Whirlpool Corporation Selects The Pizzuti Companies to Develop New Corporate Campus in Benton Harbor

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) today announced the selection of The Pizzuti Companies, of Columbus, Ohio as developer for its new corporate campus to be located at the intersection of Main Street and Riverview Drive in downtown Benton Harbor. The new development will transform the property into an office campus of three, three-story buildings and other amenities.

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"Pizzuti offered a creative and talented team that not only embraced Whirlpool Corporation's 100-year history but also demonstrated an understanding of what it takes to support our forward-looking innovation processes," said Lee Utke, MCR, director of global corporate real estate for Whirlpool Corporation. "They offered a holistic solution, a commitment to using locally based contractors and service providers, and a demonstrated track record of successful community enhancement projects."

The proposed design will also target LEED Gold certification.

Pizzuti's development projects include the Heathrow International Business Center in Orlando, Florida and One and Two Miranova, a mixed-use redevelopment in downtown Columbus that features a luxury high-rise condominium tower and a 12-story Class A office building that serves as home to Pizzuti's corporate headquarters. In addition, Pizzuti is serving as master developer for Exploration Park, a high-tech research and office park on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Pizzuti also has completed multiple buildings for Whirlpool Corporation, including a 1.6 million-square-foot, LEED-certified facility.

"We're extremely pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Whirlpool Corporation," said Joel S. Pizzuti, president and COO of The Pizzuti Companies. "The entire Pizzuti team is committed to delivering a sustainable, world-class corporate headquarters that will allow Whirlpool to continue to retain and attract the best and brightest minds to its corporate workforce."

"The development of Whirlpool's new campus is a component in the ongoing rebirth of Benton Harbor," Pizzuti added. "We are confident that Whirlpool's new campus will serve as an anchor to downtown Benton Harbor, to attract others to invest in revitalizing the area, to enhance the local tax base and to create new jobs along the way."

In July, Whirlpool Corporation announced plans to build a new office campus as part of a consolidation of its 15 owned and leased facilities – located throughout the greater Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph area – to three centralized office campuses.   The changes are expected to take approximately five years to complete and will allow the company to deliver on improvements in productivity, operations, energy efficiency, and overall employee experience. These changes will also allow the company to reduce its operating costs, and will provide greater flexibility to adjust to changing business and staffing needs.

The final three campuses will include the existing Benton Harbor Administrative Center, the St. Joseph Technology Center location, along with the new Main Street Benton Harbor campus. In addition to these three campuses, the company plans to retain its Hilltop Drive South offices, Harbor Town offices and its Business Travel Center.  

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.  The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About The Pizzuti Companies

Established in 1976, The Pizzuti Companies is a recognized leader in the development, marketing and management of real estate. With operations in Columbus, Chicago and Orlando, Pizzuti has developed more than 40 million square feet of Class A office, medical and healthcare, retail, residential and institutional-quality industrial facilities throughout the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States. Pizzuti also has considerable experience working with local governments in the development of creative public-private partnerships. A leader in sustainable design practices, Pizzuti has completed build-to-suit and speculative construction projects in each of their major markets. Pizzuti Solutions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary, boasts a staff with more than a century of combined public-sector work experiences, and focuses extensively in the areas of public facilities, sports and recreation, cultural facilities, education and strategic planning. www.pizzuti.com

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation