The “final straw” for GE in Connecticut came last summer when the Nutmeg State hiked taxes by $1.2 billion — but Boston officials had begun talks with the corporate giant about relocating as early as a year and a half ago, according to interviews with those involved in the deal.

A few General Electric officials met with Hub Mayor Martin J. Walsh as a courtesy when they were in town in 2014. That’s when Walsh asked that they keep Boston in mind if they ever relocated.

As GE’s protest of Connecticut’s plans to raise taxes last summer became public, officials from both Walsh’s and Gov. Charlie Baker’s offices began to woo the company — although neither side knew at first they were crossing paths.

Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash led a delegation of Baker administration officials to meet with GE.

In September, the city arranged a bus tour for GE officials to visit various sites in Dorchester, Roxbury, the Seaport and the Back Bay.

Eventually, GE officials, led by Vice President Ann Klee, the head of the search committee, sat down for dinner at Tresca in the North End with both Walsh and Baker.

“When the two of them combined forces, it was a major turning point,” said an official involved in the deal, referring to the combo of a Democratic mayor and Republican governor. “What they wanted to know is if there was a budget crisis or some other crisis, was there going to be infighting and whether they’d be a casualty, or whether they’d be able to rely on our leaders to work things out.”

Baker and Walsh heard nothing until around November, when GE asked about an incentive package.

With word GE was also considering New York and Rhode Island — or not moving at all — Boston made its first offer around Thanksgiving.

Talks grew serious in December between GE and a core group consisting of Ash, Baker Chief of Staff Steve Kadish, Walsh Chief of Staff Daniel Koh and Boston Economic Development Chief John Barros, who all got on a call with GE on Dec. 23.

GE finally asked to draw up papers the first week of January, and a final letter was submitted last Thursday.

“Over the course of the past couple months it’s been particularly intense,” Baker said yesterday.

Then yesterday morning Klee called with the news — GE had picked Boston.

“We were very serious with them right away,” said Ash. “And they were very serious with us right away.”