Whirlpool Corporation is throwing full support behind the Berrien County Board in rebutting the federal Economic Development Administration demand for a loan payback. (That story can be found here: https://www.moodyonthemarket.com/County-Standoff-with-Feds-Over-1M-Loan/22831508 )
Jeff Noel, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Whirlpool Corporation issued the following statement:
We fully support the action taken by the Berrien County Commissioners in response to the letter received from the federal Economic Development Administration.
More than 15 years ago, Berrien County helped create jobs in making a forgivable loan to Whirlpool Corporation under the conditions that new employment was created and we maintained 2,181 jobs in Berrien County through 2011. Whirlpool Corporation far exceeded those job numbers, today employing more than 4,000 people in this community.
Since then, we have also invested an additional $155 million in new facilities as part of our long term commitment to the region.
The steps taken by the County of Berrien working with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Cities of St. Joseph and Benton Charter Township in 2001 helped support actions taken by Whirlpool Corporation to relocate our Cooking Technology Center from Dayton, Ohio to this community. In addition to creating more than 180 new jobs, we were able to upgrade and invest in our call center to help retain significant employment in this community.
It is hard for us to understand why the EDA has waited years to raise this issue. Whirlpool Corporation will work closely with the County of Berrien in an effort to have the facts understood by the federal agency and the issue properly resolved.
