Whirlpool EMEA presents today the results of the 2015-2018 Industrial Plan for Poland. Announced three years ago, the Plan confirmed the relevance of the country in the long-term strategy for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Region, with significant investments to foster business growth. Today also marks the official opening of a new plant for dryers in Łódź, which represents the center of Whirlpool’s new dryer manufacturing platform in the EMEA Region and the final step of the Industrial Plan.
The 2015-2018 Industrial Plan for Poland improved efficiencies and capacity utilization of the industrial sites in Wrocław, Łódź and Radomsko, supporting, at the same time, plant modernization and specialization, product innovation and process improvement. Significant resources were also devoted to Research & Development as well as to people development.
The initial planned investment of PLN 1 billion (EUR 235 million) was increased, over the years, to almost PLN 1.3 billion (EUR 293 million), further underpinning the country’s crucial role for Whirlpool’s business in the Region. With the integration process, more attractive and innovative products are now manufactured in Poland and then exported to the most important and competitive EMEA markets.
“The implementation of the Industrial Plan and the important investments made in the past few years demonstrate Whirlpool’s commitment to Poland, a central piece of the company’s overall business strategy in EMEA.” – comments Fabio Pommella, President of the Board at Whirlpool Company Polska Sp z.o.o – “Poland plays a key role in enhancing Whirlpool’s competitiveness and is in an optimal position to serve European markets, in addition to having strong competencies in product development and supplier base. The three Polish plants already manufacture almost one-third of all production in Europe and the Middle East. When the Industrial Plan was announced in 2015, Indesit and Whirlpool were two separate companies. The integration process is now completed and, since April 2018, we are operating under the single name of Whirlpool Company Polska.” – continues Fabio Pommella – “We could not be happier than seeing the opening of a manufacturing plant for dryers in Łódź as the final step of this journey and of the 2015-2018 Industrial Plan for the country.”
The new manufacturing plant for dryers was inaugurated in Łódź today. Łódź is a central piece of Whirlpool Corporation’s industrial plan for dryers in EMEA and aims at responding to the current consumer needs in an increasingly competitive business environment. Łódź now becomes the company’s central location for the launch of the new dryer manufacturing platform. In 2019, around 480,000 dryers will be manufactured here and, at full capacity, the plant will be able to produce up to 1.2 million dryers.
“The successful implementation of the Plan is the result of Whirlpool’s business development strategy but it was made possible also thanks to the local environment the company is operating in.” – says Zygmunt Łopalewski, Corporate Communications Senior Manager East Cluster, Whirlpool EMEA – “Relations with the external environment and especially with local communities are very important to us. Our investments would not find a proper basis for business success without the involvement of our employees and their desire to co-create the company. Having a well-coordinated and motivated team is a decisive factor of our organization’s success”.
Additionally, Whirlpool’s investments in Poland have grown significantly in other areas as well, allowing for the opening of a global Research & Development center for free-standing refrigerators in Wrocław and for the creation of a new center of shared financial services in Łódź, serving the entire Whirlpool EMEA Region.