Whirlpool Home Appliances

Whirlpool is a legacy American brand that traces its roots to 1911, when it was founded as the Upton Machine Company in Benton Harbor, Michigan. It gained its current name in 1949 and has since grown into a global leader in home technology. Historically, Whirlpool pioneered the first electric wringer washers and even developed space kitchens for NASA's Apollo missions.

Ownership of the brand remains firmly in the United States, as Whirlpool Corporation is a publicly traded entity on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WHR). Despite global presence and numerous acquisitions of other major brands like Maytag and KitchenAid, it remains the last major major home appliance manufacturer headquartered in the U.S. In 2024, the company significantly reshaped its business by spinning off its European and Middle Eastern operations into a joint venture called Beko Europe, where it retains a minority stake. Manufacturing is heavily concentrated in North America; approximately 80% of Whirlpool products sold in the U.S. are manufactured in its domestic plants across Ohio, Iowa, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Internationally, major production hubs remain in Mexico, Brazil, and India to serve those respective markets.