GE Appliances announced this week that it will relocate the bulk of its washing-machine production from China to Louisville, Kentucky, pouring $490 million into its flagship Appliance Park and creating at least 800 full-time American jobs. The reshoring effort is slated for completion by 2027.
“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—making appliances as close as possible to our customers,” GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan said. He added that the move “positions us to become the biggest American washer manufacturer.”
The decision dovetails with President Donald Trump’s pro-manufacturing agenda, which has leveraged tariffs to level the playing field with China, cooled inflation, and pushed gas prices to four-year lows. Since taking office, Trump’s policies have spurred a wave of onshoring commitments—from Hyundai’s $21 billion U.S. expansion to Johnson & Johnson’s $55 billion manufacturing push and Apple’s pledge to invest more than $500 billion domestically over the next four years.
Appliance Park already employs roughly 8,000 workers; GE says its cumulative U.S. investment now tops $3.5 billion over the past decade. The latest infusion will add enough production space for 15 front-load washer models—encompassing an area equivalent to 33 football fields.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear welcomed the news, calling it proof that the Bluegrass State is “America’s destination of choice for advanced manufacturing and job creation.”