General Electric is hiring more employees than expected to manufacture its new bottom-freezer refrigerator at Louisville's Appliance Park.GE officials previously announced a total of 600 production line employees would build the new product. The company currently employs around 400 workers on the first shift, according to spokeswoman Kim Freeman. When the second shift begins later this summer, a total of 772 employees will be working on the appliance, she said.The addition of 172 production line employees is a testament to the product, said Freeman.“That is directly related to the initial reaction that we’re getting from our customers who are just loving the product," she said. Freeman said customers have been driving the demand of the appliance.“Bottom-freezer refrigerators as a category in the industry has superseded side-by-sides for the first time last year," she said.GE has recently invested around $800 million in Louisville’s Appliance Park and will continue expanding through 2014. The company expects to begin manufacturing front load washing machines early next year.Freeman said the second shift is expected to begin in early August.GE Appliances will also be adding around 100 salaried positions that will include designers and industrial engineers.
