Whirlpool To Build New Office Campus In Michigan

Whirlpool Corp. will build a new campus in its hometown of Benton Harbor, Mich., over the next five years. The company said it is consolidating 15 owned and leased facilities to three campuses, the new three-building campus downtown plus Whirlpool's Hilltop Drive South offices in St. Joseph and its Harbor Town offices in Benton Harbor.

The cost of the new campus is not yet known.

Whirlpool Corp., the world's largest appliance maker, said it will be able to reduce operating costs and drive productivity with the changes. The company said the new buildings will also be more energy-efficient.

CEO Jeff M. Fettig said the company has more than 4,000 employees at the existing facilities and has outgrown its space.

Shares of Whirlpool fell $2.68, or 2.8 percent, to $93 in midday trading Thursday.

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