Whirlpool to expand operations in Poland

White goods and appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, which operates production facilities in Łódź, and Wrocław, as well as in Radomsko, plans new investments that will increase its production of refrigerators and dryers for exports, the company stated in a press release on Wednesday. “Our intention is to add a new production facility in Łódź [for producing] dryers for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA region), with the exception of the British and Irish markets, said the director of the EMEA for Whirlpool, Nicola De Guida. De Guida also stressed that the investment was dependent upon negotiations and consultations with the company’s production facility in France, which currently produces the machines. The Amiens, France plant is expected to close mid-2018, at which point the new investment in Łódź – reported to be valued at PLN 187.3 million – would be realized. Although it is expected to add new production lines, De Guida also stated that Whirlpool does not plan to increase employment in Łódź. That plant currently employs 1,200. However, the jobs story could be different at the Whirlpool’s Wrocław facility, where PLN 65.35 million has been earmarked for transfer from Łódź where refrigerators are produced. “Therefore, there may be new jobs [in Wrocław],” said De Guida, while at the same time cautioning that “it is hard to estimate how many there will be.” Whirlpool, which is Poland’s largest producer of large household appliances, stated that the increased investment in Poland will increase production by an estimated 10 to 15 percent.