GE Appliances Eyes Manufacturing Plant in Louisville
02/14/2012
GE's decided to spend $38 million on redesigning a vacant manufacturing plant and making improvements to the industrial park after receiving upwards of $17 million in state and local design and build incentives.
Charles "Chip" Blankenship, GE Appliances President and CEO, said the plant is a first step "to reverse decades of outsourcing by bringing new, industry-leading products and jobs back to the U.S. Lean manufacturing and a more competitive wage structure for new employees led to the selection of Louisville as the production site for the new water heater instead of China, where an earlier version of the product was made," he explained.
The GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater combines energy-saving heat-pump technology with traditional electric heating elements. State and local tax credits and utility rebates may be available in some areas, making its energy-efficient water heater more attractive to consumers.
The GeoSpring has the distinction of being the first GE Appliances product designed and built using the company's "The Lean process, which uses a cross-functional team of employees, including hourly manufacturing workers, to design the product and the manufacturing process," he explained.
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said "We developed an aggressive plan to not only research and develop new kinds of energy production, but to attract businesses and projects that are similarly committed to cleaner, greener energy applications."
Project Announcements
ValorFlex Packaging Plans Bowling Green, Kentucky, Production Operations
06/30/2025
Neuro.io Plans Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Operations
06/30/2025
Germany-Based MTU Maintenance Expands Fort Worth, Texas, MRO Operations
06/30/2025
Cascade Die Casting Group Expands High Point, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
06/30/2025
BuildOps Plans Raleigh, North Carolina, Operations
06/30/2025
Point Blank Enterprises Plans Wakulla County, Florida, Operations
06/30/2025
Most Read
-
20th Annual Area Development Gold and Silver Shovel Awards
Q2 2025
-
First Person: Joe Capes, CEO, LiquidStack
Q2 2025
-
The Legal Limits of DEI in Incentives Agreements, Hiring, and Contracting
Q2 2025
-
From Silicon to Server: Mapping the Data Center Supply Chain
Q2 2025
-
39th Annual Corporate & 21st Annual Consultants Surveys: What Business Leaders and Consultants Are Saying About Site Selection
Q1 2025
-
Rethinking Life Sciences Site Selection in a Resilient and Dynamic Market
Q2 2025
-
Top States for Doing Business in 2024: A Continued Legacy of Excellence
Q3 2024