GE’s Newest Dishwasher Production Lines Exemplify Changing Culture and Strategy

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  —  August 6, 2012 —  (NYSE:GE) — To make the most out of a $800 million investment and to truly revitalize its business and products, GE is changing a lot of things at its Appliance Park manufacturing operation in Louisville, Ky. Not only are the products changing, but how and what is manufactured is changing too. Newly designed products and manufacturing processes and insourcing of a large amount of components are all part of the $150 million dishwasher investment.

 

When planning to make GE’s newest dishwashers, the manufacturing leaders had several challenges: to build new production lines in a space-constrained factory where existing lines would keep providing about one in every five homes with a dishwasher; to create a process that would leverage Lean manufacturing principles to reduce the time it takes to make each dishwasher; to reduce operational costs and unnecessary work for employees to improve productivity while increasing quality.

 

Relying on a new culture of continuous improvement and a collaborative work environment, fostered by Lean manufacturing principles, GE took employees from every discipline needed to design, build and operate the new lines and co-located them in one location so communication could be instantaneous and fluid. Each member of the team had a voice and a role—from engineering, to advanced manufacturing to the operators who assemble the products – all were on one team with a common goal – to improve the processes and products.

 

“We are in a very competitive industry. We have to offer consumers innovative, quality products and be able to sell them at a competitive price,” said Cynthia Fanning, product general manager for dishwashers at GE Appliances. “To be competitive, we have to look for every opportunity to improve efficiencies and productivity while increasing quality. Lean manufacturing principles have improved every aspect of our processes.”

 

The dishwasher Lean team came up with solutions to reduce production time and improve the production process and work environment for the production workers. To accomplish this, the team:

“Before we implemented Lean, it was hard to address issues real-time,” said Dwight Young, Lean team leader. “Now we are there to listen to the operators. When they identify a problem, we are right there to help fix the issue, so it doesn’t have to be addressed later in the process. Lean gives all of us an opportunity to make more of a contribution, to improve quality and productivity, which makes us feel good, more valued.”

 

One of the key features consumers look for in a dishwasher is capacity. They want to pack as many dishes in one load as possible. Now, their dishwashers will be loaded with more U.S. parts than ever before. In fact, about 85 percent of the parts in GE new dishwashers will be made in the U.S. — including an increased number made at Appliance Park in Louisville, Ky., making its plastic injection molding facility the largest in Kentucky and the fourth largest in the U.S.

“Consumers will be so impressed with the American ingenuity that is going into these dishwashers,” said Fanning. “When our investment is complete, we will be offering dishwashers with industry-first features in the highest quality products available. From the innovation in these products to our U.S. employees who work every day to improve how and what we do, we have a lot to be proud of.”  

 

In February of this year, GE Appliances opened its GeoSpring™ Hybrid Water Heater facility in Louisville, Ky., kicking off the $1 billion investment GE plans to make by 2014 to upgrade all its product lines and create new factories for products not previously made in the U.S., such as the GeoSpring Hybrid Water Heater, bottom-freezer refrigerators and frontload washing machines. Since January of 2012, GE has hired over 1,000 production workers and has hired nearly 500 engineers since planning for the new products started in 2009.

 

In addition to the hybrid water heaters and bottom-freezer refrigerators now being produced in Louisville, preparation is underway to open another plant to make frontload washing machines and matching dryers in early 2013. Extensive investment is being made in Louisville to enhance product offerings in top load washing machines and dishwashers. By 2014, GE will also be making upgrades in side-by-side refrigerators made in Bloomington, Ind., top freezers in Decatur, Ala., and cooking products made in Lafayette, Ga.

 

To learn more about GE’s new French door refrigerators, visit:

 

GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.