Whirlpool Corporation is marking its 115th anniversary this week with 115 appliance prizes and a renewed emphasis on its U.S. manufacturing footprint, but the milestone arrives at a more consequential moment than the celebration alone suggests: the company is navigating falling sales, a third-quarter loss and a trade environment that has become increasingly protective of domestic appliance production.
Founded as the Upton Machine Co. in Benton Harbor, Michigan, on Nov. 11, 1911, Whirlpool has grown from an electric wringer-washer business into the owner of brands including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, JennAir, Amana and InSinkErator. The company says products from its brands are present in three out of four U.S. households.
The anniversary campaign itself is straightforward: Whirlpool said it is awarding 115 prize packages through a national sweepstakes, including KitchenAid mixers and blenders, Whirlpool and Maytag front-load washers, and KitchenAid dishwashers. Appliance News reported on the anniversary campaign when Whirlpool launched it this summer.
The Bigger Anniversary Story Is Manufacturing
Whirlpool is using the anniversary to reinforce a distinction it has made central to its corporate positioning: it describes itself as the only major American-owned kitchen and laundry appliance manufacturer based in the United States. The company says it has about 20,000 U.S. employees across 11 manufacturing communities and corporate offices.
That footprint spans several major appliance categories. Whirlpool lists washer production in Clyde, Ohio; dryers in Marion, Ohio; dishwashers in Findlay, Ohio; ranges in Tulsa, Oklahoma; refrigeration in Amana, Iowa; freezers and built-in refrigerators in Ottawa, Ohio; premium cooking products in Cleveland, Tennessee; KitchenAid small appliances in Greenville, Ohio; and InSinkErator disposals in Racine, Wisconsin.
The domestic network has become more strategically important in 2026 because federal trade policy now gives U.S. appliance production more protection from imports. Whirlpool told investors that Section 232 tariffs were expanded in April to impose a 25% global tariff based on the import value of covered home appliances, including refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, freezers, ranges, ovens, cooktops and food-waste disposals. The company publicly supported the change, arguing that it would help domestic producers compete with imports.
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A 115-Year Milestone During a Difficult 2026
The anniversary also comes during a weaker financial year. Whirlpool reported third-quarter net sales of $3.68 billion, down 8.8% from the same period a year earlier, and a GAAP net loss attributable to common shareholders of $249 million. Organic net sales fell 5.4%.
Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer said in the company’s Oct. 26 earnings release that cost reductions and pricing had improved margins sequentially, but that the pace of recovery was slower than Whirlpool expected. That makes the company’s manufacturing and tariff strategy more than an anniversary talking point: the question is whether a more protected U.S. market can translate into stronger volumes and margins as Whirlpool moves into 2027.
For context, Whirlpool reported approximately $16 billion in 2025 net sales, with close to 90% generated in the Americas, along with 41,000 employees and 35 manufacturing and technology research centers worldwide.
From Wringer Washers to a Broad Appliance Portfolio
Whirlpool’s corporate history traces the business to Lou and Emory Upton and the first Upton Machine Co. electric wringer washer in 1911. The company’s history materials say an early batch of machines had defective transmission gears; Upton replaced the faulty parts at no cost, and the customer subsequently doubled its order. By 1916, Upton Machine had begun selling washers to Sears, Roebuck & Co.
The modern Whirlpool is much broader than the company that started with laundry. Its brand portfolio now reaches major kitchen and laundry appliances, premium cooking, small appliances and food-waste disposals. That breadth also means its U.S. manufacturing claim touches many of the categories most exposed to current tariff, housing and consumer-spending trends.
What Comes After the Anniversary
Whirlpool’s 115th year therefore lands at an unusual intersection of history and policy. The company has a larger domestic production base than many competitors and now operates behind higher barriers on imported finished appliances, but those advantages have not insulated it from a soft market in 2026.
For retailers and suppliers, the next test will be less ceremonial: whether Whirlpool can convert its U.S. footprint, pricing actions and cost reductions into a stronger 2027 while consumers remain sensitive to big-ticket household spending.
