Whirlpool Amana plant is an appliance manufacturing plant in Amana, Iowa owned by Whirlpool Corporation.[1][2]
| Whirlpool Amana plant | |
|---|---|
| Operated | 1934–present |
| Location |
|
| Industry | Home appliances |
| Products | french door refrigerators |
| Employees | 2,000 |
| Area | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| Volume | 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2) |
| Owner | Whirlpool Corporation |
History
editIn 2001, Maytag acquired Amana Corporation from Goodman, which includes the main plant in Amana, Iowa.[3] In 2006, Whirlpool, which purchased Maytag this year, invested up to $11 million to expand the Amana, Iowa plant, creating up to 400 new jobs over two years to meet surging consumer demand for bottom-freezer refrigerators.[4]
On October 27, 2011, Whirlpool Corporation announced that it would close its Fort Smith, Arkansas refrigerator manufacturing plant.[5] The closure resulted in the loss of over 1,000 jobs and completely ceased operations on June 29, 2012, shifting production to Amana, Iowa.[6]
In July 2025, the plant began reducing the second shift and laying off employees, with 250 job cuts this summer. This is because Whirlpool is making way for a "multi-year modernization plan" and to consolidate production lines.[7] The company laid off approximately 400 union workers at the plant on March 9, 2026.[8]
In June 2026, Whirlpool announced that the plant will end its second-shift production by July 5th of the year, eliminating another 288 roles, and temporary suspending top-freezer refrigerator production.[9] Local 1526 of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) strongly condemned these cuts while Whirlpool continued expanding operations in Mexico.[10][11]
References
edit- ↑ "Whirlpool US Manufacturing". Whirlpool Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool Corporation recognizes Manufacturing Day 2021 by celebrating U.S. plant work force". Whirlpool Corporation. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Maytag Gets Approval to Purchase Amana, A Rival". The New York Times. July 14, 2001. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool Corporation Expands Amana Manufacturing Operations". Whirlpool Corporation. July 20, 2006. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool To Close Fort Smith Plant". Talk Business & Politics. October 25, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool Fort Smith to Shut Down June 29". 5newsonline.com. April 27, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool layoffs hit Amana facility, cutting 288 jobs". The Des Moines Register. June 5, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool to lay off around 400 workers in Amana". KCRG. February 17, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Iowa layoffs: Whirlpool Amana to lay off 288 workers". KCCI. June 10, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "IAM Union Blasts Whirlpool for Eliminating Nearly 300 Jobs while Continuing to Expand in Mexico". IAM Union. June 9, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Trump's tariffs aren't saving jobs at Whirlpool's Iowa refrigerator plant". Reuters. June 29, 2026. Retrieved July 5, 2026.