Whirlpool Corp.

History

Year	Detail
1911	Louis and Emory Upton founded Upton Machine Co.. It focused on producing electric motor-driven wringer washers, an early form of the electric washing machine.
1947	Nineteen Hundred Corp. sold the automatic washer through Sears under the Kenmore brand name. To make the most of this opportunity to reach new consumers, the company independently distributed a line of automatic washers under a new brand: Whirlpool.
1950	Upton Machine Co. was renamed as Whirlpool Corp., further to enhance its brand recognition around a successful new product.
1955	The company merged with Seeger Refrigerator Co. and Radio Corp. of America (RCA) to bring refrigeration, air conditioning, and food preparation into the fold.
1956	Whirlpool-Seeger Corp. released its first full line of home appliances featuring 15 product categories and 150 models under the RCA-Whirlpool brand.
1986	Whirlpool Corp. acquired the KitchenAid brand, a division of Hobart Corp. This acquisition expanded Whirlpool's portfolio and made it one of the largest major appliance manufacturers globally.
2021	Whirlpool launched its BuildBetter with Whirlpool program, a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build 250 energy-efficient and climate-resilient houses.
2023	Whirlpool Corp. unveiled its new 153,000-square-foot technology center in Saint Joseph, Michigan. The $60+ million project expands and replaces much of the current Saint Joseph Technology Center. This is the first three-phase plan to redesign an iconic research and development facility home to decades of appliance innovations.