Whirlpool has closed its three plants in Calw (refrigerators/freezers), Neunkirchen (dishwashers) and Schorndorf (washers and dryers).

On 9 September 1976, the company founder died at the age of 84 years, leaving his sons the management.

Because of some loss-making foreign investments and the withdrawal of banks from other financing commitments, on 13 May 1982 a settlement was requested.

The Global Development Center for washing machines and dryers, in which the large volume washers for the US market were produced was sited in Schorndorf.

At the beginning of 2012, the automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen took over the plant in Neunkirchen with 240 out of the 280 local employees, in order to expand its production capacity in transmission components.