GE Appliances President and CEO Kevin Nolan says a move to bring expanded laundry machine production to Louisville, from China is part of the company's ‘zero-distance’ business strategy.

We talk about the move and the strategy with LBF Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

As Stinnett reported on Thursday, GE Appliances is spending $490 million to expand its local footprint and create an additional 800 full-time jobs at Appliance Park. The investment will move production of the GE Profile Combo Washer/Dryer and the GE Profile UltraFresh Front Load Washer from China to Building 2 at Appliance Park, located at 4000 Buechel Bank Road.

The strategy seeks to make appliances as close as possible to our customers and consumers and "aligns with the current economic and policy environment,” Nolan said in a news release announcing the investment.

GE Appliances is Louisville’s eighth-largest employer, according to Louisville Business First research, with 8,400 local employees. The company has been at Appliance Park, which is more than 6 million square feet on 750 acres, since 1953. The park houses GE Appliances’ technology and engineering center, industrial design, distribution center, warehouse operations and production of washers, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.

The company was spun off from General Electric and acquired by China-based Haier in a $5.4 billion deal in 2016.

The expansion comes one year after GE Appliances laid off 4% of its global salaried workforce, citing an appliance industry that was, “even more challenging than anticipated.”

JCPS news and more

Later in the show we talk about Yum Brands Inc.'s donation of its 28.4-acre campus at 1441 Gardiner Lane to Jefferson County Public Schools. Stinnett spoke with JCPS Marty Pollio about the donation recently. 

After nearly 30 years as an educator, Pollio doesn’t shock easily, as you can imagine. But he told Stinnett he was floored by the generosity of the gift. 

“This donation from Yum Brands is the equivalent of a brand new elementary school at JCPS that we will be able to build as a result of this,” Pollio said. “That generous gift will impact generations of young people in this community.”

Pollio's last day as superintendent was June 30. His replacement, Brian Yearwood, started July 1. 

For the last segment of the show we talk about gas stations — including a new location for Wawa and the sale of the former Thornton's property in Downtown Louisville.

Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify (which are linked above.)