No. 1 major appliance manufacturer globally; A portfolio of well-recognized brands; Improved focus on product development, which should boost volume; and Meaningful cost structure improvement due to manufacturing footprint reduction. Intense competition with several large international manufacturing companies; Operates in a cyclical industry exposed to raw material cost volatility; and Uncertainty surrounding outstanding regulatory and litigation risk. The ratings on Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool Corp. reflect Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' opinion that the company has a "satisfactory" business risk profile and an "intermediate" financial risk profile, as defined in our criteria. Key credit factors in our assessment of Whirlpool's satisfactory business risk profile include the company's strong market position as the largest major appliance manufacturer in the world, supported
