GE Appliances has unveiled plans for a $3+ billion investment to strengthen its U.S. manufacturing footprint, moving production of refrigerators, gas ranges, and water heaters from China and Mexico to facilities across Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
The initiative — the second-largest in the Louisville-based company’s history — will add over 1,000 new jobs while modernizing plants and boosting domestic output over the next five years.
Reshoring to Serve the U.S. Market
CEO Kevin Nolan emphasized the strategy of producing closer to customers, leveraging lean manufacturing, workforce training, and automation to make U.S.-based production cost-effective. While most GE Appliances products are already made domestically, this move will shift even more production from overseas to American plants.
Key changes include:
- Gas ranges moving from Mexico to LaFayette, Georgia.
- Six refrigerator models currently made in China moving to Decatur, Alabama.
- Electric and hybrid heat pump water heaters shifting from China to Camden, South Carolina, doubling that plant’s capacity and workforce.
- Two new air conditioner models to be produced in Selmer, Tennessee.
In June, GE Appliances also announced it would relocate production of clothes washers from China to its Louisville complex, Appliance Park, as part of a $490 million investment.
A Decade of Heavy U.S. Investment
Once complete, this latest plan will bring GE Appliances’ total U.S. investments since 2016 to $6.5 billion across 11 manufacturing plants and its national distribution network. The company says it contributes more than $30 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports over 113,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear welcomed the announcement, calling it proof of the state’s skilled workforce and manufacturing capabilities.
Focus on Workforce Development
Beyond infrastructure, the company is working with universities, technical schools, and high schools to ensure a pipeline of trained talent for its operations. “America’s manufacturing renaissance will be built by people,” said Bill Good, vice president of supply chain.
GE Appliances, a subsidiary of China-based Haier, designs and engineers products in Louisville but partners with global manufacturers when capacity or supply chain needs require it. This reshoring push is another step toward its long-term goal of centering production in the United States.
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IMAGE: AP
