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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

GE Opens Freezer Refrigerator Manufacturing Complex Factory in Louisville, Kentucky

03/21/2012
GE, opened its second manufacturing complex in Louisville, Kentucky, creating up to 600 jobs. The new factory manufactures GE's French door bottom freezer refrigerator, a result of GE's $250 million investment in bottom freezer technology and $800 million investment to upgrade Appliance Park in Louisville.

"GE's continued investment in its Louisville manufacturing facility will help create jobs and drive economic growth for the surrounding community," Gov. Steve Beshear said.

"Today's Appliance Park milestone is proof that when businesses, unions, employees and government work together, we can deliver innovative solutions to the marketplace and demonstrate that US-based manufacturing is critical to a robust economy," said Charles "Chip" Blankenship, GE Appliances President and CEO. "We know we could not have reached this milestone without our partners such as the local union, government leaders at all levels and our 4,000 incredibly hard-working Louisville employees."

The new bottom freezer refrigerators will be constructed using "Lean" manufacturing principles. The Lean process uses a cross-functional team of employees to increase the competitiveness of the operation by identifying and removing much of the waste in materials and time that can be found in traditional manufacturing.

Last month, GE opened its GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater manufacturing facility at Appliance Park in Louisville.

"Hats off to GE for yet another facility opening and the new French door bottom freezer refrigerator product coming off its lines," said Greg Fischer, Louisville Mayor. "In an ever more competitive world, companies need to be able to be flexible, and GE's hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars of investment in the new refrigeration facility show they are innovative and that US manufacturing is important to all of our bottom lines."

While Kentucky economic development officials did not note incentives offered for this project, the state's progressive tax incentive programs, worker training programs and tax rebates based on hiring incentives attracts firms to relocate and expand in the state.

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