gabrielishida
3 years ago
destined to sink
Hello my friends from abroad. I'm here in Brazil.
Let me talk about this company.
Whirlpool obviously owns the commercial branch in Latin America.
Some years ago, they started selling bad products with low life expectancy. So the balances would increase. But after that table table, where the kleptocrats decided to cause a lot of suffering and pain, loss and tears to many families around the world, selling machines that supposedly would have a standard lifespan (get it? I'm not saying extraordinary life expectancy!) with a real life of type... less than 2 years.
The plan was good, my hat is off. But, the image of the company, I mean, Whirlpool and Brastemp and Consul, started to fall apart. Because we have memories, ok? We know what they are selling right now.
In addition to the beautiful designs, the "jenial" side diffuser, when it breaks, is irreparable, turning the entire product into garbage. I keep imagining you, living happily, then the fridge breaks down and you have to throw away all the food, like 2 months of food, and get drunk on gas, and be used and abused by companies that sell a broken product to you, since the fabric.
Well, I'm not saying you'd be stupid if you kept or bought these stocks, but...you know...try this: go to google maps, and take a look at the ratings for every Building point or whirlpool service and draw your own conclusions.
As their plan has now begun to bear fruit, the rising stock prices will stop. And no one will buy it again; Please: check on social media, instagram, facebook .... amount of complaints about Brastemp, Consul, Whirlpool ... feel free.
And it will get worse.
If you want to lose a lot of money, buy it, resell it, associate your name with it. If you're a day trader, that's fine, you can still get some money. But if you are a medium or long term investor... good luck. If I were you, I would sell right now.
Sincerely, from a dissatisfied customer, who understood the whole situation.
One more piece of information: if sealed coils or hidden exhaust fans were good, the industries would have been using them for a long time, wouldn't they? Know what to expect: their technical assistance is in no way able to cover all the problems you are having. And it won't stop, I guarantee you. Search, please.
stocktrademan
9 years ago
$WHR recent news/filings
bullish optionable
bullish divergence suggesting the chart should finish retrace
recent gap up on earnings beat
long term uptrend
stochastics double bottom
## source: finance.yahoo.com
Thu, 30 Jul 2015 15:39:11 GMT ~ /C O R R E C T I O N -- Whirlpool Brand/
[at noodls] - In the news release, Whirlpool® Debuts the Brand's Most Flexible Refrigerator Ever to Care for Any Family, issued July 30, 2015 by Whirlpool Brand over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the ...
read full: http://www.noodls.com/view/3573E00ECDE70B681258E8247EBEC69BFDFBB2FC
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Thu, 30 Jul 2015 15:13:00 GMT ~ /C O R R E C T I O N -- Whirlpool Brand/
[PR Newswire] - In the news release, Whirlpool® Debuts the Brand's Most Flexible Refrigerator Ever to Care for Any Family, issued July 30, 2015 by Whirlpool Brand over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the first paragraph, fourth sentence, should read "Double Drawer French Door Refrigerator" rather than "Double Drawer French Drawer Refrigerator" as originally issued inadvertently. BENTON HARBOR, Mich., July 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- No two families are alike.
read full: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/whirlpool-debuts-brands-most-flexible-100300366.html
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Thu, 30 Jul 2015 10:39:07 GMT ~ Whirlpool® Debuts the Brand's Most Flexible Refrigerator Ever to Care for Any Family
[at noodls] - BENTON HARBOR, Mich., July 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- No two families are alike. They have more needs now than ever, whether it's extra snack drawers for small kids, special foods to meet changing dietary ...
read full: http://www.noodls.com/view/9197538CB38FCC897CD1F4D4629B970F64A90CD6
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Wed, 29 Jul 2015 20:27:12 GMT ~ Whirlpool Canada Wins ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year Award from Natural Resources Canada
[at noodls] - MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, July 29, 2015 /CNW/ -- Whirlpool Canada received the 2015 ENERGY STAR® Manufacturer of the Year award from Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN). Whirlpool has a long history in environmental ...
read full: http://www.noodls.com/view/B5E695995796FCB8B3B54ECC2E555BA1C4A9A757
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Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:31:00 GMT ~ Whirlpool Canada Wins ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year Award from Natural Resources Canada
[CNW Group] - Whirlpool Canada Wins ENERGY STAR Manufacturer of the Year Award from Natural Resources Canada
read full: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/whirlpool-canada-wins-energy-star-193100175.html
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$WHR charts
basic chart ## source: stockcharts.com
basic chart ## source: stockscores.com
big daily chart ## source: stockcharts.com
big weekly chart ## source: stockcharts.com
$WHR company information
## source: otcmarkets.com
Link: http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/company-info
Ticker: $WHR
OTC Market Place: Not Available
CIK code: 0000106640
Company name: Whirlpool Corp.
Company website: http://www.whirlpool.com
Incorporated In: DE, USA
$WHR share structure
## source: otcmarkets.com
Market Value: $13,967,810,598 a/o Jul 30, 2015
Shares Outstanding: 78,417,980 a/o Jul 17, 2015
Float: Not Available
Authorized Shares: Not Available
Par Value: 1
$WHR extra dd links
Company name: Whirlpool Corp.
Company website: http://www.whirlpool.com
## STOCK DETAILS ##
After Hours Quote (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/after-hours
Option Chain (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/option-chain
Historical Prices (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=WHR+Historical+Prices
Company Profile (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=WHR+Profile
Industry (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/in?s=WHR+Industry
## COMPANY NEWS ##
Market Stream (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stream
Latest news (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/news - http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=WHR+Headlines
## STOCK ANALYSIS ##
Analyst Research (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/analyst-research
Guru Analysis (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/guru-analysis
Stock Report (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-report
Competitors (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/competitors
Stock Consultant (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-consultant
Stock Comparison (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-comparison
Investopedia (investopedia.com): http://www.investopedia.com/markets/stocks/WHR/?wa=0
Research Reports (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/research
Basic Tech. Analysis (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ta?s=WHR+Basic+Tech.+Analysis
Barchart (barchart.com): http://www.barchart.com/quotes/stocks/WHR
DTCC (dtcc.com): http://search2.dtcc.com/?q=Whirlpool+Corp.&x=10&y=8&sp_p=all&sp_f=ISO-8859-1
Spoke company information (spoke.com): http://www.spoke.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Whirlpool+Corp.
Corporation WIKI (corporationwiki.com): http://www.corporationwiki.com/search/results?term=Whirlpool+Corp.&x=0&y=0
WHOIS (domaintools.com): http://whois.domaintools.com/http://www.whirlpool.com
Alexa (alexa.com): http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/http://www.whirlpool.com#
Corporate website internet archive (archive.org): http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.whirlpool.com
## FUNDAMENTALS ##
Call Transcripts (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/call-transcripts
Annual Report (companyspotlight.com): http://www.companyspotlight.com/library/companies/keyword/WHR
Income Statement (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/financials?query=income-statement
Revenue/EPS (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/revenue-eps
SEC Filings (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/sec-filings
Edgar filings (sec.gov): http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000106640&owner=exclude&count=40
Latest filings (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/filings
Latest financials (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/financials
Short Interest (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/short-interest
Dividend History (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/dividend-history
RegSho (regsho.com): http://www.regsho.com/tools/symbol_stats.php?sym=WHR&search=search
OTC Short Report (otcshortreport.com): http://otcshortreport.com/index.php?index=WHR
Short Sales (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/short-sales
Key Statistics (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=WHR+Key+Statistics
Insider Roster (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ir?s=WHR+Insider+Roster
Income Statement (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=WHR
Balance Sheet (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=WHR
Cash Flow (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/cf?s=WHR+Cash+Flow&annual
## HOLDINGS ##
Major holdings (cnbc.com): http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/WHR/tab/8.1
Insider transactions (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=WHR+Insider+Transactions
Insider transactions (secform4.com): http://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/WHR.htm
Insider transactions (insidercrow.com): http://www.insidercow.com/history/company.jsp?company=WHR
Ownership Summary (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/ownership-summary
Institutional Holdings (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/institutional-holdings
Insiders (SEC Form 4) (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/insider-trades
Insider Disclosure (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/insider-transactions
## SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER VARIOUS SOURCES ##
PST (pennystocktweets.com): http://www.pennystocktweets.com/stocks/profile/WHR
Market Watch (marketwatch.com): http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/WHR
Bloomberg (bloomberg.com): http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/WHR:US
Morningstar (morningstar.com): http://quotes.morningstar.com/stock/s?t=WHR
Bussinessweek (businessweek.com): http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=WHR
$WHR DD Notes ~ http://www.ddnotesmaker.com/WHR
stocktrademan
9 years ago
$WHR recent news/filings
bearish chart
gap down
high bearish volume
bearish divergence
## source: finance.yahoo.com
Fri, 01 May 2015 17:39:13 GMT ~ Anemic U.S. factory data points to moderate growth bounce
[Reuters - UK Focus] - U.S. factory activity failed to gain steam in April after slowing for five straight months, but stronger-than-expected vehicle sales suggested the economy was finding some momentum after almost stalling in the first quarter. Still, the sluggishness in the manufacturing sector and other data on Friday showing construction spending hit a six-month low in March indicated that the anticipated acceleration in growth in the second quarter could disappoint. The economy expanded at a 0.2 percent annual pace in the first three months of the year, slammed by bad weather, a strong dollar and a now-resolved labor dispute at the West Coast ports, as well as lower oil prices, which have undercut domestic energy production. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector.
read full: http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/u-factory-activity-steady-consumer-152227130.html
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Fri, 01 May 2015 00:13:43 GMT ~ 10-Q for Whirlpool Corp.
read full: http://www.companyspotlight.com/routers/headline/14643/10004/6482276?cp_code=YAH1&1430439223
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Thu, 30 Apr 2015 22:00:46 GMT ~ Making Money With Charles Payne: 04/30/15
read full: http://www.foxbusiness.com/investing/2015/04/30/making-money-with-charles-payne-043015-2027737893/
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Thu, 30 Apr 2015 21:17:42 GMT ~ Whirlpool Corporation Ranks Among Top 100 Military Friendly Employers in America, Best Corporate Citizens and Most Reputable Companies
[at noodls] - BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation has been recognized for its corporate citizenship, reputation and as one of America's top military friendly employers. ... This ...
read full: http://www.noodls.com/view/4F6413729B5EC01BEEB8E53DA47A4F9331BA550C
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Thu, 30 Apr 2015 20:45:00 GMT ~ Whirlpool Corporation Ranks Among Top 100 Military Friendly Employers in America, Best Corporate Citizens and Most Reputable Companies
[PR Newswire] - BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation has been recognized for its corporate citizenship, reputation and as one of America's top military friendly employers. The Reputation Institute ranked Whirlpool Corporation among the 2015 Global RepTrak® 100. Whirlpool Corporation was also ranked as one of CR magazine's Top 100 Best Corporate Citizens for 2015. Whirlpool Corporation ranked No. 79 on the list with the highest scores coming in the categories of Human Rights, Employee Relations, Corporate Governance and Philanthropy.
read full: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/whirlpool-corporation-ranks-among-top-204500111.html
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$WHR charts
basic chart ## source: stockcharts.com
basic chart ## source: stockscores.com
big daily chart ## source: stockcharts.com
big weekly chart ## source: stockcharts.com
$WHR company information
## source: otcmarkets.com
Link: http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/company-info
Ticker: $WHR
OTC Market Place: Not Available
CIK code: 0000106640
Company name: Whirlpool Corp.
Company website: http://www.whirlpool.com
Incorporated In: DE, USA
$WHR share structure
## source: otcmarkets.com
Market Value: $13,714,828,676 a/o Apr 30, 2015
Shares Outstanding: 78,644,432 a/o Apr 24, 2015
Float: Not Available
Authorized Shares: Not Available
Par Value: 1
$WHR extra dd links
Company name: Whirlpool Corp.
Company website: http://www.whirlpool.com
## STOCK DETAILS ##
After Hours Quote (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/after-hours
Option Chain (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/option-chain
Historical Prices (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=WHR+Historical+Prices
Company Profile (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=WHR+Profile
Industry (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/in?s=WHR+Industry
## COMPANY NEWS ##
Market Stream (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stream
Latest news (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/news - http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=WHR+Headlines
## STOCK ANALYSIS ##
Analyst Research (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/analyst-research
Guru Analysis (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/guru-analysis
Stock Report (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-report
Competitors (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/competitors
Stock Consultant (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-consultant
Stock Comparison (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/stock-comparison
Investopedia (investopedia.com): http://www.investopedia.com/markets/stocks/WHR/?wa=0
Research Reports (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/research
Basic Tech. Analysis (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ta?s=WHR+Basic+Tech.+Analysis
Barchart (barchart.com): http://www.barchart.com/quotes/stocks/WHR
DTCC (dtcc.com): http://search2.dtcc.com/?q=Whirlpool+Corp.&x=10&y=8&sp_p=all&sp_f=ISO-8859-1
Spoke company information (spoke.com): http://www.spoke.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Whirlpool+Corp.
Corporation WIKI (corporationwiki.com): http://www.corporationwiki.com/search/results?term=Whirlpool+Corp.&x=0&y=0
WHOIS (domaintools.com): http://whois.domaintools.com/http://www.whirlpool.com
Alexa (alexa.com): http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/http://www.whirlpool.com#
Corporate website internet archive (archive.org): http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.whirlpool.com
## FUNDAMENTALS ##
Call Transcripts (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/call-transcripts
Annual Report (companyspotlight.com): http://www.companyspotlight.com/library/companies/keyword/WHR
Income Statement (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/financials?query=income-statement
Revenue/EPS (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/revenue-eps
SEC Filings (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/sec-filings
Edgar filings (sec.gov): http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000106640&owner=exclude&count=40
Latest filings (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/filings
Latest financials (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/financials
Short Interest (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/short-interest
Dividend History (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/dividend-history
RegSho (regsho.com): http://www.regsho.com/tools/symbol_stats.php?sym=WHR&search=search
OTC Short Report (otcshortreport.com): http://otcshortreport.com/index.php?index=WHR
Short Sales (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/short-sales
Key Statistics (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=WHR+Key+Statistics
Insider Roster (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ir?s=WHR+Insider+Roster
Income Statement (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=WHR
Balance Sheet (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bs?s=WHR
Cash Flow (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/cf?s=WHR+Cash+Flow&annual
## HOLDINGS ##
Major holdings (cnbc.com): http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/WHR/tab/8.1
Insider transactions (yahoo.com): http://finance.yahoo.com/q/it?s=WHR+Insider+Transactions
Insider transactions (secform4.com): http://www.secform4.com/insider-trading/WHR.htm
Insider transactions (insidercrow.com): http://www.insidercow.com/history/company.jsp?company=WHR
Ownership Summary (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/ownership-summary
Institutional Holdings (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/institutional-holdings
Insiders (SEC Form 4) (nasdaq.com): http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/WHR/insider-trades
Insider Disclosure (otcmarkets.com): http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/WHR/insider-transactions
## SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER VARIOUS SOURCES ##
PST (pennystocktweets.com): http://www.pennystocktweets.com/stocks/profile/WHR
Market Watch (marketwatch.com): http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/WHR
Bloomberg (bloomberg.com): http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/WHR:US
Morningstar (morningstar.com): http://quotes.morningstar.com/stock/s?t=WHR
Bussinessweek (businessweek.com): http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=WHR
$WHR DD Notes ~ http://www.ddnotesmaker.com/WHR
Enterprising Investor
10 years ago
Whirlpoolâs Jeff Fettig: Doing the Worldâs Laundry (3/07/15)
By Crystal Kim
A gold statue of a bald eagle, wings spread, talons open, sits atop a bookshelf in Jeff Fettigâs spare and tidy office at Whirlpool headquarters in Benton Harbor, Mich. âIt was a gift from a colleagueâa symbol of the company and its values,â says the appliance makerâs CEO.
The eagle, once as endangered a species as American manufacturing, starred in a Whirlpool TV commercial in 1978. Taps played in the background as the bird cut across the sky before diving to snatch a fish out of the water. A voice-over intoned, âHe lived a simple idea. Do it right or donât do it at all.â
Fettig, 58, has done it right since landing at Whirlpool (ticker: WHR) 34 years ago, straight out of Indiana Universityâs business school. He rose through the companyâs ranks to become CEO in 2004, and since then has made Whirlpool the global leader in the highly fragmented large-home-appliance manufacturing market, with a more-than-10% market share. His success owes in part to several savvy acquisitionsâof rival Maytag and appliance makers in Europe and China. Fettig also has used the courts, when necessary, to fend off aggressive foreign competition.
Fettigâs moves, and Whirlpoolâs financial results, have resonated strongly with shareholders. At a recent $211, the shares have returned an average of 14% a year, dividends included, during his tenure, compared with an average annual total return of 8% in the Standard & Poorâs 500 index.
FOUNDED IN 1911, Whirlpool today has seven billion-dollar brands, including Whirlpool, Maytag, Jenn-Air, and Kitchen-Aid. The company sells washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, and other so-called white goods, as well as small kitchen appliances, in 170 countries. âIn our business, size and scale matter,â says Fettig.
Home appliances have been a dog-eat-dog business for decades. Swedenâs Electrolux (ELUXA.Sweden) muscled into the U.S. market in 1988 with its acquisition of WCI Group. Whirlpool moved into Europe a year later, acquiring Philips Electronicsâ home-appliance business, which is now part of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa operations. Smaller U.S. companies that couldnât stay competitive landed on the conveyor belt bound for the corporate junkyard.
Struggling Maytag agreed in 2005 to be sold to the private-equity firm Ripplewood Holdings. But Fettig and Chinaâs Haier Electronics (1169.Hong Kong) swooped in before the deal closed to try to wrest the prize.
Whirlpool ultimately prevailed, paying $1.7 billion in cash and stock, even as other home-appliance manufacturers and industry experts questioned whether the transaction, which would give the combined company just under 50% of the U.S. appliance market, would violate antitrust laws. âWe did our homework and felt very strongly that [the acquisition] would pass regulatory approval,â says Fettig.
Specifically, he argued that the Kenmore appliances that Whirlpool manufactured for Sears on a contract basis ought not to be included in Whirlpoolâs market-share calculations. The Maytag deal was approved, and closed in 2006.
Fettig says Whirlpool might never have become an international competitor without the Maytag acquisition. Today, the company serves 40% of the North American market, with Electrolux a close second, at about 35%, pending its planned acquisition of General Electric âs (GE) home-appliance business, announced last year. âHaving a big market position in North America allows us to be competitive in Europe, India, and China, and vice versa,â he says.
After tucking in Maytag, Whirlpool acquired Italyâs Indesit and a 51% stake in Chinaâs Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric, expanding its global platform by 30%. Indesit gave the company the No. 1 position in Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Its Hefei Sanyo stake will give Whirlpool access to 10 times the distribution channels it had on its own in Asia, and open up rural markets in China.
ACQUISITIONS HAVE MADE Whirlpoolâs results lumpy in the short term, but cutting costs and streamlining manufacturing are bound to pay off in the long run. Earnings fell 13% last year, to $914 million, or $11.49 a share, on revenue of $19.9 billion, up 6%. Analysts expect the company to earn $14.48 a share in 2015, and $16.90 in 2016, as revenue climbs above $24 billion.
Ken Zener, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets, sees 14% upside in Whirlpoolâs shares. He has a 12-month price target of $240, which values the stock at 17 times his 2015 earnings estimate. âThe discount decade is over,â Zener wrote in a recent note, referring to rampant discounting in the appliance industry.
The trouble began when Samsung Electronics (005930.Korea) and LG Electronics (066570.Korea) began selling appliances in North America in the early 2000s. The South Korean electronics giants, which now boast a combined 18% market share in the U.S., parlayed their smartphone credibility into feature-packed, low-priced washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Other manufacturers were forced to cut prices to stay competitive, and Whirlpoolâs operating profit margins declined. In 2011, Fettig finally stopped taking the punches.
Whirlpool filed a fair-trade action that year against Samsung and LG for âdumping,â or selling products below cost, and petitioned the U.S. government to impose duties on their imports. The Commerce Department sided with Whirlpool, and LG and Samsung were penalized. âOccasionally, we have to use the law [against] people who want to cause harm to U.S. manufacturing,â Fettig says.
FETTIG GREW UP on a farm in Tipton, Ind., with eight siblings. He began tending livestock and making repairs on the property at the tender age of 6. He joined Whirlpool in 1981 in financial operations and says, âI felt lucky when I got the offer. The company set clear expectations and abided by a standard of excellence that resonated with me.â
Whirlpoolâs former CEO, David Whitwam, recalls meeting Fettig in 1986 through a mentoring and leadership-development program. âJeff had leadership capabilities at a young age, which was very impressive,â he says. âHe was one of those rare, exceptional people you meet in a lifetime. I said to myself, âIf we give Jeff the right experiences, he could run the company someday.â â
Fettig climbed the executive ranks on the marketing side of the company. He was promoted to vice president of KitchenAid in 1989, and later headed Europe and North America operations during Whirlpoolâs formative years as a global company.
For Whirlpool to be successful in the global marketplace, it had to do more than sell American goods internationally. It needed regional manufacturing operations and marketing capabilities, the better to cater to local demands. âIt is hard work, it takes time, and it is a lot more than planting flags in new operations,â Fettig says.
Asian consumers, for instance, like refrigerators that come in bright colors. They prize their appliances and display them prominently in their homes as signs of status. Washing machines sold in India are equipped with specialized agitators designed to keep five-foot-long saris from getting tangled. Europeans and Americans favor microwave ovens that can brown potatoes and crisp bacon. Whirlpoolâs iconic KitchenAid stand mixer, which retails for $250 to $800 and comes in 60 colors, is a universal favorite.
Whirlpool operates 15 regional technology and research centers worldwide. The company doesnât tout technology, per se; Fettig prefers to emphasize innovation. Whirlpool customers âdonât care about technology,â he says. âThey just want their washers to wash better.â
They do care about energy savings, however, and the companyâs products deliver. Whirlpool has teamed with Nest Labs, a maker of smart thermostats owned by Google (GOOGL), on a washer and dryer that not only can be operated remotely, but also incorporate energy-usage-gathering data that can translate into savings on utility bills. Such innovation helped Whirlpool win six awards at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, underscoring the promise of the Internet of Things in the home-automation category.
WITH OPERATIONS now in place abroad, Whirlpool is tidying up at homeâin Benton Harbor, where it has undertaken a $155 million renovation of its corporate headquarters, expected to be completed in 2016. The companyâs 15 local facilities will be consolidated into three âcampuses,â featuring open-floor plans to promote creativity and collaboration.
Whirlpool also has partnered with Purdue University to pursue energy-efficiency initiatives. Several graduate engineering students in the companyâs leadership-development program have been living since last year in a 1920s bungalow near Purdueâs campus called ReNEWW house, and have been charged with transforming it into a âsuperefficientâ home that produces as much energy as it consumes. The project will run until 2018.
Fettig takes an active interest in civic affairs. In 2009, as the U.S. auto industry struggled to survive, Michiganâs economic output declined by 5.2%; the state ranked 49th in economic growthâor lack thereof. That year, Fettig helped found Business Leaders for Michigan, a business roundtable charged with reversing this sorry state of affairs.
Doug Rothwell, president and CEO of the organization, attributes Michiganâs reboundâit was 21st in econmic growth in 2013âto Fettigâs âtenacityâ and âunemotional focusâ that allowed him to fix problems instead of ruminating on the reasons for them.
WHIRLPOOL HAS done its bit to help the nationâs economy by slowly bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. from Mexico and elsewhere. But donât confuse this with altruism. âWe relocated jobs to the U.S. for one reason,â Fettig says. âWe were making new investments in products for the North American market, and the most competitive place we could make them was in the U.S.â
Indeed, more than 80% of the products Whirlpool sells in the U.S. are now made here.
With high-skills manufacturing and tech jobs coming to Michigan, courtesy not only of Whirlpool but the rebounding auto industry and office-supply manufacturers, Rothwell predicts that the state could become a Midwestern Silicon Valley. He also expects it to climb into the top 10 in GDP in the next decade.
Whirlpool easily could have moved its headquarters across Lake Michigan to Chicago, where it already has a showroom. But Fettig chose to keep the company close to its rootsâyet another reflection of Whirlpoolâs values.
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