Innovation
Robots Return to Southwest Michigan, Engaging Students in STEM
Science, technology, and sports once again collided in Southwest Michigan during this year’s FIRST Robotics District Competition in St. Joseph. Forty teams representing high schools from across the state gathered earlier this month for the two-day regional event...
Innovation is Everyone’s Responsibility
There isn't just one innovation department at Whirlpool Corporation—all of our employees make innovation possible to improve life at home.
Design Innovation Series –
Part 4: Design Excellence
Global Head of Design for Whirlpool Corporation J Mays breaks down the three main components of design excellence at Whirlpool.
Design Innovation Series –
Part 3: Craftsmanship and Design
“Craftsmanship is not a buzzword, it’s a necessity,” explains Global Head of Design for Whirlpool Corporation J Mays.
What We Create at WLabs™️
Focused on improving life at home, WLabs™️ does whatever it takes to bring innovative products to life for consumers, and we don’t stop until we get it right.
Design Innovation Series –
Part 2: Designing for the Senses
“All of the five senses are key elements in design, and are sometimes overlooked,” explains Global Head of Design for Whirlpool Corporation J Mays.
What is WLabs?
Every new innovation starts with you – with a want, need, or insight. WLabs™️ General Manager Doug Searles explains how Whirlpool Corporation's innovation arm takes that spark, challenges the status quo, and develops new products that improve life at home. Learn...
Design Innovation Series –
Part 1: Emotion and Design
“We operate off the premise that human beings are powered by emotion,” says Global Head of Design for Whirlpool Corporation J Mays.
Whirlpool Innovation: Opening New Doors
Whirlpool gives consumers in Latin America a new way to access the oven on a freestanding range How do you successfully change the time-tested design and operation of an appliance while also gaining the approval of consumers? That was the challenge for Whirlpool...
Innovation Firsts
Many follow Whirlpool Corporation, but our purposeful innovation has launched these industry “firsts”
FIRST ELECTRIC WRINGER CLOTHES WASHER
LOUIS AND EMORY UPTON
With the help of their business partner Lowell Bassford, Louis Upton and his uncle Emory started the Upton Machine Company in Benton Harbor, MI. They pioneered electric motor-driven wringer washing machines in 1911, which laid the successful foundation of the Whirlpool Corporation.
FIRST ICON KITCHENAID® STAND MIXER
KITCHENAID BRAND
The idea started when Herbert Johnson set out to streamline the way bakers mixed dough. The stand mixers found their way on to all U.S. Navy ships before eventually being found everywhere from homes to professional kitchens. The technology and shape has transformed the way baking gets done since 1919.
FIRST BOTTOM-FREEZER REFRIGERATOR
AMANA BRAND
Amana brand wanted to modernize the way the world stored food. Their teams recognized many customers didn’t access frozen food as often as fresh food. Hence, the bottom-freezer was born in 1947, paving the way for a French door configuration.
FIRST SIDE-BY-SIDE REFRIGERATOR
AMANA BRAND
To appease households outgrowing the top-freezer model, Amana brand introduced the first side-by-side refrigerator in 1949. This revolutionary design made it possible for consumers to keep both fresh and frozen food at eye level. The innovation caught on rapidly and can still be found in homes all over the world.
FIRST SPACE KITCHEN DEVELOPED FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
With a contract from the U.S. government in 1960, Whirlpool Corporation engineers took on zero gravity living. The kitchen included a miniature thermoelectric refrigerator, freezer, three-cavity oven, self-heated water system, storage space for food and disposal units. It was used in all of NASA’s Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions.
FIRST SELF-VENTILATED COOKTOP
JENN-AIR BRAND
Kitchen cooktops always had to sit under a hood until Jenn-Air brand modernized the way cooktops were installed in 1961. By creating self-ventilation, the cooktop could be fitted anywhere and in any size space. This innovation liberated home chefs everywhere to design kitchens around their needs instead of the cooktop.
FIRST COUNTERTOP MICROWAVE OVEN
AMANA BRAND
Amana brand introduces the first countertop, domestic 150-volt microwave oven, which costs just under $500 and is smaller, safer and more reliable than previous models. The market expands, cooking becomes easier and the Amana Radarange becomes the dominant player in the home microwave oven business.
FIRST 24-HOUR TOLL-FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT PROGRAM IN THE U.S.
WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
Our customers have always been at the center of what we do. In 1967, sales rose to a level that required us to design a customer service program to match. This decision set a trend within the industry and a benchmark for large corporations worldwide.
FIRST ENERGY/WATER-EFFICIENT TOP LOAD WASHER
WHIRLPOOL BRAND
Whirlpool brand has never shied away from consumer needs—even when it meant redesigning an entire product. In 1998, to get ahead of a market trending toward sustainability, Whirlpool brand designed the first washer to exceed expectations in performance and resource savings.
FIRST LARGE CAPACITY FRONT-LOAD WASHER IN THE U.S.
WHIRLPOOL BRAND
Consumers get better at multi-tasking every year. Whirlpool brand recognized customers’ needs to accomplish more in less time and innovated a solution in 1999. The large capacity washer design has permanently changed the industry and buyer expectations.
FIRST INDUCTION DOUBLE OVEN FREESTANDING RANGE
WHIRLPOOL BRAND
With a market trending toward finishing meals more quickly, Whirlpool brand delivered yet another industry first in 2013. Two ovens cooking at two temperatures and an induction cooktop ensure meals get done more efficiently than ever before.
Make Your Pitch to Us!
Here at Whirlpool Corporation, we value innovation. We want you to connect with us when you have ideas to improve our products or to explore new business ventures. This site is the only way to connect with Whirlpool Corporation about your idea and your innovation. We only accept patented ideas in order to protect your intellectual property. Once your idea is submitted, we will get it in front of the right people at Whirlpool Corporation to determine its viability in meeting our consumer needs.