the multinational whirlpool will open this Friday in Pilar its most modern plant in the worldbased on an investment of US$ 52 million that will allow it to produce 300,000 washing machines per year, of which 200,000 will be exported to Brazil.
The other 100,000 units will go to the local market, which “is going through a moment of great growth”, according to what the director of Business for the South Region of Whirlpool told Télam, Martin Castro.
For the official inauguration, the company expects the presence of the president, Alberto Fernandez; the Minister of Economy, Serge Massa; the Buenos Aires governor, Axel Kicillo; the Secretary of Commerce, Matias Tombolini; Industry and Productive Development, Jose de Mendiguren; and the local mayor, Federico Achavalamong other guests.
As a result of shipments of 200,000 units to the Brazilian market, foreign sales will exceed US$50 million per year, according to estimates by the US-based company.
With these results, Whirlpool will become the largest exporter of household appliances in Argentinaas reported.
The plant that will be inaugurated this Friday will become the most modern in the world of the firm and it will have the ability to finish a washing machine in approximately 40 seconds.
In a tour of the new facilities, the Operations Manager, Federico Sampedro, pointed out that “it is the most automated that the company has in the world” as it has 22 robots but, at the same time, “it is labor intensive” , which makes it a hybrid model.
Whirlpool will become the largest exporter of household appliances in Argentina
It currently has 150 employees, which will increase to 400 in July of next year when it already operates at the top of its productive capacity, according to the firm’s projections.
Indeed, manufacturing will gradually scale until reaching a capacity of 300,000 washing machines per year in July 2023.
Among the state-of-the-art technological advances of the new factory, the company’s authorities highlighted that “it is a green plant.”
Its environmental benefits are possible thanks to the use of thermal insulation on the roof and walls to minimize energy use, maximize the use of sunlight, and collect rainwater.
In addition, the production process is dry and only water is used for quality testing of the washing machines.
Also -according to what was reported by the company-, they have a project underway to buy clean energy (solar or wind) from local suppliers.
The high-end washing machines, which will hit the local market next month, currently have a national component of 50% of the supplies. The objective is to reach 70% of local components within a period of between 18 and 24 months.
In this way, the full operation of the Whirlpool plant would generate more than 1,000 jobs between direct and indirect jobs.
The factory occupies an area of 30,000 square meters within a plot of 80,000 that the firm acquired in May 2021.
In this framework, if the demand makes it necessary, with a minimum investment the facilities could be expanded up to 10,000 more square meters, generating a production capacity of up to 500,000 washing machines per year.
In terms of gender equality, the objective set by the company for its new factory is to achieve parity between men and women. Currently, between 30 and 40% of the plant belongs to the female gender.
