GE Appliances Expedites Investments to Lead a New Era of Smart Distribution

$55 million smart warehouse in Commerce, Georgia, blends intelligence
and agility; creates 100 new jobs

COMMERCE, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today GE Appliances (GEA) opened its new $55 million Area
Distribution Center (ADC) in Commerce, Ga. This smart warehouse is the
newest addition to the company’s $150 million national investment to
expand its distribution network. The latest investment in Jackson County
gives GEA’s expanded distribution network the ability to deliver in one
day to 90 percent of the U.S.

“GEA has the leading distribution network in the appliance industry, and
we’re applying the best in smart technology to take a quantum leap
forward on our journey to serve customers better,” said Mark Shirkness,
vice president of distribution for GE Appliances. “Today’s consumer
researches, shops and buys across various channels—from physical stores
to online stores. In this omnichannel world, consumers are empowered,
and they want their products now—or as close to now as possible. At GE
Appliances, the owner is boss, and our infrastructure investments are
designed to exceed our owners’ expectations.”

The Southeast Region Appliance Distribution Center is the first GEA
warehouse to blend digital intelligence with agility to manage and
deliver large products with world-class service and cost. At the opening
of the facility, the company unveiled several distribution innovations,
including:

• Digital thread accelerates responsiveness – Using big data
  technology, GEA’s smart distribution system can analyze billions of
  rows of data to solve for the most efficient shipping solution. Each
  appliance will be part of this new digital thread that, in real time,
  tracks where the appliance is going, the customer who ordered it, when
  it is scheduled to arrive and what happens to it along the way to the
  customer—all while reducing inventory.
• Smart basiloids ensure quality – Inspired by technology
  advances in the automotive industry, GEA’s distribution team worked
  with partners to design advanced handling equipment with sensor
  technology, variable-speed controls, navigation lights and cameras to
  enable operators to move products more efficiently and reduce damage.
• Building design ramps up efficiency – The Southeast Region
  Appliance Distribution Center is designed to keep products flowing
  with a goal of moving each appliance only once. Symmetrical
  warehousing techniques reduce product handling by 50 percent.
• Smart Yard and Control Tower – GEA’s newly launched
  Smart Yard utilizes GPS, long-range RFID and cloud-based technologies
  to provide real-time visibility of assets or trailers. With this
  technology, our Control Tower team can track and trace shipments in
  real time from anywhere in the world and quickly identify and solve
  issues, improving our overall agility and reliability.
• Virtual reality (VR) speeds training – This technology-based,
  interactive training immerses the operator in a computer-generated
  environment that closely resembles the job. VR technology cuts
  training time in half for new operators.

Distribution Leadership

GE Appliances makes more large, bulk appliance deliveries than any other
company in the United States. The company opened expanded warehouses in
Dallas in June 2018 and in Denver in February 2019. The Commerce smart
warehouse is its largest single distribution investment to date and
represents the future of all warehouses in GEA’s network.

With its 12 ADCs and 170 local delivery locations, GE Appliances
delivers and installs an appliance every four seconds. GE Appliances’
legacy of innovation includes the first appliance delivery app, a
patented e-commerce platform, full distribution services for many
national retailers and builders, and the ability to deliver in one day
to 90 percent of the U.S.

In 2018, GE Appliances announced its intent to become the leading
appliance manufacturer in the U.S., and since then has announced a
series of investments totaling more than $475 million in product,
manufacturing and distribution capabilities, creating more than 1,000
new U.S. jobs. Part of GE Appliances’ commitment is leading the
digital revolution to transform the ownership experience and make life
at home easier for consumers.

About GE Appliances

Today, GE appliances are in 50 percent of all U.S. homes, and our
business is committed to serving every customer in the country. We are a
purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization that believes there is
always a better way. GE Appliances sells products under the Monogram^®,
CAFÉ, GE Profile™, GE^®, Haier and Hotpoint brands. Our
products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers,
washers, dryers, air conditioners and water filtration systems. For more
information, visit www.geappliances.com.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Julie Wood, Senior Director of Public
Relations for GE Appliances, a Haier company
(502) 741-1557 or julie_wood@geappliances.com