Whirlpool Corporation today announced the annual roster of the company's leading U.S. suppliers and will acknowledge them tonight at its Supplier Performance Awards Banquet at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center in Benton Harbor.

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Whirlpool's Global Procurement Organization partners with suppliers around the world to obtain high quality, cost-effective materials, components and other products from top-notch suppliers that demonstrate excellence in quality, delivery, productivity and innovation.

"Whirlpool's excellent supply base deserves part of the credit for the success we have achieved the last few years in transforming our company into an innovative industry leader that places the customer front and center of our operations globally," said Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool's president and chief operating officer. "To achieve the degree of customer loyalty that we are aiming for, Whirlpool depends not only on the dedication of 68,000 employees worldwide but also on the hard work and dependability of its suppliers."

Out of the company's approximately 700 U.S. suppliers, Whirlpool recognized 41 companies for outstanding performance. These suppliers were judged primarily against three criteria: quality of their goods, productivity and material management. A total of 47 supplier awards were issued at the banquet, with several companies winning more than one award.

"We are very proud of all the suppliers we partner with that year in and year out help us to maintain our status as the world's leading home appliance manufacturer," said Franklin Starn, Whirlpool's vice president for North American procurement. "So many of them -- especially those that we are honoring -- consistently meet our requirements in terms of quality, productivity, engineering, design, availability, and, increasingly, innovation."

Those companies honored with distinction by Whirlpool and the products they supply are:

  -  Arkansas General Industries (motors and pumps)
  -  BSI - Mansfield (aluminum and steel components)
  -  Davlyn Manufacturing Company (seals, insulators, shims and glass)
  -  E.G.O. North America Inc. (electrical controls and electrical elements)
  -  Indiana Tube Corporation (steel components)
  -  Mansfield Industries Inc. (steel components)
  -  The Valspar Corporation (paint)
  -  White Electronic Designs (electrical controls)

  Other honorees are:
  -  Air Products & Chemicals Inc. (foam ingredients)
  -  American Wire Tech Inc. (electrical controls)
  -  ATC Frost Magnetics Inc. (electrical elements)
  -  Atlantis Plastics (major and minor plastic molded components)
  -  Catalytic Combustion Corp. (steel components)
  -  Chiaphua Components LTD. (motors and pumps)
  -  Chick Packaging (wood and carton material)
  -  DNA Group Inc. (electrical components)
  -  Emerson Appliance Motor Division (motors and pumps)
  -  Ferro Corporation (porcelain)
  -  Green Bay Packaging Inc. (wood and carton material)
  -  Groschopp Inc. (motors and pumps)
  -  Holm Industries Inc. (fasteners and plastic extruded parts)
  -  KML Bearing America Inc. (steel components)
  -  Marsco Manufacturing Co. Inc. (seals, insulators, shims, glass)
  -  Master Manufacturing Co. Inc. (fasteners and steel components)
  -  McGregor Surmount (electrical components)
  -  Moll Industries Inc. (major and minor plastic molded parts)
  -  Nueva Generacion Manufacturas SA DE (electrical components)
  -  OEM Solutions Group (insulation)
  -  Ohio Decorative Inc. (zinc and aluminum casings)
  -  Omega Products Inc. (steel components)
  -  Panasonic (foreign purchased components)
  -  Poly-Flex Circuits Inc. (electrical controls)
  -  Polyone Corp. (plastic resin)
  -  Schott HomeTech North America (seals, insulators, shims, glass)
  -  Stackpole LTD (powder metal and iron casings)
  -  Temple-Inland (wood and carton material)
  -  Texas Instruments (electrical controls)
  -  Ticona (plastic resins)
  -  Tutco Inc. (electrical elements)
  -  Wolverine Joining Technologies (metal bonding)

American Trim LLC was recognized this year for bringing consumer-relevant innovative ideas to Whirlpool.

Consecutive year honorees were Davlyn Mfg. Company, E.G.O. North America Inc., Omega Products Inc., Temple Inland and Wolverine Joining Technologies.

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of over $12 billion, 68,000 employees, and nearly 50 manufacturing and technology research centers around the globe. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Consul and other major brand names to consumers in more than 170 countries. Additional information about the company can be found on the Internet at www.whirlpoolcorp.com .

This news release contains forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition to the expected appliance industry results for 2004 noted in this news release, there are certain factors that could cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made. These factors are listed in the company's most recently filed Form 10-Q and/or Form 10-K.

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SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation