As Ken Hossler, Greenville plant leader, addressed an audience of employees, dignitaries and politicians on Wednesday, he beamed with pride. Hossler and his team led the groundbreaking for a $40-million expansion at the KitchenAid plant that will double the size of the plant and bring approximately 400 new jobs to the plant during the next four years.
“If you can’t get excited about what we’re about to encounter, check your pulse, because this is very, very, very exciting for all of us in the community, and very exciting for Whirlpool,” Hossler said.
The plant produces KitchenAid brand stand mixers and attachments, hand mixers and blenders at the Greenville facility. The facility currently employs approximately 1,000 men and women who produce an average of 16,000 units per day. The expanded Greenville plant will use Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) practices, which will contribute to annual savings for operations, and make Greenville one of the company’s most energy efficient plants.
At the groundbreaking, Dave Elliott, KitchenAid Small Appliances general manager, and Jim Keppler, V.P. of Integrated Supply Chain & Quality, spoke about how quality has allowed the Greenville plant to continue to grow.
“Many companies aspire to zero defects, many companies aspire to complete customer satisfaction, it’s becoming a reality, it’s part of the plan, here in Greenville,” Keppler said. “So ultimately, we believe that the team here in Greenville is producing the best quality and the best craftsmanship in the industry. That’s why we’re making the investment out here in Greenville, Ohio.”
Strong demand for KitchenAid small appliances – in large part, for the legendary stand mixer – continues to drive increased production capacity. Overall small appliance production has doubled during the past five years at the Greenville facility. The company is seeing significant growth across the globe. With increasing market demand due to consumers’ desire for premium products and recent introductions of the KitchenAid brand into new geographies, the company is confident this growth will continue.