Whirlpool to Invest in Tennessee Plant; Appliance Maker, Along With Other Big Exporters, Is Fueling Productivity Gains by Revamping Domestic Production
Author: Bob Tita</br></br>Whirlpool Corp. will disclose on Wednesday the planned construction of a new plant in Tennessee that will serve as the centerpiece of a $300 million upgrade of domestic manufacturing facilities at the world's largest household appliance maker by revenue.</br></br>The move highlights a shift by even export-driven U.S. manufacturers away from low-cost overseas locales in favor of rationalizing domestic operations to boost productivity.</br></br>Whirlpool considered sites in Mexico and elsewhere in the U.S. before opting to replacing a century-old factory in Cleveland, Tenn., where it assembles built-in cooking ranges and ovens. It will add 130 staff to an existing work force of 1,500.</br></br>The Benton Harbor, Mich., company has been aggressively reorganizing its North American assembly plants and distribution centers, consolidating smaller sites into larger facilities following its 2006 acquisition of rival Maytag Corp. It has closed plants in Evansville, Ind., Oxford, Miss., and recently outlined plans to close a Michigan plant.