Wilbert Plastic Services for its decision to establish an injection molding plant in Bellevue, Ohio. Wilbert expects to hire up to 200 employees at the new plant to fulfill a new outsourcing agreement with Whirlpool Corp., which recently announced a significant expansion of its manufacturing presence in Marion and Clyde.

Wilbert Plastic Services is the industrial plastics division of Wilbert, Inc., a holding company established in 1997. Wilbert Plastic Services is the combination of TPi, the ninth-largest thermoformer in the U.S.; TriEnda, a market leader in the material handling and packaging industry; and Morton Custom Plastics, a market leader in plastic injection molding and value-added processing.

Wilbert plans to open a 197,500 square foot facility less than 10 miles from Whirlpool's Clyde plant. The company will manufacture agitators, augers and related plastic components that will be supplied to Whirlpool's Ohio locations.

Following a post-merger review of Maytag operations, Whirlpool recently announced that it would consolidate washer and dryer production from Maytag manufacturing sites in Newton, Iowa; Herrin, Illinois; and Searcy, Arkansas with Whirlpool laundry factories in Clyde and Marion. The company says the moves will build upon the efficiency of its manufacturing capabilities and enhance its ability to compete within the highly competitive global home appliance industry.

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