Whirlpool La Vergne plant
| Whirlpool La Vergne plant | |
|---|---|
| Operated | c.1987–2008 |
| Location |
|
| Industry | Home appliances |
| Products | |
| Employees | 1,500 (2001) |
| Area | 53 acres (21 ha) |
| Volume | 775,000 square feet (72,000 m2) |
| Owner | Whirlpool Corporation |
Whirlpool La Vergne plant was an appliance manufacturing plant in La Vergne, Tennessee owned by Whirlpool Corporation. The plant was closed in 2008, shifting production to Fort Smith, Arkansas.[1]
History
The plant was originally owned by Heil-Quaker, before it became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Whirlpool Corporation. In 1986, while Whirlpool sold the majority of Heil-Quaker (including its Lewisburg, Tennessee plant) to the Canadian firm Inter-City Gas Corporation, they kept the La Vergne site as a key regional manufacturing and distribution center for room air conditioners and dehumidifiers.[2]
By the 1990s and early 2000s, the facility employed roughly 1,500 to 2,100 workers at peak times, producing built-in refrigerators, air purifiers, and dehumidifiers.[1] In June 2007, Whirlpool announced it was eliminating 330 jobs at its La Vergne, Tennessee, plant as it transitioned production of dehumidifiers and air purifiers to third-party manufacturers overseas.[3][4]
In January 2008, Whirlpool announced that it will close the La Vergne, Tennessee, manufacturing plant, along with its 1,250-worker plant in Reynosa, Mexico.[5][6] The shutdown eliminated about 500 jobs, and the company relocated its built-in refrigerator production to an existing facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas, which added about 275 positions.[1]
The former plant was sold to Ashley Capital for $4.65 million. Since then, the property was renovated into a multi-tenant distribution facility, fully leased to companies like SVP Worldwide and mattress manufacturer Sinomax.[7]
References
- 1 2 3 "Whirlpool Announces Shutdown of LaVergne Plant". WPLN. January 31, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool Agrees to Sell Heating, Cooling Business to Inter-City Gas". Chicago Tribune. September 4, 1986. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool to Cut 730 Manufacturing Jobs, or 1% of Work Force". CNBC. June 7, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool to cut 730 jobs at Tennessee plants". Reuters. June 7, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool restructuring to close 2 plants". The Columbus Dispatch. February 1, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Whirlpool will close La Vergne plant". Nashville Post. January 31, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "La Vergne Whirlpool facility sells for $4.65M". Nashville Post. July 3, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2026.