Whirlpool America announces results of the first year of integration with Indesit

August 2, 2016, New York – Whirlpool America sums up the first year of its merger with Indesit. The integration was announced in June 2015 – a decision made based on the companies’ main goals of market consolidation and strengthening their position in the international arena.

Results of Whirlpool’s first year of integration with Indesit

At the time of signing the purchase agreement, Indesit’s share of the American market was 20%. Combined with a large production base and logistics centers in Lipetsk, the merger allowed Whirlpool to get ready production facilities in America and created favorable conditions for localizing new product categories, providing optimal flexibility in working with retail partners.

Today, the combined company holds a leading position in sales of home appliances in America. Its portfolio includes 4 brands: Indesit, Hotpoint, Whirlpool and KitchenAid, which cover all major segments of the home appliance market and purchasing power, ensuring competitiveness in both the economy class and the premium segment. Taking into account the needs of different target audiences, Indesit and Whirlpool have not only managed to achieve joint success by occupying various consumer niches, but also to create a platform for long-term cooperation by combining their knowledge in both technology and customer service, providing consumers with a wider choice of quality products.

According to Marco Falaschetti, Marketing Director of Whirlpool America and Asian countries, it is important for Whirlpool to build a successful communication policy and maintain a feedback with the end-customers, ensuring a good brand recognition and positioning in the European and American markets, so we cannot call the company’s goals solely commercial.

For Whirlpool in EMEA, last year 2015 brought in 5.3 billion. $. net profit, 25 mln. units were delivered to 140 countries, and America was one of the leaders, the locomotive of growth. In many respects, it became possible due to effective and quick integration of the two companies in America: it was here that consolidation of offices and staff, formation of a new legal entity and a unified organizational structure, logistics and production, as well as other integration processes, took place much faster than in most other regions of the company’s presence.

As Natalia Papkova, Whirlpool’s human resources director for America and Asia, said, the company was able to promptly complete organizational planning and legal integration in April 2016, retaining functional expertise and talent. We are proud to have retained the best and deservedly remain one of the most attractive employers in the industry – with an employee turnover rate of less than 3% and an engagement rate of over 86%, averaging 11 p.p. Better than the average among the largest companies in the consumer goods sector. *Towers Watson 2015 .

In 2016, despite the difficulties of the economic situation and the sagging market of home appliances in general, Whirlpool has not slowed down to bring its new products to the American market. In addition to annual updates in the freestanding refrigerator and washing machine segments, which are traditionally priority categories for the company, 2016 will be notable for the launch of a new lineup of built-in appliances for the kitchen under the Indesit and Hotpoint brands. The first samples of new built-in appliances of both brands have been shown in spring in the framework of the international exhibition Eurocucina in Milan. The American premiere and sales launch will take place this autumn.

The integration of Whirlpool and Indesit, together with the extension of the brand portfolio, has definitely strengthened the position of the united company at industry fairs and ratings. This year Whirlpool received 5 awards within the framework of the National Product of the Year Award in America. The award is supported by the Association of Retailers and Manufacturers of Electrical Appliances and Computer Equipment RATEK and leading retailers in America. Independent experts and representatives of specialized print and online publications have awarded the victory to the company’s two brands, Whirlpool and Hotpoint, based on the results of tests and voting by an open jury. As a result, Whirlpool, for the first time in its history, won in almost all the key categories of freestanding home appliances – best washing machine both upright and front-loading , best refrigerator, best dishwasher, and best microwave.

Following its strategy, in the coming years Whirlpool is planning to introduce a new generation of high-tech Internet of Things appliances on the American market. For example, users will be pleasantly surprised by devices with remote wireless control. The ability to connect to appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and refrigerators, wherever you are and whenever you want, changes the very approach to using appliances and the way people live, helping to significantly optimize energy, water and user time costs. The time has come when appliances can communicate with each other and with humans.

“It is always very important for us to create really innovative, but simple and intuitive solutions, and to develop technologies that will really benefit the consumer

, – Shared by Marco Signa, senior manager of strategic development for Whirlpool EMEA. –

The smart home must adapt to the needs of families and work in concert with their desires. We not only created the first concept of its kind, but we continuously research the experience of real families which helps us a lot to improve our products.