Whirlpool Corporation Celebrates 115th Anniversary, Reaffirming Commitment to Improving Life at Home

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Nov 09, 2026, 08:00 ET

The only major American-owned kitchen and laundry appliance manufacturer celebrates 115 years by awarding 115 new appliances to families across the U.S.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) today celebrates 115 years of improving life at home. Founded Nov. 11, 1911, as the Upton Machine Co. in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company has grown from its Midwestern roots into a global home appliance industry leader, leveraging an iconic portfolio of brands that bring that founding purpose to life worldwide.

The company began commemorating this milestone in July 2026 with consumer sweepstakes and employee-led storytelling initiatives honoring the people behind its heritage. Together, these campaigns celebrate more than a century of innovation and trust, with Whirlpool Corporation appliances found in 3 out of 4 U.S. households.

"For 115 years, Whirlpool Corporation has remained committed to U.S. manufacturing and the local communities where our employees live and work," said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. "As the only major kitchen and laundry appliance manufacturer that started in America, stayed in America and continues to build in America, reaching this milestone is a testament to the dedication of our workforce and the enduring trust of the families we serve."

Celebrating 115 Winners and Generations of Family Memories
As part of the anniversary celebration, Whirlpool Corp. is concluding its national 115th Anniversary Sweepstakes, which invited thousands of consumers nationwide to submit photo memories and personal stories supported by iconic brands, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, JennAir, Amana and InSinkErator.

Behind the scenes, the company's workforce marked the moment by honoring generations of purposeful innovation and manufacturing excellence that made those memories possible.

The company is awarding home appliance prize packages to 115 individual sweepstakes winners — one for every year Whirlpool Corporation has been part of U.S. homes. The packages include delivery, installation and haul-away of old appliances, featuring:

70 KitchenAid^® Artisan^® Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixers with Premium Accessory Pack
30 KitchenAid^® Pure Power Blenders
5 Whirlpool^® Smart Front Load Washers with FreshFlow™ Vent System
5 Maytag^® 5.0 cu. ft. Smart Front Load Washers with Pet Pro Option
5 KitchenAid^® 360° Max Jets™ Third Rack Dishwashers with Advanced ProDry™ System

"This anniversary is about honoring the multigenerational family stories built around our appliances since 1911 and thanking the thousands of consumers who opened their hearts and homes to share their most cherished memories during our national sweepstakes," said Mike Gross, Whirlpool Corporation's senior vice president of North America brands.

Commitment to Domestic Manufacturing
While major industry competitors have moved operations overseas or been acquired by foreign multinationals, Whirlpool Corp. remains the only major American-owned kitchen and laundry appliance manufacturer based in the United States. Its domestic footprint stands firm as an industry benchmark:

Recent investments include a $300 million investment in Ohio laundry operations and a $60 million investment for a new manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Approximately 80% of the major appliances Whirlpool Corp. sells in the U.S. are produced in American factories — triple the average of its major competitors.
Over the past decade, the company has spent $23 billion on U.S. manufacturing, labor, and logistics.
Approximately 96% of the steel used at the company's 11 U.S. manufacturing sites is sourced domestically.
Whirlpool Corp. employs approximately 20,000 workers in the U.S., including 14,000 in manufacturing.

Translating Generations of Consumer Trust Into Tangible Community Impact
For Whirlpool Corp., strengthening its manufacturing workforce goes hand-in-hand with investing in the communities where its employees live and work. Through the company's House+Home strategy, Whirlpool Corp. delivers purpose-driven programs that address everyday challenges:

Over 27 years of supporting Habitat for Humanity International, the company has donated more than $160 million and 260,000 appliances worldwide and provides a range, refrigerator and garbage disposal to Habitat homes built in the U.S. and Canada.
The Feel Good Fridge program has deployed more than 4,000 refurbished refrigerators across the U.S. to fight local food insecurity.
Whirlpool Care Counts™ has helped address student absenteeism through laundry appliances made available in schools across the U.S.
Whirlpool Corporation employees across the U.S. drive impact for local United Way chapters by supporting essential programs focused on education, income, health and basic needs.
Whirlpool Corporation employees and iconic brands have supported Boys & Girls Clubs of America for more than 20 years with a focus on dependability, mentorship and creating opportunities for youth.

To learn more about Whirlpool Corporation's U.S. manufacturing footprint, visit here.

For more information about how Whirlpool Corporation approaches corporate responsibility, visit here .

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2025, the company reported approximately $16 billion in annual net sales - close to 90% of which were in the Americas - 41,000 employees, and 35 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.