Benton Harbor, Michigan-based Whirlpool Corp. recently announced plans for a $55 million expansion of a manufacturing facility and new distribution center in Owasso, Oklahoma. The Factory Distribution Center is projected to be completed by early next year and will bring as many as 150 jobs to the area, about 15 miles northeast of Tulsa.
Whirlpool has held a manufacturing presence in the region since 1996 and currently employs more than 1,650 workers. The initial plant was funded with $26 million from a half-cent sales tax approved by Tulsa County voters. The facility currently produces more than 2 million cooking appliances annually. The new distribution center will be roughly 800,000 square feet.
Appliance manufacturing continues to be a bright spot in the U.S. manufacturing sphere, growing annually over the last five years by 2.9% to reach a total market value of $19 billion. Buoyed by strong consumer confidence readings and steady home construction rates, sales and production figures for stoves, refrigerators, and freezers remain strong.
Whirlpool is widely considered the second-largest appliance manufacturer, trailing only Haier, the Chinese company that recently purchased GE’s appliance division.