GE evaluating $325 million investment to strengthen Appliance Park
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 14, 2014) — Rep. Larry Clark, D-Louisville, filed legislation today to promote advanced manufacturing expansion at GE’s Appliance Research Park, an investment expected to exceed $325 million for research and development and appliance production. House Bill 396 recognizes the significant impact that GE’s continued growth has had upon the Louisville economy and provides the incentive for GE to continue adding advanced manufacturing and research capabilities.
“GE is facing challenges from competitors that utilize low-cost, foreign production,” Clark said. “This legislation provides the incentives for GE to continue to expand right here in Louisville, protecting thousands of jobs and leading to new production capacity and an increase in research and development.”
GE partners with the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky to develop advance technologies in product energy efficiency.
“It is critical to our region and to the commonwealth that GE continues to remain vital and grow jobs right here in Kentucky,” Clark said.
Since 2009, IUE-CWA 83761 has played a significant role as GE’s workforce partner while the company invested more than $800 million in new plants, equipment and product design efforts at Appliance Park in Louisville. More than 2,700 new jobs have been created, including over 400 in engineering, bringing the overall Appliance Park employment to nearly 6,000. The annual payroll for these employees exceeds $307 million, an increase of $120 million from 2009.
The new $325 million proposed investment would help the company reach its goal of maintaining current employment levels by redeploying employees to jobs created by additional component and product insourcing, new product capacity and research and development expansion.
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