BENTON HARBOR, Mich., April 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) has been recognized as a 2013 Top 50 Best Corporate Citizen by CR magazine and one of the world's Most Reputable Companies by Forbes magazine and the Reputation Institute. The company made the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for the eleventh consecutive year and the Most Reputable Companies list for the sixth year in a row.

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Considered the top corporate responsibility ranking based on publicly available information, CR magazine's Best Corporate Citizens List ranks Whirlpool Corporation at No. 42. The company climbed 27 spots this year, with its highest scores coming in the corporate governance, environment, and climate change categories. Whirlpool also ranked No. 43 on the Most Reputable Companies list with a score of 70.03 on the Reputation Institute's RepTrack™ Pulse, the world's largest study of corporate reputation.

"Whirlpool Corporation has long been known for its unique sense of responsibility in the way it operates. Being once again recognized by some of the most respected organizations in the world for this commitment speaks to the dedication of our employees and the work they do," said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. "We are proud of these achievements and will strive to continue conducting our business with integrity and purpose."

As a Global Corporate Leader, Whirlpool Corporation is one of 121 distinguished companies that advance the common good by collectively contributing more than $1 billion and volunteering more than 25 million hours annually. Its brands partner with renowned organizations, such as United Way Worldwide, Habitat for Humanity International, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Launched in 2000, the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List is based on 318 data points of publicly available information in seven categories: environment, climate change, human rights, employee relations, corporate governance, philanthropy and financial performance. These seven categories are weighted differently to account for different relative values. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens are selected from among the large-cap Russell 1000 companies. The list's methodology is governed by the Corporate Responsibility Officers Association Ratings and Rankings Committee and all data is collected and analyzed by IW Financial. More information on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens can be found at TheCRO.com.

The World's Most Reputable Companies list is determined by Reputation Institute's Global RepTrak™ 100 study of consumers. This study measures the 100 most highly regarded companies across 15 countries, covering more than 75 percent of the global GDP. More than 55,000 consumers rated a maximum of five randomly assigned companies that they were somewhat or very familiar with, using RepTrak. The Reputation Institute focuses on seven dimensions of corporate reputation, which include workplace, governance, citizenship, financial performance, leadership, products & services and innovation. Companies also earned a Global RepTrack Pulse score, statistically derived from calculations of four emotional indicators among consumers: trust, esteem, admiration, and good feeling. More information on the Most Reputable Companies can be found at ReputationInstitute.com.

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion in 2012, 68,000 employees, and 65 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.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation