Whirlpool Celebrates Its American Manufacturing Heritage
Whirlpool is celebrating its 115th anniversary this year. Photo courtesy Whirlpool Corp.
BENTON HARBOR, MI—Whirlpool Corp. is touting the fact that it is the only American-owned household appliance manufacturer. Beginning next month, the company is celebrating its 115th anniversary—and America’s 250th—with a major red, white and blue marketing campaign.
"For 115 years—nearly half of this nation's history—[we have] invested in American manufacturing, American workers and American communities," says Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corp. "As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we're proud to honor our shared legacy with our employees, our partners and the families who have trusted us to be the heartbeat of their homes since 1911.
“What sets Whirlpool apart isn't just its longevity,” notes Bitzer. “Approximately 80 percent of the major appliances [we sell] in the U.S. are produced in American factories—three times more than t[our] major competitors. [We have] doubled down on American workers, American innovation and American communities, spending $23 billion on U.S. manufacturing, labor and logistics over the past decade.”
According to Bitzer, 75 percent of U.S. households own at least one Whirlpool product today, including kitchen and laundry brands such as Amana, InSinkErator, JennAir, Kitchen Aid and Maytag. The company operates factories in Amana, IA (refrigerators), Cleveland, TN (ovens and stoves), Fall River, MA (commercial laundry equipment), Clyde, OH (washing machines), Findlay, OH (dishwashers), Greenville, OH (small kitchen appliances), Marion, OH (dryers), Ottawa, OH (refrigerators) and Racine, WI (garbage disposals).
To learn more about Whirlpool’s manufacturing heritage, see the following ASSEMBLY articles:
• From Humble Roots to Global Production Power
• A Peek Inside the Marion Plant
• Everything But the Kitchen Sink
• Lean Manufacturing Transformed Whirlpool
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