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May 8, 2008
Whirlpool Corp. is hiring 120 employees at the company's refrigerator plant in Middle Amana.
The employees are needed to meet production demands because of new models and the staffing issues caused by the summer vacation, Whirlpool spokeswoman Monica Teague said.
Whirlpool declined to state what new models are produced at the Amana plant, specifying only that it is "new bottom-mount (bottom-freezer) product."
The positions start at $13.18 per hour with shift differentials and a bonus program.
The Middle Amana plant produces bottom-freezer refrigerators sold under Whirlpool, Amana, Maytag and other brand names. The bottom-mount models have been some of the industry's hottest-selling refrigerators because consumers like being able to see and reach more of their refrigerator's contents at eye level.
Teague said the 120 new hires are in addition to 170 employees already hired this year at Middle Amana.
Summer is traditionally the main season for refrigerator sales because more consumers are moving into new homes and buying the appliances to equip their kitchens. Refrigerators also fail more frequently in the summer because their compressors run more during hotter weather.
Whirlpool employs more than 2,000 at the Middle Amana plant, which was part of Whirlpool's March 2006 acquisition of Maytag Corp.
Cedar Rapids-based economic development agency Priority One worked with Whirlpool on recruitment tools and strategies that can be used to increase its seasonal work force, including the CorridorCareers.com Web site and Corridor Career Fair. The company also has set up a recruitment kiosk at Lindale Mall.
The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based company recently said its shipments of major appliances to customers in the United States declined by 9 percent in the quarter that ended on March 31 compared with the same three months of 2007. Higher material costs, oil-related inflationary pressures and declining demand in the United States are making for a challenging operating environment, Chairman and CEO Jeff Fettig said.
During the quarter, Whirlpool said it launched a new version of its French door refrigerator with an external ice and water dispenser. The refrigerator features extra tall humidity-controlled crispers, a caddy for tall bottles and a can pack keeper to store a case of beverages.
Whirlpool is planning to close a former Maytag distribution center in North Liberty, which was deemed redundant after the acquisition, after having eliminated the former Maytag laundry products operation and headquarters in Newton.
The company is the world's manufacturer of large household appliances, with annual sales of more than $19 billion and more than 73,000 employees.
Whirlpool is taking applications at its Middle Amana plant between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
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