GE Cooking Up More Production Capacity

Roper line worker Falon Reynolds helps pump out new ranges at the company’s LaFayette, Ga., facility.

Investing another $118M in Roper range plant

By Alan Wolf, YSN

There they go again.

Just weeks after announcing a nearly half-billion-dollar upgrade of its Appliance Park manufacturing complex in Louisville, Ky., GE Appliances has its checkbook out again.

This time, the vendor is turning its attention to its Roper Corp. subsidiary in LaFayette, Ga., where it plans to expand capacity and develop new cooking products with a $118 million capital investment in the 49-year-old facility. The plant produces cooktops, freestanding ranges, and wall ovens under the Monogram, Café, GE Profile, and GE brands.

“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, the company’s manufacturing VP. “Our partnership with Georgia is strong and getting stronger as we continue to build innovative, industry-first cooking products at Roper.”

It wouldn’t be the first time. Since 2019, GE has spent $130 million at the factory and its environs to expand operations and capacity, including a new logistics center and a $55 million smart warehouse, the company’s first.

Besides creating hundreds of new jobs, GE said its latest Roper expenditure 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 Corp. “The investments made in 2019 and those announced today together will increase our plant capacity by 50 percent.”

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