Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear joined local and state officials as well as executives from GE Appliances, a Haier company, to celebrate the opening of two new dishwasher manufacturing lines at Appliance Park in Louisville. The move marks the completion of the company’s transformative $450 million investment announced in October 2021, creating over 1,000 full-time Kentucky jobs.
“Manufacturing will always be a key industry within Kentucky’s economy and plays a vital role in Louisville and throughout the state, employing over 250,000 Kentuckians,” said Gov. Beshear. “The culmination of this incredible investment by GE Appliances will not only create thousands of job opportunities but will further strengthen the commonwealth’s manufacturing sector and booming economy. With Manufacturing Month kicking off next week, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than being here today at GE Appliances. I want to congratulate the Louisville community on this important investment and thank the leaders at Haier and GE Appliances for their commitment to the commonwealth.”
The two new dishwasher manufacturing lines are the final pieces to significant upgrades at three of the park’s five major plants over the past two years. Other improvements include new top-load washer models and four-door refrigerators added as well as new assembly lines and fabrication equipment. The dishwasher expansion alone positions the GE Appliances plant to be the largest plant of its kind in the United States.
“We are committed to U.S. manufacturing and Louisville, Kentucky,” said Kevin Nolan, president and CEO of GE Appliances. “From design to production, our team is always finding a better way to bring the latest appliance technology to homes and families across America. Together, with our state and local partners, we are building a stronger state economy and community.”
Since 2016, GE Appliances has invested more than $2 billion in its U.S. manufacturing and distribution operations and created more than 4,000 new jobs. The 2022 economic impact analysis released by the company earlier this year reported that GE Appliances’ investments, supplier base, customers and payroll contributed $7.46 billion to Kentucky’s GDP last year. More than $517 million is spent by GE Appliances annually with more than 640 Kentucky suppliers.
Louisville’s Appliance Park is GE Appliances’ largest manufacturing operation, with more than 6 million square feet for the 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 8,000 people full-time at Appliance Park and a nearby call center.
GE Appliances is among the nearly 5,000 manufacturing-related facilities in Kentucky, which employ more than 250,000 people across the state. Kentucky excels as a national leader in manufacturing, with about 12.5% of its workforce holding a job in the sector compared to the U.S. average of 8.1%.
“Louisville has an international reputation as a leader in advanced manufacturing because of great companies like GE Appliances that continue to invest in our city,” said Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “GE Appliances’ corporate investment comes in various forms, including major capital improvements that grow our economy, its industry-leading FirstBuild partnership and the thousands of hours that GE Appliances’ employees spend volunteering across our community each year. Louisville is the proud home of such an innovative company, and we thank Kevin Nolan and the entire team for their continued commitment to Louisville!”