Whirlpool Marion plant

Whirlpool Marion plant
Operated1955–present
Location
IndustryHome appliances
Productsclothes dryers
Employees2,500
Volume2,300,000 square feet (210,000 m2)
OwnerWhirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Marion plant is an appliance manufacturing plant in Marion, Ohio owned by Whirlpool Corporation.[1][2] The plant was the world's largest clothes dryer factory, producing over 4 million dryers annually.[1][3][4]

History

The plant was originally operated by the Motor Products Corporation. In 1955, Whirlpool bought the manufacturing plant from the automotive parts company, and converted it into a clothes dryer production facility with 235 employees and 300 dryers per day.[5][6] In 1959, the plant reached the 1-million-dryer milestone, scaling to output thousands of units daily to satisfy the booming postwar demand for appliances.[6]

In October 1986, Whirlpool closed the historic St. Joseph, Michigan laundry manufacturing plant, which includes dryers, eliminating over 1,000 jobs and consolidating production in Marion, Ohio.[7] In 1994, the plant began manufacturing dryers for the Canadian market following the closure of the Whirlpool plant in Cambridge, Ontario.[8]

In November 2008, Whirlpool Corporation laid off 570 workers at its dryer manufacturing plant in Marion, Ohio. The cutbacks were directly caused by sagging consumer demand and a soft retail market for new household appliances.[9] On October 15, 2025, Whirlpool announced a $300 million investment spread across two of its Ohio laundry manufacturing plants, creating between 400 and 600 jobs.[10]

On April 10, 2026, Whirlpool announced a $60 million investment to build a new manufacturing plant in Perrysburg, Ohio, located at the site of the former Toledo Solar.[11] The project, located at 1775 Progress Drive, will create approximately 150 jobs, and will produce appliance components for washers and dryers to support both Clyde and Marion plants.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Whirlpool US Manufacturing". Whirlpool Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Whirlpool Corporation recognizes Manufacturing Day 2021 by celebrating U.S. plant work force". Whirlpool Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Marion Area Chamber of Commerce...presents". Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Whirlpool plant keeps producing dryers". The Marion Star. January 5, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Whirlpool Centennial: From Humble Roots to Global Production Power". Assembly Magazine. October 27, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "A Peek Inside the Marion Plant". Assembly Magazine. November 11, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Whirlpool said it plans to close 4 Michigan plants". Los Angeles Times. August 25, 1986. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Whirlpool to Shut 2 Plants and Cut Work Force". The New York Times. November 16, 1994. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Marion hit with Whirlpool layoffs". The Columbus Dispatch. November 12, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Whirlpool Corporation Announces $300 Million Investment in U.S. Plants". Whirlpool Corporation. October 15, 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Whirlpool Announces $60M Investment, Up To 150 Jobs For New Ohio Facility". Whirlpool Corporation. April 10, 2026. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Whirlpool to open new factory in Perrysburg". WTVG. April 10, 2026. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
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