On May 23, 2002, Standard&Poor's assigned its 'A-2' rating to leading appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. and co-issuer, Whirlpool Finance B.V.'s proposed $500 million euro-commercial paper program. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its other ratings on the company as well as its ratings for Whirlpool Financial Corp. The ratings reflect Whirlpool Corp.'s global leadership position in the appliance industry offset by exposure to economic fluctuations in key international markets. Benton Harbor, M.I.-based Whirlpool continues to maintain the leading market share in several appliance categories across a number of different geographic regions. The company's international sales and manufacturing capabilities provide diversity. Although the global appliance industry continued to experience pressure in 2002 as a result of continued
