Whirlpool has a number of refrigerator plants. In addition to operations in Mexico, they have a plant in Amana Iowa (I think acquired via Maytag) which makes much of their U.S. sales - French door models, bottom freezer units, and built-ins. Apparently French door units form a large percentage of sales in the U.S. today.
I had thought that the only refrigerators being made in Mexico now are the top-freezer models, which until 2010 or 2011 had been made in the U.S. in Evansville, Indiana. But it appears that traditional side by sides are made in Mexico as well. These had been made in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I have heard that Evansville was inefficient, old, in need of re-tooling, and had significant labor problems. It was a long-time WP plant. I don't know much about the Fort Smith plant, other than it was originally a Norge plant, and bought by WP in 1966.
Since aquiring Maytag, which had at least one or two Mexican refrig. plants, at least one of those have been closed with production transferred back to the U.S. The decision to move top mount refrigerators to MX was difficult, but they are a very mature business and not very profitable, so the cost savings of Mexican manufacture was mandatory to stay in the market.
Whirlpool also has a freezer plant in Ohio. This plant was acquired from Woods Manufacturing several years back and has seen significant investment from the company.
Gordon[this post was last edited: 12/12/2012-19:24]
