On 11th November 2021, Whirlpool Corporation is celebrating its 110 year anniversary. To mark the occasion, the company will be reflecting on its significant history of innovation and collaboration throughout the decades.
Improving life at home has been at the heart of Whirlpool Corporation’s approach since it was founded in 1911. From humble beginnings, to becoming one of the world’s leading appliance manufacturers, the company has evolved into a well-loved, highly respected brand that is recognised across the globe.
From 1st to 11th November, the company will be sharing, each day, a decade-by-decade reflection of its history, exploring the key moments and major milestones since it was established. Senior leaders from the company will be appearing in a live stream for 11 minutes each day, retelling Whirlpool Corporation’s history by the decade, as well as providing insight into the company’s future goals and targets.
Upton Machine Company, founded in 1911 by Lou and Emory Upton in Benton Harbour, Michigan, began producing electric, motor-driven wringer washers. By 1929, increased demand led the company to merge with the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company, becoming the Nineteen Hundred Corporation and beginning mass production of reliable home appliances that offered exceptional quality and functionality. The company entered the international market and invested heavily in innovation throughout the coming years and, despite the Great Depression of the 1930s, experienced impressive growth throughout this time.
The Second World War saw the company shift operations to support the war effort, using its factories to create components for aircrafts and military equipment. By the summer of 1945, appliance production resumed, and the company witnessed significant growth in the subsequent years. The Nineteen Hundred Corporation transformed into a manufacturer that offered a full line of major home appliances, introducing the first fully-automatic washer and electric dryer to the market, ushering in a new era of convenience for its consumers. By 1950, the Whirlpool brand name had gained recognition, and the Nineteen Hundred Corporation was officially renamed Whirlpool Corporation. The company continued to develop pioneering new technology and innovation to improve the customer experience, and its portfolio expanded to include products such as microwave ovens and refrigerators.
In search of further ways to develop its product offering, a series of acquisitions took place in the coming years, including the purchase of the iconic KitchenAid brand, in addition to companies including Hotpoint, Indesit, Maytag and Amana. By 2020, what started as a small, family-owned business had transformed into a global, highly respected company with over 78,000 employees worldwide, while maintaining it’s strong values and heritage.
Today, Whirlpool Corporation manufactures an innovative, reliable and high quality range of appliances to help keep homes running. The company continues to demonstrate the same principles that it was founded upon, displaying a strong commitment to caring for customers, communities, colleagues and the planet.
Whirlpool Corporation has a longstanding commitment to the UK and appliances from its brands, including Hotpoint, Indesit, Whirlpool and KitchenAid, are a staple in consumers’ homes. The company has 14 sites across the UK, including its head office in Peterborough, a manufacturing site in Yate and a training centre in Manchester.
Whirlpool Corporation has a rich history of supporting both social and environmental initiatives. For example, the Whirlpool Foundation was established in 1951, which saw the company provide financial and leadership support to a number of charitable organisations that worked to improve the lives of those living in the communities in which Whirlpool Corporation operated. In 2003, the company became the world’s first appliance manufacturer to set a global greenhouse gas reduction target, pursuing an additional three per cent reduction in emissions by 2008. This target was later revised in 2007, when the company committed to a goal of a 6.6 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. In 2021, Whirlpool Corporation announced a global commitment to reach a net zero emissions target in its plans and operations by 2030, across its manufacturing sites and large distribution centres across the world.
Ian Moverley, Public Affairs Director, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited says: “Our brands, including Hotpoint, Indesit, Whirlpool and KitchenAid, have made a real, positive difference to homes and communities for 110 years. While the company has evolved over the years to adapt to global challenges, drive technological advances and meet and the changing needs of our customers, our mission to improve life at home has remained at the heart of everything we do for 110 years, and so too has our commitment to build greater relationships with our customers, develop the talent within our business and establish deeper ties with our communities.
“We look forward to using Whirlpool Corporation’s 110 year anniversary as an opportunity to remember our diverse history, reinforce our core values and recognise our employees, not only to celebrate our accomplishments and how far we have come, but to look towards the future and appreciate how much more we can achieve.”
For further information on Whirlpool Corporation’s history over the past 110 years, please visit the website at https://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/history/
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Image caption:
- Whirlpool Corporation is celebrating is 110 year anniversary on 11th November 2021
About Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited:
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited is managed by Whirlpool EMEA, part of Whirlpool Corporation.
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited fully supports the AMDEA safety initiative, Register My Appliance, and is committed to encouraging householders to register their appliances: www.registermyappliance.org.uk
About Whirlpool Corporation:
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is committed to being the best global kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. In an increasingly digital world, the company is driving purposeful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit and Yummly. In 2020, the company reported approximately $19 billion in annual sales, 78,000 employees and 57 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.
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11th November 2021
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