The Clyde plant, which has operated since 1952, currently employs 2,600 people. During the tour, Sonderling met with journeymen and apprentices in the tool room and inspected sections of the factory undergoing modernization. This facility remains the largest washing machine plant globally and stands as the centerpiece of Whirlpool’s broader strategy to maintain domestic production. The company currently manufactures 80% of its U.S.-sold goods within the country, a figure three times the industry average.

Whirlpool’s four-year, state-certified apprenticeship program combines classroom education with on-the-job training. Participants learn to maintain and rebuild the automated equipment and molds essential to the plant’s output. Beyond these apprenticeships, the company offers an on-site training academy for new production staff and tuition reimbursement programs designed to funnel hourly employees into engineering and leadership roles. According to Kristin Day, vice president of U.S. manufacturing, these initiatives rely on homegrown talent, often drawing from families with multiple generations of Whirlpool employees. The next cohort of apprentices is scheduled to begin training this fall.