The company was purchased by China-based multinational home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer Haier in 2016.
GE Appliances, owned by the Chinese multinational home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturer Haier Group Corp., announced on June 26 that it will invest $490 million to expand its washer and dryer manufacturing plant in Kentucky, stating that the project will bring current production back to the United States from China.
The multimillion-dollar investment at the GE Appliance plant in Louisville, Kentucky, which serves as the company’s global headquarters and largest manufacturing site, will establish the company’s most advanced manufacturing plant for producing clothes washers, the company said.
The project will bring manufacturing back to the United States for several popular technology-loaded appliances, including GE Profile-branded combination washers and dryers and a front-load washer, creating 800 new, full-time jobs and strengthening Kentucky’s position as a global hub for advanced appliance manufacturing.
GE Appliances stated that the new investment, along with millions of dollars in incentives from the State of Kentucky, positions the plant to become the largest American washer manufacturer. This builds on a 10-year, $3.5 billion investment in the United States following Haier’s purchase of the company in 2016 for $5.6 billion.
“We are bringing laundry production to our global headquarters in Louisville because manufacturing in the U.S. is fundamental to our ‘zero-distance’ business strategy to make appliances as close as possible to our customers and consumers,” said Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances.
“This decision is our most recent product reshoring and aligns with the current economic and policy environment.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said: “This new investment strengthens one of our vital Kentucky assets and underscores our state’s reputation as America’s destination of choice for advanced manufacturing and job creation.”
The reshoring initiative was announced just two weeks before President Donald Trump’s 90-day deadline for U.S. trade partners to reach agreements on reciprocal tariffs by July 9. Countries that do not have bilateral trade deals by then could face tariffs significantly higher than the current 10 percent baseline.
By Wesley Brown
