Area Development
General Electric (GE) will invest $80 million to set up a manufacturing line for high-end, energy-efficient washers and dryers at its Appliance Park facility in Louisville, Kentucky, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. The company plans to create more than 430 new jobs at the plant, the result of both the new production and plans to insource the manufacture of appliance components and increase the number of engineers working at the facility. "These new highly featured, energy-efficient laundry products will be a terrific addition to our portfolio and significantly enhance our leadership position in front-load laundry," says Jim Campbell, GE Consumer & Industrial's president and CEO. "We are making big investments in new products and in energy-efficient technologies that are creating American jobs." According to a statement from the Kentucky governor's office, the state will recommend an amendment of an incentives package provided to the company for its May 2009 hybrid water heater expansion project, adding new financial deals to reflect the new product line.