BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Whirlpool Corp. has announced that it will close three plants and several administrative offices and cut 4,500 jobs as it integrates recently acquired Maytag.
The Maytag plants scheduled for closure include Herrin, Ill., a washer and dryer plant; Searcy, Ark., a dryer facility; and Newton, Iowa, a washer- and dryer-making plant.
Production at these plants will be consolidated into Whirlpool facilities in Marion and Clyde, Ohio.
The Illinois and Arkansas plants are scheduled to close at the end of the year, while the Iowa plant will continue output into 2007.
In addition, the former Maytag headquarters will be consolidated into Whirlpool headquarters in Benton Harbor.
About 1,800 salaried jobs will be cut as Maytag administrative offices in Iowa, Canada and other locations are closed.
Whirlpool also announced that about 1,500 jobs would be created at other Whirlpool locations as a result of the changes.
The restructuring is expected to cost $135 million to $145 million, according to Whirlpool.
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