POD: 6/19/11 1960 TOL Whirlpool Washer

[limitededition]

Sears and Whirlpool

In a 1990 book Everybody business it states that in 1970 2 out of 3 appliances made by Whirlpool were sold by Sears under their own name Kenmore, Coldspot, etc. Sears had a seat on the board of Whirlpool and owned a sizeable chunck of the company around 14 percent so it is easy to see why Sears had such clout. It does go on to state tht the relationship as on the wane and that by 1980 only 50% went to Sears and by 1990 only 35%. With Whirlpool buying Kitchenaid in the 1980's giving them an upscale brand and the purchase of Philips home appliance division in the 1990's. the second largest home appliance brand in Europe they became a major player and no longer relied on Sears for the majority of their business. I feel that Sears was the loser in the deal.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

John/Combo -

I have learned more concerning the origin of the DA agitator. You were much more correct than I was in its development.

Though Sears does have and has had an engineering and testing laboratory, this particular advance was a WP idea for which Sears obtained a 15 year exclusive. The concept was patented (which has a duration of 17 years, thereby preventing other manufacturers from copying it from 1975 until 1992 or so).

This more or less explains the appearance of WP's version of the DA in around 1990, and the advent of it in other manufacturers a couple years later.

Thanks for the interesting debate!

Gordon