Tennessee is coming out ahead in appliance maker Whirlpool Corp.'s latest manufacturing plans with a commitment to add 500 employees to its Cleveland operations.
The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based company said production of built-in ovens and cook tops will be moved to Cleveland over the next 12 months from an Oxford, Miss., plant it is closing.
"Some salaried employees will relocate to other Whirlpool facilities, as long as there are appropriate openings that exist," company spokeswoman Jody Lau said. But most jobs will be filled by Cleveland residents.
The announcement Thursday is the equivalent of adding a new industry, Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis said.
"It could have easily gone the other way," he said. "Retaining industry is important if not more important than bringing in new industry sometimes."
That's been the case with other Whirlpool moves in Tennessee.
In January, the company said it would be closing its built-in refrigerator factory in La Vergne, Tenn., and shifting production to an Arkansas plant, putting 500 Tennesseans out of work by August.
That followed announcements in 2007 that air purifier production in La Verge would be phased out, costing 330 jobs, and an acquired Maytag parts distribution center in Milan would close, putting another 140 people out of work.
"I thank Whirlpool for its ongoing commitment to Bradley County and its confidence in the local work force," Gov. Phil Bredesen said. The decision to add jobs in Bradley "will strengthen the area economy and is a testament to the business-friendly climate we've worked hard to create in Tennessee."
Whirlpool already is the county's largest employer, with manufacturing, engineering and call-center operations in Bradley. This will increase its local work force to 1,650 by 2009.
Whirlpool is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances with 73,000 employees in 72 facilities worldwide.
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