GE devices shifts us more production as part of an investment of $ 3 billion

Louisville, Ky. (AP) – GE Appliances plans to shift the production of refrigerators, gas reaches and water heaters from China and Mexico as part of an investment of more than $ 3 billion to expand his American activities in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.

The investment-de on the second largest in the history of the Louisville is expected to add more than 1,000 jobs, while increasing domestic production and modernizes factories in the next five years.

“Our long -term strategy is about production close to our customers,” said CEO Kevin Nolan. “With Lean Manufacturing, mathematical activities and automation, mathematics works for production in the United States.”

The majority of the production of Ges devices is already in the US and the shift only means that the company will transfer more work to its domestic factories.

You will move the production of gas reaches from Mexico to a factory in Georgia, while six fridge models that are now made in China will be manufactured in the factory in Alabama, the company said.

In June the company said it would move the production of China clothing washes to its vast production complex in Louisville. The reshoring announcements come as President Donald Trump tries to lure factories back to the United States by imporing import tax – rates – on foreign goods.

Ge Appliances said on Wednesday that the first phase of his new investment will start at factories in five southern states – Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

“We define the future of production at GE devices by investing in our plants, people and communities,” said Nolan. “No other device company has invested more in American production in the past decade than we do, and our five -year plan of $ 3 billion shows that our dedication to American production will continue in the future.”

The multi -year plan includes setting up the production of gas reaches made in Mexico, but will shift to the factory of the company in Lafayette, Georgia, the company said. The production of six refrigerators that are now made in China will move to its factory in Decatur, Alabama.

The factory of GE in Camden, South Carolina, will add the production of electric and hybrid heat pump boilers and double the production and employment of the factory once the project is completed, the company said. The factory now produces gas boilers. The production of the company’s electric and hybrid boilers – now made in China – will shift to South Carolina.

In Selmer, Tennessee, the plant will produce two new models of air conditioners.

The newest investment includes the announcement of June that GE devices will pump $ 490 million in its Kentucky complex to produce a combo -wash machine/dryer and an arrangement of the front load closure rings that are now made in China. All in all, the production of more than 15 models from Front Load -Was machines will shift to the Louisville complex of the company -known as Appliance Park, said it.

As soon as the new plan has been fully implemented, GE devices have invested $ 6.5 billion in its 11 American factories and national distribution network since 2016, it said.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Wednesday that the investment shows the ability of his state to support world -class companies with a skilled workforce and the resources needed to thrive.

“Ge Appliances has founded Kentucky as the American destination for advanced production and creating jobs, and today’s news shows the non -repellent faith of this iconic company in the Commonwealth and the role we play in their success,” said Beshear.

Ge Appliances deals with product design and engineering work at the headquarters of Louisville, but does not make all its products in the US IT contract with other manufacturers, also in China, for part of its production where it has no capacity or has access to a worldwide supply chain. The company said that the core of the business strategy is to base production in the United States, and investments announced in June and are a new step on Wednesday to achieve that goal.

The company said it cooperates with universities, technical schools and secondary schools to ensure that its factories and other facilities have trained staff.

“Infrastructure and tools are important, but they are not enough,” says Bill Good, vice president of Supply Chain for GE devices. “The American production -Renaissance will be built by people.”

Ge Appliances is a subsidiary of the China -based Haier Company.

In general, GE devices say that it contributes more than $ 30 billion to the US economy every year and supports more than 113,000 jobs – both directly and indirectly – through its activities, suppliers and distribution network.