GE Appliances touted wide-ranging ripple effects from shifting production from China to Kentucky as it announced more than $150 million in new contracts awarded to U.S.-based suppliers. This reported move adds to the company’s presence in the nation, including an appliance plant in Decatur, and GE Aerospace facilities in Huntsville and Auburn. The Decatur plant produces freezer/refrigerators, Huntsville makes high tech ceramics, and Auburn focuses on engine parts created through 3-D printing.
The GE supplier contracts range in value from $330,000 to $41 million, span 10 states and cover crucial segments of the supplier chain for the appliance maker’s washer and dryer production — from plastics and castings to steel and aluminum, the company said. The suppliers range in size from U.S. Steel to family-owned companies.
With the new contracts, GE Appliances said it is increasing domestic spending on suppliers by 3.3%. The suppliers will support production of a combo washer/dryer and a lineup of front load washers, all of which GE Appliances is moving from China to its sprawling Louisville complex known as Appliance Park. The company says it’s investing $490 million to retool a plant for the project, which will create 800 new jobs…