Whirlpool Corporation was named one of the top 50 U.S. companies for Social Responsibility by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Institute. Based on a recent survey of U.S. consumers conducted by the Reputation Institute, Whirlpool earned a rating of 72.24, ranking it 23rd on the 2009 Boston College Corporate Social Responsibility Index (CSRI). The company ranked 32nd on the 2008 list.

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"We are proud to be recognized as one of the top U.S. companies for social responsibility," said Jeff M. Fettig, Whirlpool Corporation's chairman and CEO. "Our inclusion in Corporate Social Responsibility Index comes from the efforts of Whirlpool employees. I am proud of the people at Whirlpool who make our long-term commitment to social responsibility a reality."

Whirlpool Corporation has conducted business with integrity and given back to the communities in which it operates since its founding in 1911, long before social responsibility became a focus of business and society. Nearly 40 years ago, Whirlpool established a corporate office for environmental control and, in 2003, Whirlpool became the world's first appliance manufacturer to announce a global greenhouse gas reduction target. Recently, the company announced that by 2015, it will make all the electronically controlled appliances it produces -- everywhere in the world -- capable of receiving and responding to signals from smart grids.

Whirlpool and its employees also support several non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity International, Cook for the Cure®, presented by KitchenAid, Instituto Consulado da Mulher (ICM) and the Boys and Girls Club. In 10 years of partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, Whirlpool has donated more than 100,000 ranges and ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators to new Habitat homes built in North America and activated more than 6,000 employee volunteers. Cook for the Cure®, presented by KitchenAid has raised more than $7 million globally to support the fight against breast cancer. The ICM program has positively impacted the lives of more than 25,000 low-income women living in Brazil. Whirlpool employees also donate hundreds of hours annually to the Boys and Girls Club.

The annual CSRI 50 is created using data collected for the Reputation Institute's 2009 Global Pulse Study and analyzed in coordination with the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. Researchers use a subset of survey results that focus on more than 200 companies with a dominant presence in the United States and are believed to have a reasonably high recognition factor with the general public. The data captures public perception about a company's corporate citizenship, governance and workplace practices.

About Whirlpool Corporation

In addition to the CSRI 50, Whirlpool is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability, FTSE4Good and KLD Global Indexes. Whirlpool also recently was named one of the 500 greenest big companies in America by Newsweek magazine, one of FORTUNE's "Most Admired Companies," one of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Chief Responsibility Officer magazine, one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere magazine and one of the "Top 50 Most Respected U.S. Companies" by the Reputation Institute and Forbes.com.

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2008, approximately 70,000 employees, and 67 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 http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

About the CSRI and Global Pulse 2009 Study

The CSRI was created using data collected for Reputation Institute's Global Pulse 2008, which was conducted online between January and February 2009. A Pulse score is a measure of corporate reputation calculated by averaging perceptions of four indicators of trust, esteem, admiration and good feeling obtained from a representative sample of at least 100 local respondents who were familiar with the company. Scores range from a low of 0 to a high of 100, Pulse scores that differ by more than +/-0.5 are significantly different at the 95 percent confidence level. The global mean for all companies included in the study was a 64.2.

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

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SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation