Maytag's board of directors approved acceptance of the Whirlpool offer last Tuesday. They are recommending a "yes" vote by the Maytag stockholders on August 30, which, of course, is likely to be approved.
There is little, if any opposition to this merger in "the trade" so it's doubtful that there will be a huge stumbling block with regulators. Remember, Whirlpool isn't flying blind here, they wouldn't have put up the offer, paid Triton/Ripplewood $40 million dollars (maytag backed out of the deal with them in favor of the Whirlpool offer and had to pay which Whirlpool is fronting) and also agree to employee retention escrows, etc. if they thought there was a strong possiblity of regulatory denial. I'm sure they have thought this out thoroughly and have, or will have, a plan for structuring their business and market share that will pass regulatory muster. Who knows, maybe they'll sell off Hoover and a few Maytag factories to other investors and we'll see Hoover branded major appliances again. For market share, I've seen percentages of 70% of laundry market would be held by Whirlpool. GE currently ranks #2 and would still be after the merger and would move Electrolux up to the #3 spot.
There are many thousands, if not millions of Matyag appliances in use today and as long as the parts are still supporting themselves, the parts will still be manufactured. Many of the parts I needed for the Maytag 160 restoration I just completed were brand new, off the shelf at my local parts store. In fact, I had a call today that the door seal I ordered for the matching dryer is in from another store and ready to be picked up. I was told however that many of the crucial belt-drive Whirlpool/Kenmore parts are going fast. My supplier has no more basket drives, spin tubes or pumps for any belt-drive machines. I was able to order in, from old stock at other locations, four Frigidaire "D" hole water bellows and two 1-18 water bellows!
