FORT SMITH, Ark. — Appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. said Monday that it expects to shift some refrigerator production from a plant at Fort Smith to a new facility being built in Mexico.
A company statement said Whirlpool, the largest employer in Fort Smith, expects that some models currently made in Fort Smith will be produced at the new facility — but that details would be finalized in early 2005.
Rumors about the planned relocation began circulating a few months ago in Fort Smith. On Monday, employees were handed the news in the form of a letter, followed by a meeting with company representatives.
In the letter, Whirlpool said the Mexican facility is expected to produce an undetermined amount of side-by-side refrigerators that are currently manufactured in Fort Smith.
The letter went on to say that the details about the move, including volume and the number of employees affected, would not be known until 2005.
“It’s the largest employer in Fort Smith,” Fort Smith Mayor Ray Baker said. “Our first and foremost concern as mayor and city leaders is to do whatever necessary to keep them here.”
As city leaders evaluate ways to help Fort Smith recover from the potential loss of Whirlpool jobs, factory workers are left to wonder how they will survive when their job security ends.
Mark Darnell, who has worked for Whirlpool for 20 years, attended Monday’s meeting and said he believes what his employers say about expanding production and profits. But he had a different take than company management.
“It’s just cheaper labor down there so they can line their pockets with more money,” he said. Darnell said he might explore truck driving when his career with Whirlpool ends.
Whirlpool worker Glenda Wilson said she was also disappointed with Whirlpool’s decision.
“You know, these workers have been the backbone for all these years, and now they just take them away because they can get cheaper wages,” she said.
Whirlpool employs about 4,500 people in the River Valley.
>From thehonetownchannel.com