Roper Corporation: Keeping America Cooking
High-quality, working appliances have never been more vital than during a time when making a home-cooked meal and sanitizing dishes are important to American households. Roper Corporation, a subsidiary of GE Appliances, a Haier company, embraces this mission and during the pandemic, continues to supply the country with major cooking appliances manufactured at its Walker County, Georgia plant.
More than 50 % of U.S. homes boast a GE appliance, many of them made in Georgia, where Roper and GE have a long history. The Walker County facility has existed since 1973, when Roper Corporation put down roots in the city of Lafayette. The plant was later purchased by General Electric and today bustles with more than 2,000 production and technology workers who manufacture cooktops, free-standing ranges and wall ovens under the GE®, GE Profile™, Café™ and Monogram® brands.
Drawing on Georgia’s vast logistics resources, Roper ships thousands of these appliances every day. The plant’s central location allows easy access to transportation and its nationwide distribution network. Roper receives materials through GE Appliances’ new $32 million Southern Logistics Center in Murray County, Georgia via the Port of Savannah and the new Appalachian Regional Port, which help reduce transportation time and costs.
The new logistics center, made possible by assistance from the Georgia Department of Economic Development as well as local officials, accelerates the company’s supply chain, streamlining delivery of materials and components to Roper and its other eight U.S. manufacturing plants. It takes advantage of Georgia’s decision to expand the Port of Savannah to handle large trans-Pacific container ships, reducing reliance on cross-country trucking. Connecting the Savannah port by rail to the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia brings the benefits of the maritime port some 388 miles inland.
The Southern Logistics Center and the new $55 million Jackson County “smart” warehouse are just two of the company’s recent investment and job growth initiatives to expand its Georgia operations. The company has also invested $443 million into the Roper facility, enabling it to launch several new cooking products. Together, these investments have meant the creation of 300 new jobs.
“Georgia has been a longtime home for GE Appliances,” said Kevin Nolan, chief executive officer for GE Appliances. “Our goal is to become the leading major appliance business in the U.S. These investments and job expansions will help us do just that.”
“Roper was honored to host Governor Brian Kemp for the Georgia Made™ tour last year,” says Lois Crandell, GE Appliances/Roper president and plant manager. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the variety of cooking products our talented team makes here in Georgia. The program highlights the importance of our strong manufacturing base and helps drive awareness, something the entire state can be proud of and can hopefully turn into sales for the plant.”
Georgia Made™ is a program through the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) that provides additional support in logistics, manufacturing and marketing of products produced in Georgia.
“Thanks to corporate partners like GE Appliances, we are seeing greater investment and job growth in every part of our state,” said Governor Kemp.
“Georgia is a very business-friendly environment, and Northwest Georgia is an established hub for manufacturing. The surrounding communities provide a great workforce for us,” says Crandell. “State and local officials have assisted us along with the Department of Transportation on several projects. We’ve had strong support from our local chamber and development authorities as well as the Georgia Department of Labor. The importance of Roper to the community and families helps us to continually reinvent ourselves and stay competitive.”
Crandell also cites relationships with the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Extension Partnership for sharing industry best practices, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) for programs to hire workers for key technical jobs or retrain existing workers, high school work-based learning programs for a pipeline to young talent, and TCSG’s Georgia Quick Start program for customized training and technical assistance.
To help front-line workers, community organizations and neighbors in the region during the pandemic, the Roper Corporation has donated brand-new appliances along with surgical masks to numerous fire stations, police departments, hospitals and medical clinics.
“GE Appliances and the Roper Corporation have an essential mission: helping families live in clean and sanitary environments at home. The team takes our essential mission to heart, not only as a manufacturer but also as a good community citizen,” says Crandell.
Consistently ranked the “#1 State for Business” for seven years running, Georgia’s skilled workforce, reliable infrastructure, low taxes, high state credit ratings and development resources are here to help you start and grow your business. Visit Georgia Made to take the next step in expanding your success.
GE Appliances, a Haier company, creates “good things, for life” through its passion for great appliances and the happiness they can bring to every household. With the Monogram®, CAFÉ™, GE Profile™, GE®, Haier and Hotpoint brands, people have more choices for making their kitchens and homes amazing each day. Products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners and water filtration systems. For more information, visit GEAppliances.com/our-company.