GE Appliances, a Haier company, together with Connecticut state education and workforce development leaders, officially opened CoCREATE to the public in Stamford, Conn. The state-of-the-art facility merges elements of modern manufacturing and community collaboration and engagement under one roof to create an environment that fosters innovation, cultivates meaningful partnerships, and drives exceptional customer experiences.
“We are thrilled to officially open CoCREATE, a dynamic incubator for innovation and partnership that puts the community at the very center of the experience,” said GE Appliances President & CEO Kevin Nolan in a statement. “CoCREATE is the latest example of our continued commitment at GE Appliances to investing in America and creating possibilities that lead to economic growth and opportunities in local communities like Stamford.”
Part appliance factory, community makerspace, and design & experience center, CoCREATE is a first-of-its-kind cocreation hub designed to bring people together to make, connect, and inspire. Located at 47 John Street, a 67,000 sq. foot facility in Stamford’s Harbor Point neighborhood, GE Appliances broke ground on CoCREATE in the fall of 2021 and began manufacturing select small appliances inside the facility last year.
“I’m so excited to welcome CoCREATE to our state! This first-of-its-kind innovation hub represents GE Appliances’ renewed commitment in our region to fostering economic growth, creating jobs, and providing exciting opportunities for the local community,” said Connecticut Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
“CoCREATE is an incredible, unique addition to the City of Stamford—from providing students the opportunity to get hands on experience in their state-of-the-art makerspace, to its beautiful test kitchen and design center,” said Stamford Director of Economic Development Leah Kagan. “We are excited for GE Appliances to open its doors to the community so they can take full advantage of all that it has to offer.”
CoCREATE offers many unique opportunities for everyone, from the local maker community to families and consumers, including:
- A Place to Make: CoCREATE houses the second FirstBuild makerspace in the country. With access to hand tools, 3D printers, lasers, and other state-of-the-art equipment, the makerspace will offer community hours that invite individuals to explore their creativity, prototype ideas, and transform concepts into actual products.
- A Place to Lean: CoCREATE will also host educational programming and other learning opportunities in the makerspace for students, families, area high schools, and community groups. Visitors can also see inside the CoCREATE microfactory, where they can watch the craftsmanship that goes into building small appliances from GE Appliances’ lineup, including the Monogram Hearth Oven and GE Profile Smart Mixer. Here, the company builds on its longstanding commitment to workforce development and American manufacturing. Through partnerships with the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU), students work paid, part-time shifts in the factory after classes alongside CoCREATE engineers.
- A Place to Connect: CoCREATE offers an on-site community coffee shop, creating a welcoming place for visitors to connect. Additionally, within the facility’s design & experience center, community members can engage directly with the CoCREATE team, test new products, and provide valuable feedback. The center’s Monogram Test Kitchen also provides an avenue for culinary enthusiasts to elevate their cooking skills. Equipped with Monogram brand appliances, this fully functional kitchen will host chef demonstrations, cooking lessons, and other community events. Local chefs will also use the test kitchen as part of a newly formed partnership with the Village Community Foundation’s ‘Kitchen Incubator’ Program, which supports local, emerging chefs and restaurateurs.
- A Place to Inspire: CoCREATE’s immersive brand showroom offers inspiration for home and kitchen design, even allowing visitors to customize select appliances. It showcases kitchen vignettes from GE Appliances’ various brands, such as Monogram, Café, GE, GE Profile, Haier and Hotpoint, highlighting their individual, distinctive styles.
The facility also features a retail area where visitors can explore and purchase products as well as a heritage center that pays homage to the region’s rich manufacturing history. Visitors can learn more about industrial and consumer products from the past that were invented in Connecticut, including small appliances first developed in Bridgeport by General Electric in the 1920s. In 2020, GE Appliances announced it would return to the manufacturing and selling of small appliances after 35 years.
For CoCREATE visiting hours and additional information, please visit stamfordcocreate.com.
About GE Appliances
At GE Appliances we make the world a better place, and our team is committed to leading in the communities where we live and work. Today, our appliances are in 50 percent of all U.S. homes, and our business is committed to serving every family in the country. We are a purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization that believes there is always a better way. We manufacture and sell 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. To learn more about our company, brands, corporate citizenship efforts, economic impact, and working for GE Appliances, visit geappliancesco.com.
See also: GE Appliances Announces $34 Million Refrigeration Manufacturing Investment
