Whirlpool Corporation , the world's leading marketer of home appliances, rolls out a host of insight-driven innovations at this week's International Builders' Show under its leading brand names. Each brand within the Whirlpool Corporation portfolio markets products to provide new and better solutions for meeting evolving consumer and household needs.

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According to Michael Todman, president, Whirlpool North America, Whirlpool Corporation's unmatched offerings of differentiated brands -- including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana and Gladiator -- meet the needs of every consumer segment.

"Consumers will be amazed by the number of outstanding innovations that Whirlpool Corporation is bringing to the marketplace from our leading brand names," notes Todman. "Our attention to understanding, fulfilling and anticipating consumer needs is driven by the strength of our innovation pipeline."

Refrigerators That Do More Than Chill

Among the products likely to draw the most attention is Whirlpool brand's centralpark refrigerator, recently named by the Consumer Electronics Association as an Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Award Honoree. This marriage of appliance and consumer electronics uses a modular, plug-and-play platform to accommodate such options as a digital picture frame, MP3 speaker system or LCD television on the refrigerator door, saving counter space and providing easy access. The digital photo frame can display thousands of photos on the refrigerator without using a single magnet, and allows for automatically uploading pictures from a wireless device, camera phone or computer. Whirlpool Corporation designed the refrigerator's plug-and-play platform to anticipate future technologies that may have a useful role in the kitchen.

The newly introduced Amana JOT dry-erase refrigerator is based on insight that refrigerator doors represent valuable underutilized space in the most heavily-used room in the home. Its dry-erase finish enables consumers to write, draw or erase on the doors with easy clean-up.

A New Spin on Laundry Appliances

In the laundry category, the industry leading Whirlpool Duet is now available in a steam washer and dryer. The washer naturally steams away tough stains, from grass to grease, without pre-treating. The dryer offers the consumer a unique ability to remove odors and reduces wrinkles from clothing with the touch of a button.

The Maytag EPIC z front-load washer and dryer offers high performance in a space-saving design. The front-load washer provides exceptional cleaning performance and uses a new MaxExtract extended spin cycle for better moisture removal. The dryer's high efficiency drying system, combined with the washer's powerful water extraction, takes clothes from wet to dry in less than 30 minutes.

The Maytag Centennial 27-inch dryer incorporates a streamlined profile that fits smaller spaces but delivers the largest drying capacity of any dryer by utilizing cavity space between the drum and the cabinet. The dryer fits through narrow doorways and into smaller laundry spaces often found in apartments or older homes, and matches the existing Maytag Centennial washer.

A new Amana front-load laundry pair includes a super capacity, 7.1 cubic foot dryer and a washer with antimicrobial component protection. The pair exceeds 2007 ENERGY STAR® guidelines for efficiency, enabling consumers to use an estimated 10,521 fewer gallons of water each year and save approximately 44 percent on energy versus a standard non-ENERGY STAR qualified washer.

New Innovations for the Kitchen and Beyond

Whirlpool Corporation's KitchenAid brand is now offering steam-assisted cooking appliances and dishwashers that harness the gentle power of steam to deliver optimal cooking and clean-up results. The Jenn-Air brand has added several new appliances to its stylish Oiled Bronze collection, a high- performance line designed to offer a warm, richly-hued alternative to stainless steel.

Building upon its garage organization leadership, the Gladiator brand, wants to help hobbyists and athletes free up even more space in their garages with the help of nearly one dozen new products. The new lineup includes everything from an innovative bike storage device to a steel frame ball caddy and a fishing pole holder.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, more than 73,000 employees, and 72 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: angela_m_hersil@whirlpool.com

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SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation