Whirlpool.com
Company
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and based on a company first founded in 1911, Whirlpool has become a brand name that is almost synonymous with washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and all large appliances for the home.
Brands and Products
Along with the chief Whirlpool brand, the company also markets these brands:
- Whirlpool
- Maytag
- KitchenAid
- Jenn-Air
- Amana
- Magic Chef
- Inglis
- Bauknecht
- Brastemp
- Gladiator GarageWorks
- Admiral (sold through Home Depot)
In addition, Whirlpool also manufactures some appliances under the Kenmore label, which is manufactured for Sears. Whirlpool has expanded the marketing of Inglis appliances into the Best Buy store chain. Whirlpool also manufactures appliances for the retailer IKEA.
Whirlpools's mainstay product line has traditionally been large appliances for the home market. Washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and ranges form the chief core of its products. More recently, the company is expanding into the smaller-appliances market, and now offers such products as microwaves, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers as well.
Website
Whirlpool.com is a modest portal with information about their products and services. Since they mainly sell to retail stores, their focus is not as much on direct end user sales. The products section is sorted into the categories of kitchen, laundry room, and whole home. In addition, the website has links to sections dealing with product support, parts and services, news on product recalls, and options on purchasing a service plan.
History
Whirlpool Corporation was founded as the Upton Machine Company in 1911, and their first major sale was electric wringer-washers. They sold 100 units to Federal Electric, but these were later found to have a defective part. Owner Louis Upton immediately replaced the parts at no cost, and Federated Electric was so impressed with the company's integrity that they made further orders.
Whirlpool's close affiliation with Sears, Roebuck, and Company began in 1916, selling appliances through them under the Kenmore brand name. In 1949, they manufactured and sold the first 'top-loader' automatic washing machine.
Throughout the decades, they have either merged with or bought out other appliance companies, including Nineteen Hundred Corporation, Seeger Refrigerator Company, RCA, KitchenAid, Roper, Inglis Ltd., and most recently the Maytag Corporation.
Company Philosophy
Whirlpool Corporation has won much acclaim for their charity activities. They are one of the few companies to establish a separate entity for charitable activities, known as the Whirlpool Foundation.
Their major acts of philanthropy include:
- Principle supporter of Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization dedicated to building low-cost, affordable housing for the poor. To this date, the company has donated more than $34 million in funds and more than 73,000 appliances to the Habitat for Humanity project. The company states that their plan is to support every Habitat home built globally by 2011, either through product donations, cash, or home sponsorship.
- Founded the annual Building Blocks program in 2006, which is designed to raise awareness and help eliminate substandard housing in the United States. This program works in parallel with the Habitat for Humanity.
- Participated in the Jimmy Carter Work Project in India, which resulted in the completion of 100 homes in a village near Mumbai in 2006. Volunteers from Whirlpool also participated in the build organized by Habitat for Tsunami victims in the south of India. they have also worked with the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Benton Harbor, Michigan, completing more than 230 houses there.
- Acted to facilitate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in 2005. In a project code-named “Operation Home Delivery”, Whirlpool employees helped construct about 50 pre-formed homes in New York, which were then boxed and shipped to Louisiana and Mississippi, where they were later erected with the help of Whirlpool employees in Louisiana. Continuing this effort in January 2007, Whirlpool decided to hold its annual sales meeting in New Orleans, so that more than 1000 Whirlpool employees could spend the day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in an effort to continue rebuilding New Orleans’ residential areas.
- Sponsoring singer Reba McEntire’s music tours, to raise awareness and more than $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity.
- Founded the "Cook for the Cure" program. This program was created in 2001 to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation through donation-with-purchase programs, special fundraising events, auctions and grass roots initiatives. The "Cook for the Cure" program is dedicated to funding for breast cancer research.
Business profile
Whirlpool had revenues totaling just over $18 billion in 2006. They employ 73,000 people, and market in virtually every country in the world. their operations include more than 70 manufacturing and technology research centers. In the United States, they have manufacturing facilities in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Tennessee. Whirlpool is listed by the Fortune 500 index as #127.
Languages
English
Address
- 400 Riverview Dr. - Ste 420
- Benton Harbor MI 49085 US
Additional Information
Related Domains
External Links
- Stock: WHR
- Alexa: Whirlpool.com
