Advanced Manufacturing

Why GE Appliances Chose Murray County For $32 Million Investment

Location  Murray, Tennessee
Employees  100 to 110

In an effort to become the leading appliance manufacturer in the United States, General Electric Appliances chose Murray County as the site of their new $32 million logistics center. The Southern Logistics Center will serve nine U.S. plants and create between 100 and 110 jobs.

GE Appliances, a Haier company, is committed to creating, “good things, for life.” With a desire to create products with life-enhancing and timesaving technology, GE Appliances is leading the way of connected, smart appliances.

“Georgia has been a longtime home for GE Appliances,” said Kevin Nolan, chief executive officer for GE Appliances. “Our goal continues to be to become the leading major appliance business in the U.S. These investments and job expansions will help us do just that.”

Choosing the location of the center was a four-month long process, but Murray County was chosen for its ability to, “meet their needs for today and tomorrow,” the late llya Copeland, Executive Director of Murray County Industrial Development Authority, said.

GE Appliances chose Murray County for its proximity to the newly built Appalachian Regional Port. The inland port allows companies to use railroads rather than hundreds of miles of congested roads to reach the coast—essentially making the Savannah Port accessible more than 300 miles inland. Officially opened in Aug. of 2018, the Regional Port is estimated to remove 50,000 trucks from Georgia roads.

“Not only is the port creating jobs, but a diverse set of employment skills as well. It’s going to bring much more stable economic development to Murray County. The county will be prepared for any economic conditions,” says Copeland.

The location of the Southern Logistics Center will be one mile south of the Regional Port in Crandall, Georgia. GE Appliances have already broken ground and are intent on finishing construction within six to eight months. Just within the last two weeks, “tremendous work was done,” according to Copeland.

Alongside the creation of the center in Murray County, GE Appliances is making a $43 million investment in their affiliate Roper Corporation’s facility in Walker County. This expansion will increase manufacturing capacity, allow the launch of new products and add an additional 100 jobs to their already 2,000 employees.

In addition, the company opened its new $55 million Southeast Region Appliance Distribution Center in Jackson County this past June creating another 100 jobs. The smart warehouse is the first GE Appliances facility to have advanced digital intelligence with cutting-edge distribution technology streamlining its services. The new distribution center allows GE Appliances to deliver in one day to 90 percent of the United States.

Written by Cameron Beltrain

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