From a machine shop in St. Joseph, Michigan in 1911 to the world's leading manufacturer of major household appliances, the Whirlpool Corporation has come a long way from its humble beginning.  The following timeline traces the development of the Whirlpool Corporation into the corporate giant it is today.

1911   Lou and Emory Upton open Upton Machine Company and produce electric wringer washers

1916   Upton manufactures wringer washers for Sears catalog under the Allen brand name

1920s  Upton produces a washer under its own brand name

1929   Upton merges with Nineteen Hundred Washer Company of New York and becomes the Nineteen Hundred Corporation

1940s  Production of weapons parts during World War II

1947   Automatic spinner-type washer sold by Sears under Kenmore name

1949   Complete line of Whirlpool laundry appliances launched

1950   Company changes name from The Nineteen Hundred Corporation to Whirlpool Corporation

1955   Merger with Seeger Refrigerator Company adds refrigerators and company name becomes Whirlpool-Seeger Corporation

1955   Acquisition of air conditioners and cooking-ranges from RCA and marketed as RCA-Whirlpool

1957   Merger with Chicago's Birtman Electric Company adds vacuum cleaners

1957   Company name reverts back to Whirlpool Corporation

1958   First acquisition outside U.S. with a stake in Brazil's Brasmotor S.A. appliance company

1960s  Whirlpool drops RCA name from products

1964   Purchase of Heil-Quaker Corporation adds central heating and cooling equipment (sold in 1986 to City Gas Corporation of Canada)

1966   Purchase of Warwick Electronics by Whirlpool (sold in 1976 to Sanyo Electric Company)

1969   Whirlpool buys 33% of John Inglis Co. Ltd, a Canadian appliance company

1977   Whirlpool introduces first solid-state electronic clothes washer and microwave ovens

1986   The KitchenAid division of Hobart Corporation is bought by Whirlpool

1989   Whirlpool acquires right to Roper brand

1989   Whirlpool forms a joint venture to launch Whirlpool Europe B.V.

1997   Whirlpool has major corporate restructuring

2002   Whirlpool's Polara refrigerated range is first to combine cooking and refrigerating

2002   Gladiator GarageWorks products are launched to organize garages

2005   Whirlpool wins takeover battle and acquires Maytag Corporation

Whirlpool appliances are marketed under the Whirlpool brand name as well as KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Bauknecht, Ignis, Laden, Polar, Brastemp, Consul, Eslabon de Lujo and various brand names that were part of the Maytag Corporation.

Cheap Appliance Parts dot com wants to be your source for original, quality Whirlpool replacement repair parts for all your Whirlpool appliances.