Louisville, Kentucky has scored another jobs win with today’s announcement that GE’s Consumer & Industrial business will make its new “smart” washer and dryers at its Appliance Park plant starting in 2012. Making the high-end machines will create 430 new manufacturing and engineering jobs. When combined with GE’s decision earlier this year to build a new hybrid water heater in Louisville, it brings the total number of new jobs announced in 2009 at the plant to 830.
Local heroes: The new appliances will be made at Appliance Park, seen above in this file photo, thanks to a partnership between GE — which is focusing on reinvigorating manufacturing in the U.S. — and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and the Metro Louisville government. The package of incentives that resulted is designed to increase employment and economic development in the region.
The smart-grid enabled GE Profile appliances — which can communicate with home energy management software and utility smart meters to reduce demand during peak usage times — will meet proposed new 2014 Energy Star standards. The washing machine would go into production in the third quarter of 2012 and the new dryer in the third quarter of 2013. Currently, 90 percent of GE’s front-load washers dryers are manufactured outside the U.S. In addition to new jobs, GE’s plans call for an investment of more than $80 million on the new programs announced today.
The GE hybrid water heater, which is GE’s first commercially available smart-grid enabled product, is currently made by a supplier and is available for sale. However it will go into production in mid-2011 in Louisville.
“We are making big investments in new products and in energy-efficient technologies that are creating American jobs,” said GE Consumer & Industrial President and CEO Jim Campbell. “We can’t make these products in the U.S. competitively without everyone coming to the table — unions, the Company, employees, local/state/federal officials. We are grateful to the state and the city for their continued support in bringing these new products and jobs to Appliance Park.”
Bright outlook: “This new washer and dryer line not only brings new jobs to Louisville, it brings green and energy-efficient appliances to our city,” said Jerry Abramson, the mayor of Louisville, which is pictured above, “The future of GE in Louisville, which once was in jeopardy, is now very bright.”
* Read today’s announcement
* Read more about recent hiring at Appliance Park
Learn more in these GE Reports stories:
* “Renewing American Leadership: Immelt at West Point”
* “American Renewal: Immelt addresses Detroit Econ Club”
* “GE’s new KY deal marks a great time to be in hot water”
* “HD Supply deal pumps new hybrid water heater rollout”
* “Getting smarter about the smart grid”
* “Introducing the zero energy home”
* Watch GE Reports’ videos about our smart grid research labs
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I’m glad GE is creating 430 jobs. Please make sure these appliances are not for Barbie and Ken use! We need real 100% metal and not plastic that brake in a few months of use.
Thank you
I noticed you mentioned something about a new hybrid water heater in your article. Could I get more information on that? Is this for home use, home or commercial, what does hybrid mean exactly?
Marc
When is GE going to recall their front load washers? Mine has issues when it comes to spinning loads of laundry. I have had it serviced twice thinking it was out of balance. The first time I was told the loads were too small. The next time I was told to sort my laundry by weight and to use the medium or low spin cycle. It is made to wash large loads, but in order to get them to spin dry enough to put in the dryer I have to remove half the load. I am now on the seventh spin cycle for rugs. I have tried every spin speed. I have removed the items, sqeezed as much water out as possible by hand so hopefully this time they won’t come out dripping wet. I have several GE products and this is the first one that has given me problems.
Hi Marc – this is Megan from GE. Thanks for your interest in our new hybrid water heater. Please visit http://www.geappliances.com/heat-pump-hot-water-heater/ to learn more about this great product.
please give me my job back i never would have retired if they did not scare us to death by saying they were going to sale and that we would lose everything that we worked so hard for all these years. I enjoyed my 35 years at G. E.
About the Hot Water Hybrid Heater comment:
I just purchased one and had it installed prior to Christmas. It has been working great! I am an HVAC Engineer, Wilmington, NC and this is the way of the future. Prior to purchasing the GE heater, I was investigating all manufacturers / options even before GE came up with our design. You can go to http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/waterheating.htm (American Council for an dEnergy Efficient Economy) to see savings and manufacturers. BUT, I wanted you to know that many manufacturers supply an add on unit to the homeowners hot water heater. This is complicated for the average homeowner and I’m glad I got the new tank with the heatpump integral design, especially after discussing that the tank avg life is 13-15 years and mine was 15 now. And, the price was only slightly higher AND it is made by an American Company!!!!
Now for the energy savings, this heat pump water heater has an energy efficiency rating of 2.35 or in laymans terms, it will be over twice as cheap to run as a conventional resistive hot water heater.
I am ready to start selling these now!!!! Contact me! All the average Joe needs is someone with some reasonable financing and the payback is like 2 years. WIN-WIN. Thank-you
GE also represents imagination at work. What if I told you I dreamed of a new generation of washers and dryers that swept consumers totally off their feet. And yes, I did dream it. Someone like me that doesn’t know or care anything about washers and dryers. I would like to share, but most of all would like to know what Jim Campbell would think.
Please I’m looking for a job and I know the web site for this company but I really don’t know what I have to do to put my aplication by internet.Can you help me please?.Because I’ve tried already but the page always told me my search have 0 results.So help me please.I’m not working right now and I know this Company is very good, and I’m a good worker.Thank you so much.My phone number is [number redacted].Call me please I’m very interested in this company.
I am 25 years of age and served 5 years in the U.S. Army, 2 of which were in Iraq. I recieved an honorable discharge in June of 2009 and have attneded 3 semesters of college since then. The G.I. Bill pays 100% of my college tution. I am currently interested in becoming part of a company that encourages growth of both the company and its employees. GE is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in its facilities in Louisville, KY. Being a resident of the area I would love to get in on the ground floor of these new facilities and affiliate myself with a company who is benefiting the town I love so much. I am interested in a position that will allow me to continue to attend a university, but I do not have a specific major. I feel this puts me in a unique postion to benefit GE and myself by being guided in what classes and cerfifications to take that would be best for GE, at no cost to GE.
In closing, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this email.
Sincerly,
Larry Burdine Jr.