Whirlpool Manufacturing Facility to Add Jobs
Whirlpool Corporation has announced plans to build an approximately 1 million square foot manufacturing facility for built-in, premium cooking products in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The energy-efficient, LEED-certified facility will replace the existing, 100-year old manufacturing plant located at 740 King Edward Avenue, South East, said Whirlpool in a statement issued Wednesday (September 1).
A 400,000 square foot distribution center is also planned. Whirlpool will invest $120 million in the new facility, and expects to add nearly 130 new jobs to its 1500 Cleveland employees. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010.
“The new, premium cooking center of excellence that we will be building in Cleveland is evidence of our commitment to consumers and our confidence in the U.S. market,” said Marc Bitzer, president, Whirlpool Corporation North America.
In addition to the announcement of the new cooking facility in Cleveland, Whirlpool cited recent investment in its U.S. operations:
- Announcement of a new $85 million office campus and renovation of some of its facilities in headquarters location in Benton Harbor, Michigan
- Acquisition of the former WC Wood facility in Ottawa, Ohio, adding 190 jobs and bringing total employment in the State of Ohio to approximately 10,000, making it a leading manufacturing center for appliances in the United States
- A $175 million investment in the company’s laundry facilities in Ohio, which will produce the energy- and water-efficient laundry products
- A $20 million investment in its Amana, Iowa refrigeration plant
- The announcement of a new $40 million, one million square foot regional distribution center in Wilmer, Texas, which will be energy-efficient and LEED-certified
“Today’s announcement for $120M in Cleveland Tennessee is the largest single investment we’ve ever made anywhere in the world and reinforces our commitment to the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing,” said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and chief executive officer, Whirlpool Corporation.
Whirlpool Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of home appliances with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009. It has 67,000 employees and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.
