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GE's appliances division announces $490 million investment in Kentucky

GE Appliances, now under the Haier umbrella, announced a $490 million investment at its Louisville, Kentucky global headquarters (its largest manufacturing site) on June 26 to "create its most advanced manufacturing plant for production of clothes washers," per a company press release.

The project will bring production of the GE Profile UltraFast Combo Washer/Dryer and the GE and GE Profile UltraFresh Front Load Washer line-up to Kentucky, creating 800 new, full-time jobs and bolstering Kentucky’s position as "a global hub for advanced appliance manufacturing," in the words of GE. The investment also reportedly "positions the company to become the biggest American washer manufacturer," as it builds on GE Appliances’ 10-year, $3.5 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing.

“We are bringing laundry production to our global headquarters in Louisville because manufacturing in the U.S. is fundamental to our ‘zero-distance’ business strategy to make appliances as close as possible to our customers and consumers,” said Kevin Nolan, president & CEO, GE Appliances. “This decision is our most recent product reshoring and aligns with the current economic and policy environment.” 

“Today’s announcement further secures Louisville as the global headquarters of GE Appliances, a Haier company, and brings more world-class, unparalleled appliance manufacturing back to the United States,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “This new investment strengthens one of our vital Kentucky assets and underscores our state’s reputation as America’s destination of choice for advanced manufacturing and job creation.”