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GE Appliances technician Colin Reynolds uses a press brake machine to bend sheet metal into parts that will be assembled to make an oven at the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn. on Monday, July 18, 2022. The new South End microfactory opened with a demonstration of the pizza oven that's being manufactured at the plant.

GE Appliances President and CEO Kevin Nolan speaks at the opening of the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn. Monday, July 18, 2022. The new South End "microfactory" opened with a demonstration of the oven that's being manufactured at the plant.

The GE Appliances CoCREATE center at 49 John St., in Stamford, Conn.

From left, GE Appliances President and CEO Kevin Nolan, Stamford Director of Economic Development Loren Nadres, GE Appliances Engineering Director Ron Fernandez, and AdvanceCT CEO Peter Denious applaud after putting the final screws in a Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven made at the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn. on Monday, July 18, 2022.

GE Appliances Engineering Director Ron Fernandez makes a pizza in the Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven, which is made at GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn. Monday, July 18, 2022.

GE Appliances Director of Engineering Eric Muzzillo shows sheet metal that will be shaped and assembled at the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

AdvanceCT CEO Peter Denious puts in the final screw of a Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven, which is made at GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022. The new South End "microfactory" opened with a demonstration of the pizza oven that's being manufactured at the plant.

Stamford Director of Economic Development Loren Nadres speaks at the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

GE Appliances technician Colin Reynolds shows a metal piece that will be assembled to make a pizza oven at the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

The GE Appliances CoCREATE center at 49 John St., in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

Chef Tino Giresi, left, owner of T's Wine Bar + Kitchen, demonstrates how to make a pizza in the Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven that is made at GE Appliances’ CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

AdvanceCT CEO and President Peter Denious speaks at GE Appliances’ CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

Stamford Director of Economic Development Loren Nadres and GE Appliances Engineering Director Ron Fernandez put in the final screw of a Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven, which is made at GE Appliances’ CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

GE Appliances CEO and President Kevin Nolan speaks at the opening of the GE Appliances CoCREATE center in Stamford, Conn., on Monday, July 18, 2022.

STAMFORD — Fresh mozzarella wafted through a South End building on Monday morning, as chef Tino Giresi led a team of rookie pizza makers.

Instead of working at the T’s Wine Bar and Kitchen that he owns at 523 Pacific St., he instructed the group in a setup a block away. The latter location not only hosted his impromptu kitchen, but also has morphed in recent months into a manufacturing plant that builds the oven they used to cook the pies.

This week marks the launch of production in the microfactory in GE Appliances’ CoCREATE center at 49 John St. —with Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Ovens being the first product to come off the line. With the new complex of about 67,000 square feet, the company aspires to not only operate an advanced manufacturing hub, but also spur education and workforce development initiatives and showcase products to the public.

“What’s most important and what is the bedrock of this (center) is manufacturing,” GE Appliances CEO and President Kevin Nolan said during Monday’s gathering at the microfactory, which was attended by several-dozen people, including employees and local and state officials. “What you’re going to see today is the start of manufacturing of what we call our hearth oven. This is truly a groundbreaking appliance … and I’m so proud it’s being made right here in Stamford.”

CoCREATE comprises the first facility in Connecticut for the Louisville, Ky.-headquartered GE Appliances — with the microfactory taking about half of the space. The company has taken over a building that formerly housed a warehouse for furnishings firm Lillian August.

Complementing GE Appliances’ facilities in several other states, the microfactory is the company’s exclusive site for building the Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Ovens. Initially, the microfactory will produce each week about 20 ovens, although the company expects the output to increase significantly.

Manufacturing the all-electric, ventless ovens requires the production team to cut and and shape sheet metal with machines such as press brakes.

“We have a complete process from having the material come in on big sheets, and then we cut them out and they go here,” CoCREATE technician Colin Reynolds, one of about a dozen members of the production team, said after using a press brake to shape a piece into a left-side column for an oven. “It’s one big flow, all the way through the facility and out the door.”

The Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Ovens’ target demographic is residential customers. But GE Appliances officials said that the ovens could also be used in commercial settings — a suggestion that was endorsed by Giresi. He said he was impressed by how well the ovens cooked the pizzas in only two to three minutes.

“It’s restaurant quality, if you ask me,” Giresi said.

In addition, the company plans to make a number of other, to-be-announced products in the microfactory. Reflecting CoCREATE’s public-facing mission, the manufacturing hub is fronted by a brick interior wall with large windows, so visitors can easily see the production.

The microfactory’s opening builds on GE Appliances’ announcement a couple of years ago that it would return to manufacturing and selling small appliances after 35 years. Its lineup now includes coffee makers, toasters, toaster ovens, blenders and food processors. GE Appliances’ products are used in more than 50 percent of homes in the U.S., according to company data.

With its new facility, GE Appliances is also returning to its roots. In a period running approximately from the 1920s to the 1980s, GE small appliances were manufactured in Bridgeport. In 2016, Haier acquired GE Appliances for $5.4 billion from GE. Also in 2016, GE announced the relocation of its headquarters from Fairfield to Boston.

“I’m completed blown away at the amount of progress made in such a short amount of time,” said Peter Denious, CEO and president of the economic development-focused nonprofit AdvanceCT, before he joined the pizza-making demo with Giresi. “This is so exciting to see this multidimensional facility coming together.”

In addition to manufacturing, CoCREATE is also set to become a destination for hands-on learning. Through partnerships with the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, GE Appliances said it has started hiring students for paid, part-time positions that let them work alongside engineers.

During the next few months, the company plans to open other CoCREATE sections including a community makerspace, product showcases and a “heritage center” focusing on the area’s manufacturing history. The company expects the site to be fully operational by early 2023.

“The innovation model of CoCREATE Stamford aligns with the goal of Mayor (Caroline) Simmons’ administration to create a more innovative and vibrant city where everyone can thrive,” said Loren Nadres, Stamford’s economic development director and another of the participants in Giresi’s pizza class. “We’re particularly excited that CoCREATE prioritizes education and combines workforce development and educational opportunities for students in fields such as engineering and manufacturing.”

Nolan, a University of Connecticut alumnus, said that GE Appliances’ interest in forging higher-education partnerships in Conecticut reflects the impact of the company-supported FirstBuild center, which opened several years ago on the campus of the University of Louisville.

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity for education,” Nolan said. “We think we can offer opportunities and experiences that, right now, I think we need more of in Connecticut. We really think this is the start of something that can show others what can be done and what the future should look like.”

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott

Paul Schott is a business reporter at Hearst Connecticut Media, writing about the issues affecting small- and medium-sized businesses and large corporations based in southwestern Connecticut, with a focus on Stamford and Greenwich. He previously covered education for Greenwich Time and general assignments for the Westport News. Paul welcomes readers' ideas and suggestions and strives to cultivate a robust dialogue with Hearst Connecticut Media's audience.