160 jobs shifting to Amana

MIDDLE AMANA - The closing of a Whirlpool Corp. plant in Arkansas will add 160 jobs at the appliance manufacturer's plant in Amana.

Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool announced Thursday that it plans to close its refrigerator plant in Fort Smith, Ark., in mid-2012 because of a decrease in demand for side-by-side models. The closing will put 884 hourly workers and 90 salaried employees out of work.

In addition to side-by-side refrigerators, the Arkansas plant produces built-in refrigerators and trash compactors. Whirlpool said the production of built-in refrigerators will move to Amana and trash compactor manufacturing will move to Ottawa, Ohio. Its plant at Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, will take on side-by-side refrigerator production but will not need to hire any new workers, the company said.

The Middle Amana plant manufactures Whirlpool's “bottom mount” refrigerators, which have the freezer compartment as a pullout drawer on the bottom. The company laid off 350 workers in July because of decreased demand.