Whirlpool may add 400 jobs, boost production in Fort Smith

A Whirlpool official has partially confirmed a report that the company will soon boost employment and production at its Fort Smith refrigerator manufacturing plant.

Sources told The City Wire that between 500 and 750 Whirlpool employees could be called back from layoff to begin production of a large order of refrigerators for a national retail chain that requested the refrigerators be made at a U.S. facility. One source said at least one line of production is being transferred back to Fort Smith from Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The move is being made to address quality issues that could not be resolved with production in Mexico, according to the source.

Officials with Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool Corp. would not comment on specifics, but did say adding an additional shift is a possibility.

“Ft. Smith leaders have told employees that they are evaluating the possibility of adding a shift of production in January. However, no decision has been made yet,” Jill Saletta, director of external communications for Whirlpool, noted in an e-mail to The City Wire. “I can tell you that if the added shift comes to pass, it would likely mean we would recall approximately 400 employees from layoff.”

Paul Harvel, president of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he is aware of the possible production increase but has not yet seen anything official from the company. He is upbeat, however.

“I think it’s (an announcement) imminent, and that it’s probably going to be very, very significant for Fort Smith,” Harvel said.

If the production does return, it will be the second boost in employment announced by the company within the past four months.

Whirlpool confirmed Oct. 16 the recall of up to 150 workers to support increased refrigerator production planned at its Fort Smith plant for at least the remainder of 2009. The only catch to the Whirlpool production increase is the ability of vendors to supply parts for the extra work. Suppliers to Whirlpool are not always able to bring back employees and ramp up production as fast as Whirlpool can generate the demand for parts.

“Plant leadership yesterday (Oct. 15) communicated to employees a number of potential changes which could be taking place at the plant shortly, including a move to 9-hour days, and the addition of a number of Saturday production days,” Saletta said in an Oct. 16 e-mail. “These changes are pending availability of parts required for production. Additionally, leadership indicated the possible recall of approximately 150 employees to support increased production demand. All of the potential changes are due to increased demand, and are not being proposed due to shifts of production among the plants.”

The future of Whirlpool’s Fort Smith plant has been a cause for concern following the November 2003 announcement by Whirlpool of a global reorganization plan. The news since November 2003 has been troubling, with Whirlpool announcing numerous production cuts and layoffs that has seen employment in Fort Smith drop from about 4,600 in early 2006 to around 1,200 today. The last hit came in August, when the company cut about 40 salaried and about 250 hourly jobs.