A ribbon cutting has been held for Whirlpool’s new 153,000 square foot technology center at 303 Upton Drive in St. Joseph. The company has invested more than $60 million in the two story facility on Upton Drive, next to the old tech center. At Friday’s celebration, Governor Gretchen Whitmer told us Whirlpool’s continued commitment to the area shows that southwest Michigan is special.
“It’s a community of good, hardworking people, lots of talent, a high quality of life,” Whitmer said. “So, I think it’s a wonderful endorsement of what Michigan has to offer, but especially what southwest Michigan does.”
Whitmer said Whirlpool is a lynchpin for the entire region. Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer said while some larger companies spread out their operations in search of the next tax credits, Whirlpool has found that committing to its hometown pays dividends.
“One of the big benefits that we have here is we have a lot of loyalty of our employees for staying,” Bitzer said. “So, as you look at the attrition rates, it is much lower than most other international companies. Once we attract people here, the best talent throughout the world, to being in southwest Michigan, we get a good sense of loyalty. So, we get good productivity out here, good engineering, and we get good skills here.”
Congressman Bill Huizenga told us it’s a big win for Michigan and the community when a company like Whirlpool invests at home.
“I’m very pleased that the workforce that’s available here, certainly the environment on a Pure Michigan beautiful day like we have here next to the lakes. There’s a high quality of life as well, and people want to live there. They want to be here, and hopefully, that makes them even better employees and keeps those companies here.”
The new tech center is where dishwashers and washing machines will be developed, offering employees a more modern, convenient, and comfortable place to work. The old four story tech center will eventually be torn down to make way for parking at the new center as the project enters phases two and three. The completion of phase one is what was celebrated Friday. Employees will start to move into the new building in September or October.
