I see two things
either to Haier or LG/Samsung OR to an fill-in-the-blank capital group.
Whirlpool, I can't see that happening on anti-trust grounds.
Seems the investment in USA based production was but a smoke screen to gussy it up for sale to the right bidder. Neutron Jack did this to the small appliance division years ago, hence B&D coffemakers in our kitchens.
While I support business in general and only a profitable concern can hire people and generate wealth, when it comes to screwing around like this to make a bunch of pencil pushing accountants dance a jig over the stock price, I part company.
This is a perfect example (along with Wall Street in general) of WHY we just can't seem to make stuff here anymore. It has nothing to do with unions, wages, lack of plant capacity or anything (save for asinine goobermint regulations).
When a company is a slave to wall street, it generally screws over main street. When a CEO pay package is in large part dependent on the price per share, the trailing earnings, yadda yadda, a particular division can be indeed profitable but if it makes more money overall by being sold (and ultimately gutted), then so be it.
The outcome, well we've already witnessed it.
Exhibit A. Anheuser-Busch sold to Inbev. Cost cutting, layoffs, etc. And still a piss poor offering of beer.
Exhibit B. The disastrous Chrysler Daimler "merger of equals". Chryco parts division sold off to Metaldyne and others. Cost cuts, wage cuts, etc.
Exhibit C. Useless Airways and American. Talk about putting two losers together to make one bigger loser, this is it. Naturally upper management is well taken care of. The rest of us will have to suck wind.
Bottom line, the less competition in the marketplace means we consumers lose. Big time. Look at the cell phone business. The airlines are another example.
In other words, business as usual in America.