One has to remember after WWII many American companies turned to making appliances to make use of all the surplus to requirement factories/space previously used for the war effort. Also with the returning GIs (and their money in the form of the GI bill), housing shortages, building up of the surburbs/new housing, baby boom, and all the other factors of the post war American economic boom, there was a huge appliance market. So many had done without during the war, everyone was now looking forward to making up for lost time.
General Motors had it's hand in many pies, including making locomotives and RR coaches.
Launderess