Whirlpool Chairman & CEO will not be walking away from President Donald Trump’s Manufacturing Council, electing to stay, instead, to represent his industry sector and the thousands of U.S. manufacturing workers his company employs, hopeful of continuing to help create jobs for American workers.
Despite the resignation of three other chief executives from that council in the wake of presidential comments, Fettig has no current plans to step away from the table. While he maintains his stance of not commenting personally on any issue regarding the President’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative, the Benton Harbor-based appliance maker did issue a brief statement on the matter, saying:
“Whirlpool Corp. believes strongly in an open and inclusive culture that respects people of all races and backgrounds. Our company has long fostered an environment of acceptance and tolerance in the workplace. The company will continue on the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative to represent our industry, our 15,000 U.S. manufacturing workers, and to provide input and advice on ways to create jobs and strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness.”
President Trump didn’t mince words reacting to the departure of Merck & Company CEO Kenneth Frazier, Under Armour, Inc. CEO Kevin Plank and Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich. The President tweeted: “For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on. JOBS!”
Shortly after the President’s response, Scott Paul who heads up the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a trade group, said he was stepping down as well.
Whirlpool’s Jeff Fettig is one of the original 28 top rank executives who were placed on the council by Trump at the beginning of his administration, and some leading business school authorities contend that having a place at the table for discussions impacting manufacturing and jobs is of great import to those who have the President’s ear. Stay tuned.
*****UPDATE*****UPDATE*****
Just hours after Whirlpool CEO Jeff Fettig’s decision to stay aboard President Trump’s Manufacturing Council, the President himself abruptly announced he was disbanding the council effective immediately. The President tweeted anew this afternoon: “Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!”
Apparently the pressure was getting too much, with Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison announcing she would step down from the council this morning, becoming the 8th leader to resign.
