(Media release from the Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp):
Governor Brian P. Kemp on Tuesday announced that Roper Corporation, a subsidiary of GE Appliances and Walker County’s largest employer, will invest $118 million in expanding their manufacturing operations, creating an additional 600 jobs in LaFayette.
“Roper Corporation has been a fixture of the Walker County community for five decades, so it is a pleasure to see GE Appliances invest in the Peach State in this way and continue to emphasize doing business with a leading Georgia-based supplier,” said Governor Kemp.“This announcement is a testament to our strong logistics infrastructure, which is supported by the Appalachian Regional Port, and to our strong talent pipeline in northwest Georgia.”
Roper Corporation’s LaFayette plant is responsible for producing Georgia Made™ cooking products including wall ovens, cooktops, and ranges for multiple GE Appliance brands. Georgia Made is a state program created to celebrate the people and industries responsible for manufacturing a wide variety of products across the State of Georgia.
Roper Corporation has been in Georgia since 1973, and employs 2,000 people in the surrounding region. In 2019, GE Appliances invested an additional $43 million in Roper Corporation, creating 100 jobs at the LaFayette facility. Once this expansion is complete, Roper Corporation will employ about 2,600 people in northwest Georgia. In addition, GE Appliances annually spends $77 million with Georgia-located suppliers.
“Investing in U.S. manufacturing allows us to be closer to our consumers and serve them better, which is critical to GE Appliances’ business strategy,” said Bill Good, Vice President of Manufacturing at GE Appliances. “Our partnership with Georgia is strong and getting stronger as we continue to build innovative, industry-first cooking products at Roper.”
New opportunities at the facility, located at 1507 Broomtown Road in LaFayette, Walker County, will include supervisory and management positions as well as careers in production and assembly. Individuals interested in jobs with Roper Corporate are encouraged to visit www.ropercorp.com for additional information.
“As the county’s largest employer, Roper Corporation has been a valuable corporate citizen for many decades,” said Walker County Board of Commissioners Chairman Shannon Whitfield. “We admire their commitment to community outreach, and we are grateful for their continued desire to grow locally. This expansion will provide opportunities to strengthen our workforce and the community as a whole.”
Senior Project Manager Taylor Kielty represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce division on this competitive project in partnership with Walker County Development Authority Executive Director Robert Wardlaw, the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority and its President and CEO Jeff Mullis, Georgia Quick Start, and North Georgia EMC.
“For nearly 50 years, Roper Corporation has been a vital employer and key member of the northwest Georgia community. And as a great corporate partner, this Georgia Made company has continually found ways to give back,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. “I am very proud of the state’s longstanding relationship with Roper Corporation and GE Appliances and thank them for their continued investment. I look forward to seeing the many opportunities this expansion creates across the region.”
