GE Appliances announces plan to invest $118 million at its Roper plant in Georgia

GE Appliances (GEA), a Haier company, announced plans to invest more than $118 million to grow its cooking appliances business by expanding capacity and developing new cooking products at its wholly owned subsidiary Roper Corporation in LaFayette, Ga. The expansion will add more than 600 new jobs by the end of 2024.

“Investing in U.S. manufacturing allows us to be closer to our consumers and serve them better and faster, which is critical to GE Appliances’ business strategy,” said Bill Good, vice president of manufacturing for GE Appliances. “Our partnership with Georgia is strong and getting stronger as we continue to build innovative, industry-first cooking products at Roper.”

GEA’s investment showcases the continued importance of Georgia in the company’s expansion plans – especially over the last three years. Previously in 2019, the company announced three investments totaling $130 million to add capacity at Roper in Walker County, create the company’s first Smart Distribution Center in Jackson County, and become the first company to open a facility near the new Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in Murray County. This allows GEA to take advantage of the Georgia Ports Authority’s inland rail infrastructure investment to increase the flow of parts and components to its nine U.S. manufacturing plants. By the end of 2024, GE Appliances will have hired more than 1,000 new employees in Georgia.

“Roper Corporation has been a fixture of the Walker County community for five decades, so it is a pleasure to see GE Appliances invest in the Peach State in this way and continue to emphasize doing business with a leading Georgia-based supplier,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. “This announcement is a testament to our strong logistics infrastructure, which is supported by the Appalachian Regional Port, and to our strong talent pipeline in northwest Georgia.”

Hiring to support the Roper expansion has begun. In addition to the hundreds of new jobs, the investment will add cutting-edge advanced manufacturing technology from automation to autonomous vehicles that will improve material flow and increase assembly line efficiency.

“Roper will have the best digital manufacturing processes and technology available for our employees to manufacture the ranges our consumers love,” said Lois Crandell, president and plant manager of Roper Corporation. “The investments made in 2019 and those announced today together will increase our plant capacity by 50%.”

Economic impact
GE Appliances’ employment and investment in Georgia has had a major economic impact on the state with more than $2.4 billion contributed to Georgia’s gross domestic product, driven in part by the company’s more than $77 million in purchases from 256 Georgia suppliers. With four locations in the state, GE Appliances and affiliates employ more than 2,400 people in Georgia with an additional estimated 4,650 jobs created by the economic impact of GEA, its employees and suppliers.

A great place to work
In addition to creating leading products in a state-of-the-art modern manufacturing environment, Roper Corp. is committed to the GE Appliances goal of being an employer of choice and a great place to work for current and prospective employees.

• New employees will be able to earn as much as $18.50 an hour plus benefits on the first day of work.
• The company offers a generous 401(k) retirement program with the company matching up to 8% of participating employees’ contributions.
• All Roper employees and their families can use the company’s onsite wellness center that offers affordable medical services including primary care services. Over the last two years, Roper employees have scheduled more than 50,000 appointments.
• For those looking to further their education, Roper offers up to $40,000 in tuition reimbursement.
• Roper was named “Best of the Best” in North Georgia by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The plant was also honored by the Better Business Bureau with a Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
• The plant is ISO 14001 certified, an internationally recognized standard for its environmental management system. Roper currently employs more than 2,000 people.

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