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GE Appliances bolsters ties with US suppliers as it moves production from China to Kentucky

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GE Appliances bolsters ties with US suppliers as it moves production from China to Kentucky


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — GE Appliances on Thursday touted wide-ranging ripple effects from shifting production from China to Kentucky as it announced more than $150 million in new contracts awarded to U.S.-based suppliers.

The supplier contracts range in value from $330,000 to $41 million, span 10 states and cover crucial segments of the supplier chain for the appliance maker’s washer and dryer production — from plastics and castings to steel and aluminum, the company said. The suppliers range in size from U.S. Steel to family-owned companies.

With the new contracts, GE Appliances said it is increasing domestic spending on suppliers by 3.3%.

The suppliers will support production of a combo washer/dryer and a lineup of front load washers, all of which GE Appliances is moving from China to its sprawling Louisville complex known as Appliance Park. The company says it’s investing $490 million to retool a plant for the project, which will create 800 new jobs.

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Production is scheduled to begin in early 2027, it said, and will expand the total footprint devoted to clothes care production at Appliance Park to the equivalent of 33 football fields.

“When we invest in U.S. manufacturing and our people, it drives growth far beyond our own walls,” Lee Lagomarcino, a GE Appliances vice president, said Thursday in a news release. “These new supplier contracts represent what ‘Built for America’ is all about — investing in U.S. manufacturing, creating more American jobs and building opportunity that multiplies.”

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The announcements come as President Donald Trump attempts to lure factories back to the United States by imposing import taxes — tariffs — on foreign goods. The president recently said the U.S. would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for its selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20% to 10%. That brings the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57% to 47%.

The $150 million-plus in new supplier contracts reflects the amount GE Appliances will spend each year for shipments of parts, components and raw materials to produce the washers and dryers, it said. Contract values could increase if sales of the washers and dryers grow, the company said.

GE Appliances said it spends $4.6 billion with more than 6,500 U.S. suppliers, a 69% increase in spending and a 58% rise in its number of suppliers since 2019. Its U.S. supply chain has grown for more than a decade, it said.

“While tariffs have certainly been a factor, there are also many other benefits such as shorter lead times, reduced transportation costs and the ability to collaborate with your supply chain to ultimately serve our customers better,” Lagomarcino said.

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The new contracts were awarded to businesses in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Alabama and California, GE Appliances said. It awarded more than $40 million in contracts to suppliers in Kentucky, more than in any other state.

The contracts are the first of many expected ripple effects from its broader, five-year, $3 billion commitment to strengthen its U.S. manufacturing, reshore certain production and create more than 1,000 jobs, the company said. GE Appliances announced plans in August to shift production of refrigerators, gas ranges and water heaters out of China and Mexico. The company also has manufacturing plants in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Connecticut. The company is a subsidiary of the China-based Haier company.





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Election live updates: Voters go to the polls in Kentucky, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and more in major primary contests

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Election live updates: Voters go to the polls in Kentucky, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and more in major primary contests


Trump campaigned via phone for three GOP candidates in Kentucky yesterday, urging voters to back candidates that include the challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie.

Trump split time during the event advocating for Rep. Andy Barr for Senate, Ralph Alvarado for the 6th Congressional district and Ed Gallrein for the 4th Congressional District where Massie is the representative.

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“This is a group, great group of people, but that’s in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District against a disastrous Thomas Massie. I say, he’s the worst Republican congressman in the history of the country,” Trump said.

“You need to send Ed Gallrein to fight for you in Washington,” Trump said during the call.

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Gallrein called the primary a “pick a side moment,” arguing that a vote for Massie — who has previously said he votes with the GOP “90% of the time”  — would be “picking the radical Democrats” over “President Trump, the Republican Party and the Constitution.”



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Trump endorsements shape Kentucky primary races

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Trump endorsements shape Kentucky primary races


KENTUCKY (WKYT) – President Donald Trump’s endorsements of several Kentucky candidates have drawn attention to Tuesday’s U.S. Senate and House primary races, with political experts and party officials weighing in on the potential impact on voters.

Trump has been vocal on social media and in interviews about who should represent Kentucky in Washington.

“Something like an endorsement from President Trump or good coverage in partisan media can make the difference,” said Dr. Stephen Voss, a specialist in elections and voting behavior at the University of Kentucky.

Voss said presidential endorsements, especially from Trump, can easily sway a close election. He said the average voter is looking for a shortcut on who to push forward in the primary.

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“Party identification drives how a lot of people vote, but in a party primary, that doesn’t help,” Voss said. “Voters in Kentucky that are republican are choosing republican politicians; voters need shortcuts so they can get their homework done, pick a candidate and move on. A Donald Trump endorsement for a lot of voters is the guideline they’d use to determine how to vote.”

Questions still remain surrounding Trump’s decisions to speak against certain candidates who have disagreed with him, including U.S. Representative Thomas Massie. The president endorsed Massie’s opponent, Ed Gallrein.

Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge called it petty politics.

“Who we send to congress, who’s in the United States Senate — they affect people’s real lives and Donald Trump really is detached from the lives of the Emerican people and people right here in Kentucky,” Elridge said.

Adam Hope with the Republican Party of Kentucky said while the party cannot show favoritism, they support Trump’s decisions.

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“Our president is definitely endorsing some candidates he feels like are gonna get the job done and advance his agenda in the best way he sees fit,” Hope said.

Hope said while these endorsements may not necessarily bring more people to the polls, they will get more people’s attention as to why primary races are important.

Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.



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Kentucky Wildcats News: Jamal Crawford dream lives on

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Kentucky Wildcats News: Jamal Crawford dream lives on


Former NBA sixth-man of the year winner Jamal Crawford has been a star for NBC and Peacock on their NBA coverage this season. After spending a season with MSG contributing to their coverage of the New York Knicks, Crawford joined one of the major networks and has shined all season long. It’s been reported that […]



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