[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] LGELECTRONICS’ Tennessee plant has surpassed 10 million units in cumulative production of laundry appliances. Since establishing its local production system, the company has risen to the top spot in both the U.S. washer and dryer markets, and the Tennessee plant is now expanding its role as a physical artificial intelligence (AI) demonstration hub by deploying humanoid robots.

LGELECTRONICS announced on the 15th that it held a ceremony on the 13th (local time) at its Tennessee Production Division in Nashville, Tennessee, to commemorate the production of its 10 millionth laundry appliance. The event was attended by Son Chang-woo, Head of LGELECTRONICS’ Living Solutions Business Division, and Park Yong, Head of the Tennessee Production Division, among others.

LGELECTRONICS began producing washing machines at its Tennessee plant in November 2018 and expanded its product lineup to include dryers in 2022 and WashTowers in 2023. To date, the company has invested approximately $500 million in facility expansion and manufacturing innovation.

Annual production capacity stands at 2.25 million units—including 1.55 million washing machines and 700,000 dryers—which is approximately four times higher than in 2019. The company has integrated the product development and mass production expertise from its Changwon plant, along with motor, compressor, energy efficiency, and control technologies from its Gasan R&D campus, into its local production system.

Since the Tennessee plant began operations, LGELECTRONICS has also expanded its presence in the U.S. laundry appliance market. According to market research firm Trackline, the company’s market share in U.S. washing machine sales rose from 17.2% in 2018 to 23.3% last year. During the same period, its market share for dryers also increased from 17.4% to 24.1%, securing the top spot in both product categories.

Local production has also reduced lead times and logistics costs. In the past, it took more than 10 weeks for products manufactured in South Korea, China, and Southeast Asia to reach U.S. stores, but products made in Tennessee are delivered to stores across the United States in about one week. This has reduced the burden of ocean freight costs and customs duties and enabled the company to respond stably even in the face of disruptions to the global logistics network.

The plant also manufactures products tailored to the lifestyles of local customers. The top-loading washing machine features a slanted door design so that North American consumers can remove laundry without having to bend over deeply. Recognizing that many households have pets, the plant has been producing washing machines with a “Pet Care” cycle as a standard feature since last year.

The Tennessee plant also operates as a state-of-the-art production facility utilizing AI, digital twins, and industrial robots. Approximately 300 industrial robots are deployed in production and logistics processes, and the process automation rate stands at about 70%—the highest among LGELECTRONICS’ global production facilities. In recognition of these achievements, the plant was selected in 2023 as a “Lighthouse Factory” by the World Economic Forum (WEF), marking the first time a U.S. home appliance factory has received this distinction.

Recently, the plant has introduced “LG Cloid” robots onto the production line to test tasks such as transporting washing machine tops and aligning and loading drain pumps. The plan is to establish a virtuous cycle in which operational data collected on-site is augmented and synthesized at the Yangjae Data Factory in Seoul for robot training, and the results are then applied back to the production floor.

The Tennessee plant has also created approximately 1,000 jobs, including positions for employees of partner companies. The company continues to engage in community activities, such as donating washing machines and providing financial support to low-income students and families of Korean War veterans.

Baek Seung-tae, Executive Vice President and Head of LGELECTRONICS’ Home Solutions Business Division, said, “We will further solidify our leadership in the North American market based on differentiated products and AI-driven manufacturing innovation.”