LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — GE Appliances plans to use U.S.-made Texas Instruments computer chips in its next generation of connected appliances.
According to a news release, beginning in 2027, TI chips will make up about one-third of the semiconductors used in products built at GE Appliances' new laundry plant in Louisville at Appliance Park. The deal secures a supply of 20 million U.S.-made semiconductors
While the exact financial figures were not disclosed, the deal nearly doubles GE Appliances' spending with TI and supports its effort to strengthen its U.S.-based supply chain.
The chips will help power features including improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, more efficient power systems, quieter motor controls and potential AI-driven functions such as predictive maintenance and adaptive performance.
"Expanding our work with Texas Instruments gives us access to a differentiated semiconductor portfolio backed by domestic manufacturing," said Lee Lagomarcino, vice president of clothes care for GE Appliances, in a news release. "TI's broad portfolio of advanced embedded processing and analog technology will help our engineers design appliances that are smarter, more powerful, and more efficient than ever before. Moving forward, our domestic research and development teams can also save significant time on new solutions for U.S. consumers."
Lagomarcino told WDRB News that a domestic partner allows for much deeper collaboration.
"It is an incredibly exciting time to be out here at Appliance Park," Lagomarcino said. "We want to give our customers what they desire. Having a partner here in the United States on semiconductors allows us to do that."
Producing semiconductors domestically comes with a premium. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, manufacturing chips in the U.S. can be up to 30% more expensive than in competing Asian nations, such as Taiwan.
However, leadership at GE Appliances said the the long-term benefits of a shortened supply chain outweigh the upfront production costs.
"We’re really seeing a paradigm shift," Lagomarcino said. "Manufacturing in the United States requires a different mindset. You have to take a total cost mindset and really look at how you can optimize."
For GE Appliances, optimizing includes this deal with TI.
"They're going to help make us more competitive," Lagomarcino said. "It's also going to give us products that get better and better with time."
Though GE Appliances is owned by Chinese company Haier, the appliance giant has executed a series of strategic investments in its U.S. footprint, including a $3 billion investment to expand manufacturing, and a $490 million commitment to build a new laundry plant in Louisville.
GE Appliances said this deal is part of its broader commitment to U.S. manufacturing, announced in 2025 as a five-year plan to create 1,000 jobs across five states.
"It really shows what increased investment here in Louisville, Kentucky does, and it also drives investment in our suppliers," Lagomarcino said.
Production utilizing the new Texas Instruments chips is slated to begin next spring in Buechel.
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