Today, GE Appliances, a Haier company, opened its newest manufacturing operation in Stamford, Connecticut. GE Appliances President & CEO Kevin Nolan joined with area workforce development leaders at CoCREATE Stamford to celebrate the production launch for the microfactory with the first appliance rolling off the line.
“Today we deliver on our promise made just ten months ago to invest in Connecticut and bring appliance manufacturing to Stamford,” Nolan said. “We’re thrilled to be building appliances in the northeast while also providing local students with opportunities to work with us and learn. Manufacturing is our foundation, but our factory is only the start of what’s to come here. We’re energized about the possibilities ahead when CoCREATE Stamford fully opens to the community and look forward to bringing people together to innovate, educate and inspire.”
The Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven is the first appliance to be built inside CoCREATE Stamford’s microfactory. It is a ventless, handcrafted all-electric home oven that brings the performance of wood-fired brick ovens indoors. GE Appliances expects to launch additional appliance innovations from CoCREATE Stamford as early as next year.
“CoCREATE Stamford is an innovative model that not only brings economic growth and jobs to our City, but most importantly aligns workforce development and educational opportunities for students interested in the fields of engineering and manufacturing,” said Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons. “We need to ensure we prepare the next generation for job opportunities in these critical sectors, and CoCREATE is doing just that. The City of Stamford is thrilled to have GE Appliances in our community, and we are eager to continue being a partner as CoCREATE Stamford moves forward and evolves to reach its fullest potential.”
The microfactory is the first completed phase of CoCREATE Stamford, a co-creation destination announced last fall by GE Appliances designed to merge innovation, education and inspiration in unique ways. In addition to modern manufacturing, when fully open, CoCREATE Stamford will feature a collaborative makerspace for the community, provide hands-on educational opportunities, and offer brand and product experiences for consumers looking for inspiration in the kitchen and home space.
GE Appliances is also building on its longstanding commitment to supporting workforce development at CoCREATE Stamford through partnerships with the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State College and Universities. CoCREATE Stamford has already started hiring local college students for paid part-time employment that lets them work alongside engineers, experience a modern manufacturing facility firsthand, and potentially discover their future careers.
CoCREATE Stamford expects to be completely open by the start of 2023.
