Lean processes for new line of GE refrigerators help environment, US employment

General Electric, a long-time proponent of Lean Manufacturing efforts, is launching a new sustainability strategy for its line of “smart” refrigerators that it hopes will save the company millions while also curbing its environmental footprint.

Touting its “Ecoimagination” campaign, GE's new refrigerators are among the first to pioneer the use of cyclopentane foam, which scales back greenhouse gases in the manufacturing of freezer components. Paul Surowiec, general manager of GE's Refrigeration division, told Smart Planet that the process will reduce the carbon footprint of GE's Kentucky production facility by 99 percent.

The same factory, in Louisville, is credited with implementing a Lean Manufacturing initiative that returned the production of refrigerators to the U.S., thereby saving some 600 jobs at the plant. GE chief executive Jeff Immelt touted the value of investing in cutting-edge facilities with Lean programs designed to ensure a competitive edge for years to come.

“From a corporate standpoint, GE viewed this product launch as an opportunity to demonstrate that the U.S. is a great place to build cutting-edge products – with itself as the shining example – with the added benefit of contributing to reinvestment in American communities, too,” write Smart Planet contributor Jason Hiner.