LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Midea, a leading manufacturer of air conditioners and home appliances, announced it has strengthened its U.S. footprint by breaking ground on a $10 million R&D center in Louisville, Kentucky. The newly built Midea America Research Center (MARC) will provide technical expertise in developing products for the U.S. market.

Established in early 2015, the MARC has quickly outgrown its initial offices and is now scheduled to move into its custom-designed office and lab space by January 2017. The new 30,000-square-foot building will incorporate state-of-the-art lab facilities, testing equipment, and engineering areas, as well as office space for over 60 people. Midea America’s sales and marketing offices remain headquartered in New Jersey.

“We are truly excited to break ground on this state-of-the-art R&D center right here in Louisville, the epicenter of the ‘Appliance Corridor’ in the U.S.,” said Mark Wilson, director of technology for MARC. “As a Kentucky native, I’m proud to bring exceptional talent to the state and to keep the tradition of excellence in home appliances well and truly alive.”

“Today marks the latest push by Midea to grow our presence here in Kentucky, and in the U.S. market,” said Jim Tomaszewski, president of Midea America. “We know our success in this market is wholly dependent on developing compelling products for the U.S. consumer. That’s why Midea invests 3 percent of global revenue in R&D every year, and why we are investing in our R&D footprint here in the U.S.”

Midea has additionally made recent acquisitions to bolster its R&D efforts around the world, including the purchase of the home appliances business of Toshiba in Japan.