Whirlpool Corporation Named One of the Top 500 U.S. Companies in Newsweek's 2011 Green Rankings

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Oct 24, 2011, 11:44 ET

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third year in a row, Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) has been recognized as one of the top 500 U.S. companies in Newsweek's Green Rankings. Whirlpool has been included in the rankings since the list's inception in 2009.

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The rankings are divided among industries, with Whirlpool being recognized in the Consumer Products category. Moving up this year, Whirlpool Corporation ranked 8th in this category and overall ranked 285 of the top 500 U.S. companies.

"It is an honor to be named to Newsweek's Green Rankings list for the third straight year," said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation. "For decades Whirlpool Corporation has led the industry in higher appliance efficiency standards, lower greenhouse gas emissions and a smaller carbon footprint. This recognition is a testament to these commitments."

Whirlpool Corporation continues to lead the global appliance industry in the design, manufacturing, marketing, and sales of more than 450 ENERGY STAR® qualified appliance models, more than any other manufacturer. The total production of washers, refrigerators and dishwashers made by Whirlpool in 2011 will save consumers over $11 billion in operating costs over the life of those products when compared to old products being replaced.

Whirlpool Corporation has set a goal that, with common standards and appropriate incentives in place, by 2015 it will make all the electronically controlled appliances it produces -- everywhere in the world -- capable of receiving and responding to signals from the smart grid. In addition, as part of the company's four-year, $1 billion U.S. investment, Whirlpool Corporation's newest facilities are or will be LEED-certified.

The Newsweek Green Rankings 2011 measures the environmental performance of the 500 largest U.S. and 500 largest global companies, in terms of revenue, market cap and number of employees. The list was launched in 2009 as the first objective 'green' analysis of the largest U.S. companies and evaluates their environmental footprint, management of that footprint and sustainability communications.

The rankings are completed in collaboration with its research partners Trucost and Sunstainalytics. Each research partner provides specific scoring data to be weighted for the overall score of each company. New to the methodology this year, was a disclosure score -- a key signal of its commitment to sustainability -- in place of the reputation score as used in previous years. This score evaluated each company and the environmental transparency it provides to key stakeholders. For more information about the 2011 Newsweek Green Rankings, visit www.newsweek.com/green.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of more than $18 billion in 2010, 71,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation's 100th Anniversary

Founded on November 11, 1911, Whirlpool Corporation's time- and labor-saving appliance innovations have influenced home and family life during the last century. Driven by the belief that everyone needs a comfortable place to call home, Whirlpool Corporation is focused on improving lives one family, one home at a time.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation