GE Chooses Louisville, Kentucky, as Site for its First Micro-Factory "FirstBuild"
04/18/2014
“To win in the appliance industry, we have to innovate faster than ever before since we are now competing with companies that apply their rapid electronic products introduction strategy to the appliance industry,” said Kevin Nolan, GE Appliances’ Vice President of Technology. “This new model will enable us to be more creative in the design and delivery of the products, and do so with lower risk and cost while drastically reducing the time from mind to market. FirstBuild will also enable us to move select products to larger scale production with more confidence because they will have been vetted by the new platform first.”
“We selected Louisville for the first micro-factory because of the strong collaborative innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that is nurtured by the U of L and our city government,” said Nolan. “It is also important to be close to GE Appliances’ design and engineering teams to ensure real-time iteration as small batch production of community designs are transitioned to larger scale production.”
The new FirstBuild micro-factory will be located on the University of Louisville Belknap Campus and will officially open this summer. It will harness the power of an open platform and a global co-creation community to power micro-manufacturing capabilities to accelerate the introduction of the products consumers want, when they want them. The location will also enable easy access for engineering, advanced manufacturing and other student activities to build a strong local network of on-site community members.
“Today, America is searching to define its new manufacturing soul,” said Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors. “Many people assume this industrial re-invigoration will come out of the tech hubs of San Francisco, Boston or New York. Trends such as micro-manufacturing powered by co-creation, however, as well as the industrial Internet are showing us that cities like Louisville can again be leaders in the Third Industrial Revolution. FirstBuild is showing us that it is happening right now.”
The new FirstBuild community will focus on the future of cooking as its first set of projects. It will provide a platform for a global community of innovators to prototype, iterate and refine existing GE products, as well as surface new designs. Local community members will be encouraged to work alongside FirstBuild employees to bring the community designs to life at the East Brandeis Avenue micro-factory location.
Project Announcements
Kikkoman Foods Plans Jefferson, Wisconsin, Operations
04/26/2024
BWX Technologies Expands Cambridge, Ontario, Nuclear Production Operations
04/26/2024
Greenheck Group Plans Knoxville, Tennessee, Operations
04/26/2024
Local Bounti Plans Pasco, Washington, Indoor Agricultural Operations
04/26/2024
Innovative Construction Group Plans Siler City, North Carolina, Production Operations
04/26/2024
Crystal Window and Door Systems Plans Mansfield, Texas, Headquarters-Production Operations
04/25/2024
Most Read
-
2023's Leading Metro Locations: Hotspots of Economic Growth
Q4 2023
-
2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors
Q3 2023
-
38th Annual Corporate Survey: Are Unrealized Predictions of an Economic Slump Leading Small to Mid-Size Companies to Put Off Expansion Plans?
Q1 2024
-
Making Hybrid More Human in 2024
Q1 2024
-
Manufacturing Momentum Is Building
Q1 2024
-
20th Annual Consultants Survey: Clients Prioritize Access to Skilled Labor, Responsive State & Local Government
Q1 2024
-
Public-Private Partnerships Incentivize Industrial Development
Q1 2024