Interesting article on Hoover/Maytag/Whirlpool

[hooverwheelaway]

This article is from North Canton, OH's local paper...

I like the quote at the bottom of this article (in reaction to Ralph Hake's resignation):
“The guy should have done it six years ago,” Repace said. “Maybe the whole Maytag company would be in a better position today, including Hoover. In my opinion, he grossly mismanaged Maytag and the Hoover Co.”

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Only time will tell. At least the people at Hoover plant have a little better morale...

~Fred

http://cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=278525&Category=5

 

[hoover1060]

I still find it amazing

That the articles I've read concerning the state of Maytag all blame Hoover for their woes, as though Hoover is some unruly child doing whatever they want and "poor" Maytag is suffering the consequences.
Thats a bunch of crap. Nothing came out of North Canton that was not sanctioned by Newton.
Maytag liquidated alot of Hoover's assets, land, factories, and hell they GAVE away the Hoover historical center.
I've known Tom and have been visiting North Canton for over 6 years. Common knowledge there is the shots were called from Newton and not locally. I remember the 95th anniversary party I went to in 2003 at the Historical center. The Iowan that Maytag had placed in charge in North Canton drove up in his Lexus and was pretty well shunned.
I think Maytags issue is they were too greedy and wanted too much of the market, when they should have focused on what they knew best. Hoover had similar problems in the 60's when they came out with the small appliances.
One can only hope Whirlpool will have the good sense to not make hasty descisions.
There's so much potential with this deal!

 

[myhooverco]

Maytag getting theirs...finally

As a resident and proud North Cantonian these past 7 years, it has been with a great sadness that I have witnessed first hand the killing of the Hoover Company our cities patriarch for the past almost 100 years. There is more to the Hoover Company than just a factory. This company has an entire city behind it weaving it into the fabric that is North Canton (one of the top 100 places to live in all of the USA by the way). It is hard to describe to someone who does not live here, but North Canton and Hoover have a very unique relationship as one needs the other. All that I can say is now that the dreaded Maytag is gone (it needs swept away like the smelly garbage that it is), maybe some shred of Hoover can survive. Maytag is a dirty word in this town. Much of the land, jobs, tax money, and our standard of living has been lost due to the inept activities of Maytag. No one here has a good thing to say about them. Now they are getting theirs. I am sure that it won't be pretty for them either, but too bad. Mr. Hake is a crook and a (insert curse word here) bad businessman. I hope now that the city and the company can rebound as I think we have hit the low point in our history. I feel that I can say these things honestly as I live it everyday. North Canton needs something good to happen and I think it just did!

--Tom