to employ Americans, comparatively it's less desirable than homegrown companies because of the 1.)offshore drain of profits, 2.)likely foreign sourcing of component materials, 3.)possible compromising of our economically strategic technology 4.) further inordinate influence by foreign interests upon state and federal governments etc. here ...
Why not both foreign and home-grown companies investing in the US? A foreign company opening a factory doesn’t prevent American companies from doing the same.
In fact, it will probably help home grown businesses. Factories need parts, machine tools, and energy. Workers need food, housing, and services. Someone has to provide these things, and American entrepreneurs are in the best position to do so.
The economy isn’t a zero-sum game. Americans don’t lose just because a foreigner might win.
If it's a publicly owned company, such as Alstrom, the profits eventually go to the stock holders. You can be one if you like or if you invest in Mutual Funds or a 401k, you probably already are an owner.
2.)likely foreign sourcing of component materials,
No more likely that an "American" owned company sourcing foreign parts. Both are in business for the same reason and if they can save costs on purchases, both will do so.
3.)possible compromising of our economically strategic technology
If an American turbine company built a factory in France, would that also 'compromise' economically strategic technology? If anything, Alstom is transfering their technology knowhow to an American workforce.
4.) further inordinate influence by foreign interests upon state and federal governments etc. here ...
I would think just the opposite effect would be the case. When you sink a lot of money in a foreign country, those countries politicians have far more influence on you than you have on them. They have you by the short hair.
Keep this in mind. They will be paying Fed, State and local taxes --- lots of them. In heavy manufacturing, the single largest expense is payroll and they will be paying lots of it -- to Americans. For average industrial levels, for every dollar they get to take back to Paris or wherever, they are spending $70-$80 in the US.
The larger point is this. These companies aren't coming here to open 3rd world sweat shops. They are coming and providing just the types of employment that people have been screaming that we are losing too much of. While not the entire story, the low dollar is surely part of the reason for that. I see noting but positive news here, and quite frankly, it matters nothing to me where the company CEO happens to live.