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Hammack gets a look inside Whirlpool’s operations in Clyde
Beth Hammack, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, traveled to Clyde, Ohio, where she toured Whirlpool’s appliance manufacturing plant.
During a recent tour of Whirlpool’s manufacturing facility in Northwest Ohio, Beth Hammack, president and CEO of the Cleveland Fed, met several employees who explained that they had worked at the plant for decades, as had several generations of their families. Those employees referred to the facility as a “generational plant.”
Beth Hammack chats with Whirlpool leaders and employees.
The plant in Clyde, Ohio—about 45 minutes southeast of Toledo—employs roughly 3,000 people.
Plant leaders noted a shortage of skilled trade workers, echoing feedback Hammack has heard throughout the Fourth Federal Reserve District, which covers all of Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.
Whirlpool officials told Hammack that about 83 percent of its workforce in the United States is more than 45 years old. That’s part of the reason why the company has focused on creating a talent pipeline specifically for the trades.
Leaders at the Clyde facility highlighted how the organization partners with local schools, has created a youth apprenticeship program, and offers internships.
Many workers have joined the company with no prior manufacturing experience and taken advantage of Whirlpool’s on-the-job training opportunities.
Hammack (second from right) receives a demonstration from Kristin Day (far right), vice president of US manufacturing at Whirlpool. Also with Hammack are two Cleveland Fed colleagues: Brian Anderson (center), regional executive, and Ericka Thoms (third from right), senior government relations liaison.
Hammack and team learn about the history of the Clyde facility.
The Cleveland Fed studies workforce development throughout the Fourth District, as it’s one way to expand economic opportunities and create a stronger economy.
President Hammack has made it a priority to meet with employers and talk directly to employees to learn more about what’s working in the workforce development space and what’s not. This input provides Hammack a clearer picture of the opportunities and challenges shaping the region’s labor market.
About President Beth M. Hammack’s Around the District tour
President Hammack is visiting communities across the Fourth District as part of her Around the District tour to meet and connect with the people who live and work in all corners of the region and to gain a better understanding of how the economy is working in different communities. The Cleveland Fed, with branches in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, serves an area that comprises Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Hammack will use this information to inform her policy views and better represent the Fourth District around the Federal Open Market Committee table.
Related resources
President and CEO
Learn about the work of Beth M. Hammack, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
Beth M. Hammack
Beth M. Hammack is the president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, one of 12 regional Reserve Banks in the Federal Reserve System.