Product Code Database
GE Appliances is an American home appliance manufacturer based in Louisville, Kentucky. It operates as an independent subsidiary of Chinese Haier Smart Home Company, a publicly traded affiliate of Haier, after an acquisition from General Electric in 2016. Haier has the right to use the GE brand name until 2056.
GE Appliances is a major appliance manufacturer in the United States and manufactures appliances under several brands, including GE, GE Profile, Café, Monogram, Haier and Hotpoint (Americas only, European rights held by Whirlpool Corporation). The company also owns FirstBuild, a co-creation community and Microfactory on the University of Louisville's campus in Louisville, Kentucky. Another FirstBuild location is in South Korea, and a FirstBuild location in India opened its doors in 2019.
GE Appliances was among the first manufacturers to introduce the self-cleaning oven and the over-the-range microwave. GE Appliances was also the first manufacturer to launch a suite of Wi-Fi-connected appliances as well as the first suite of appliances that work with IFTTT. As voice assistants became more common, GE Appliances became the first U.S. manufacturer to have its appliances work with Amazon Echo (2017) and Google Home (2017).
On September 8, 2014, General Electric agreed to sell the company to Electrolux, a Swedish appliance manufacturer and the second-largest consumer appliance manufacturer after Whirlpool Corporation, for US$3.3 billion in cash. The deal carried a US$175 million termination fee clause if Electrolux was unable to complete the acquisition. The transaction was terminated in December 2015 after the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to block the deal on concerns that, along with Whirlpool, the combined company would control 90% of the "do-it-yourself" market for kitchen appliances sold by home construction retailers.
On June 6, 2016, Qingdao Haier (now Haier Smart Home Company) acquired GE Appliances for $5.6 billion. Under the terms of the sale, Haier has the right to use the GE brand name until 2056. In 2017, GE Appliances introduced a new tagline, 'good things, for life', referencing its historical connection with General Electric, which used the tagline "We Bring Good Things to Life" from 1979 to 2003.
In 2023, Appliance Park marked 70 years of manufacturing by hosting state and local leaders to announce the completion of a $450 million investment, unveiling new assembly lines in its dishwasher plant.
The fire was contained, but not extinguished, by the early afternoon of April 3. A statement issued by GE later that day indicated that production at the complex would remain halted over the weekend and at least through the end of the following week as the company conducted "a thorough evaluation of all other buildings" and replenished inventories of parts destroyed by the fire. The shelter-in-place order was canceled for residents within one-half mile of the site the following Sunday, April 5.
Two years following the fire, an employee-led company initiative turned the site into a sustainable green space that contains native grasses, trees, and wildlife.
Since 2016, GE Appliances has launched new businesses and added U.S. investments. The company announced it would make major investments in its U.S. facilities including $200 million into Appliance Park in Louisville, $150 million investment in new distribution centers in Dallas, Denver, Northern Georgia, Northern California, and $115 million in its manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama.
In 2020, the company announced it would expand beyond major household goods and begin producing small appliances, including coffee makers, toasters, toaster ovens, and blenders.
In July 2022, GE Appliances created a dedicated team for the recreational living sector, expanding its RV-focused product innovations. Based in Elkhart, Indiana, GE Appliances Recreational Living produces products for motorhomes and campers.
In the same year, GE Appliances launched an Air & Water Solutions division focused on residential and light commercial water heaters, water filtration, HVAC, and ductless heating and cooling solutions. In 2022, the company made a $70 million investment to build gas water heaters in Camden, South Carolina.
In March 2023, GE Appliances co-founded the Home Connectivity Alliance to support interoperability among various smart home devices.
In October 2023, GE Appliances opened CoCREATE, a new facility in Stamford, Connecticut. This location offers a space for local entrepreneurs, students, and community members to work with GE Appliances on prototype development and small-batch manufacturing.
Also in October 2023, GE Appliances announced two new dishwasher manufacturing lines that completed a $450 million investment announced at Appliance Park in late 2021.
Also in October 2023, the company marked 50 years of building cooking products at its Roper subsidiary in Georgia by investing $118 million in new assembly lines, presses, and workforce programs. Later in the year, GE Appliances officially opened its CoCREATE facility in Connecticut, featuring a small appliance microfactory, community makerspace, test kitchen, and design center.
In February 2024, the company introduced the EcoBalance Home System, a platform enabling homeowners to monitor and manage energy usage across home systems.
In 2023, Time included the GE Profile Smart Mixer in its list of Best Inventions. In 2024, TIME also recognized the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker on this list.
In February 2023, the newly released GE Profile UltraFast Combo with ventless heat pump technology, a washer-dryer appliance, was recognized with the KBIS Editors’ Choice Award.
In 2024, Fast Company named GE Appliances among the “Most Innovative Companies.”
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