With the eyes of the Champions Tour securely focused on Tulsa today for the start of the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, KitchenAid parent Whirlpool Corporation has added to the excitement level in that community by announcing a major new investment of $15-million in their Tulsa factory to increase their production capabilities and drive job creation there.
Whirlpool Corporation this morning announced it is investing $15 million into its factory in Tulsa as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to further strengthen its U.S. manufacturing capabilities and bring even more innovation, top ranking consumer products and high-quality jobs to that region. In conjunction with its investment, Whirlpool will receive an additional $1 million from the state of Oklahoma through its Business Expansion Investment Program. The plant produces freestanding and slide-in ranges under the Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag, KitchenAid and JennAir brands.
Through funding from both parties, Whirlpool Corporation expects to create approximately 150 new jobs, building on the company’s Tulsa expansion project announced in 2018. With the additional investment, Whirlpool Corporation is committed to increase its factory headcount to a total of more than 2,000 employees in Tulsa. In March of 2020, Whirlpool Corporation opened an 800,000 square foot Factory Distribution Center which doubled the size of its footprint in Tulsa.
Don Metzelaar, Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain and Quality for Whirlpool Corporation, says, “Whirlpool Corporation is committed to U.S. manufacturing, and our investment in our Tulsa factory highlights our dedication not only to the Tulsa community but to our current and future colleagues in the region,” and adds, “We greatly appreciate the support and leadership of everyone who helped make this happen, including the partnership of the state of Oklahoma and local officials, and we look forward to continuing to work together in our shared efforts to accelerate job creation in the Tulsa region.”
Whirlpool Corporation will utilize the majority of its $15 million allocation to invest in machinery and equipment that will deliver increased production capabilities, including capacity, with remaining funds to be used for key building and infrastructure improvements including health and safety protocols to accommodate the increase in workers. The $1-million offered by the state of Oklahoma, which is tied to Whirlpool Corporation’s investment and commitment to delivering an increase in employment opportunities, will be allocated toward capital investment and further job creation.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt says, “Tulsa’s Whirlpool facility is the perfect example of how a public and private partnership benefits a community,” and concludes, “This new and impactful investment will bring more jobs to our state, show that companies thrive in Oklahoma, and takes our state one step closer to being Top Ten for business.”
The Whirlpool Corporation Tulsa plant is a part of the company’s investment in America, with 21,000 U.S. based employees, including 15,000 manufacturing workers across nine plants.
