LOUISVILLE, Ky. — GE Appliances, a Haier company, recently celebrated the completion of a $60 million expansion at its global headquarters in Louisville to add four-door refrigerator production. The project created more than 245 full-time jobs.
GE Appliances’ expansion at Building 5 in Appliance Park in Louisville, boosts the company’s high-end refrigeration profile, as it introduces production of four-door refrigerators to its U.S. operations. The plant also is adding new quad-door and counter-depth models to its assembly capabilities. The investment also signifies the completion of the company’s domestic conversion to next-generation refrigerants, which offer consumers more environmentally friendly options by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Since 2016, GE Appliances has invested $1 billion in new products, technology and its U.S. operations and created more than 2,000 new jobs, with close to 1,000 new jobs in Louisville,” said Kevin Nolan, president and CEO. “We are committed to growing our manufacturing footprint in the United States to serve customers and owners faster and better. This investment demonstrates our focus on becoming the leading appliance manufacturer in the U.S. We’re thrilled to produce these high-demand refrigerants in the United States for the first time.”
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Bill Good, vice president of manufacturing at GE Appliances, commended the company’s existing workforce for helping make the expansion possible.
“The completion of this investment shines a light on the dedication of our workforce,” Good said. “The plant expansion was completed during COVID, while suppliers and vendors were unable to travel to the plant and product demand was at record levels. Our teams worked tirelessly every weekend to ensure progress without disrupting production.”
Appliance Park in Louisville is GE Appliances’ largest manufacturing operation, with more than 6 million square feet for production of washers, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.
Appliance Park sits on 750 acres in southern Jefferson County, where GE Appliances began production in 1953. The campus serves as the company’s headquarters, and includes marketing, sales and support functions. Appliance Park also houses the company’s technology and engineering center, industrial design, distribution center and warehouse operations. GE Appliances employs more than 7,100 people full time at Appliance Park and a nearby call center.
Appliance Park is among approximately 4,500 manufacturing-related facilities in Kentucky, which employ about 260,000 Kentuckians statewide. The state excels as a national leader in manufacturing, with about 13% of its workforce holding a job in the sector compared to the U.S. average of 8.5%.
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