American-Made Washers Return to Kentucky, One Supplier at a Time
Companies that want to move production closer to US consumers can't do it alone.
An employee works on the top load laundry production line at GE Appliances in Louisville, Kentucky.
Photographer: Michael Hickey/Getty Images for GE Appliances
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General Electric Co.’s Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky, was such a major economic force when it opened in the 1950s that the campus was eventually given its own zip code. Churning out dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines, it was one of the largest US industrial parks, once the state’s largest private employer and an ecosystem in and of itself, complete with miles of internal railroad tracks, a private fire department and a pricey arboretum.