Whirlpool is moving production of its commercial front-loading washing machines from Mexico to the company’s Clyde plant in Ohio.
The move will create 80 to 100 new jobs during the next three years at the Clyde plant. The Clyde plant is the biggest washing machine plant in the world and Sandusky County’s largest employer.
“We’re really excited that we’re growing,” said Dan O’Brien, vice president of operations at the Clyde plant. “Any additional of new jobs is great for morale and also for a community perspective.”
The plant will begin making the commercial front-loading machines in April, he said.
The machines are used in Laundromats, hospitals and hotels, among other commercial uses, according to a statement from Whirlpool. Most are sold in the United States, but around 10% are exported to Asia, Europe, Australia and Latin America.
The Clyde plant already makes the company’s top-loading commercial machines, so this move aligns the commercial products at one facility, O’Brien said.
Meanwhile, Whirlpool’s Monterrey, Mexico, plant is adding a new residential washer production line to serve the Mexican market, O’Brien said. Employee levels at the plant are expected to be maintained.