Whirlpool Corporation Wins 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Award for Collaborative Ecosystems
Whirlpool Corporation won the award for Collaborative Ecosystems at the 2025 Manufacturing Leadership Awards, celebrating their groundbreaking production line for The Washing Machine Project, supported by Whirlpool Foundation.
Whirlpool Corporation and The Washing Machine Project’s winning collaboration is a result of the team of engineers who designed the assembly line that manufactures manual washing machines. Additional support is provided by suppliers who contribute donations essential to building the machines, as well as the Sustainability and Advanced Development teams who test and improve the process.
The machines are assembled by Whirlpool Corporation employee volunteers in Benton Harbor, Mich., and distributed to underserved communities across the globe. The assembly line was designed to provide employees with the opportunity to volunteer their time to safely and effectively build the manual washing machines by hand with little to no experience. To date, more than 340 Whirlpool employee volunteers have donated nearly 4,000 hours to build 645 manual washing machines, which are distributed to communities in India, Mexico, Republic of Congo and Ghana.
“We are honored to be recognized for our collaboration with The Washing Machine Project, supported by Whirlpool Foundation. This unique manufacturing process provides employees with the opportunity to have firsthand experience with the assembly line, resulting in a greater understanding of the impact they’re making in the lives of others.”
“We are honored to be recognized for our collaboration with The Washing Machine Project, supported by Whirlpool Foundation,” said Greg Bauman, engineering manager for Whirlpool Corporation. “This unique manufacturing process provides employees with the opportunity to have firsthand experience with the assembly line, resulting in a greater understanding of the impact they’re making in the lives of others.”
Sixty percent of the world's population relies on washing clothes by hand, largely due to lack of access to reliable electricity and water. This unpaid labor disproportionately impacts women and girls. This collaboration exposed Whirlpool Corp. employees to the global washing divide and created an opportunity to help address it. In addition to assembling the manual washing machines, Whirlpool Corp. employees who volunteer their time participate in “Washout” events, hand washing clothes to help them understand how the majority of the global population does laundry.
“We are grateful for the support of Whirlpool Corporation and the team of engineers that make this manufacturing process possible,” said Rosa Skinner, senior manager of global CSR and community relations for Whirlpool Corporation. “The Washing Machine Project exists to alleviate the burden of hand washing clothes, which can be life-changing. With the support of Whirlpool Foundation and Whirlpool Corporation volunteers, we are able to build more manual washing machines to change lives around the world.”
Along with this win the “Collaborative Ecosystems” category, Whirlpool Corporation was also a Manufacturing Leadership Award finalist for two projects focusing on digital transformation and front line leadership.
The Manufacturing Leadership Council is the world’s first member-driven, business leadership network dedicated to helping senior industry executives identify the opportunities created by transformational digital technologies in the operation, organization, and leadership of manufacturing enterprises.The Manufacturing Leadership Council developed the Manufacturing Leadership Awards to honor manufacturing companies and leaders that are shaping the future of global manufacturing. Originated in 2005, the Manufacturing Leadership Awards have honored more than a thousand innovative projects and outstanding leaders from around the world since the program’s inception. For more information, visit: https://manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/