In addition to the geographical factor (we crossed four States), the logistic aspect also counted a great deal, not to mention the very different situations we discovered. So, I’m starting with Chicago, which is considered to be one of the capitals of US cuisine. And we were certainly not disappointed, thanks also to the great professionalism of Fernando Marfil, with his experience in the luxury hotel sector. The cooking show organized at the World of Whirlpool was, without doubt, spectacular, but also, and above all, high quality. We were welcomed with a glass of Californian Merlot (had we wanted, there was a large selection of American beers available) and delicate puff pastries, with vegetables, straight from the oven; the guests were served a rapid succession of flawless canapés, that culminated with irresistible bite-sized hamburgers. Among the dishes prepared on the futuristic cookers of the World of Whirlpool, an unbeatable sirloin sticks in my mind; it had been braised until it had begun to caramelize, and it was so tender that it melted as soon as I looked at it. The optional pairing, with an airy mousse of crème fraiche and radish was spot-on. There was a good selection of cheeses, all American, all to discover, paired with fruits and various types of bread. The sweets were a presentation of chocolate in all of its forms. How divine!

Day 1: Chicago – Benton Harbor – Brandywine

Skipping the enormous breakfast selection, we came to lunch on the following day, which was, alas, unclassifiable, as it consisted of rolls and packets of crisps, and if that weren’t enough, we ate them on the coach and watered them down with the deadly, well-known and universal national fizzy drink. In any case, for the purposes of the news, here’s a rundown of the contents of my appetizing and extremely delightful “DIY lunch” issued at the exit of the World of Whirlpool: XXL bread roll stuffed with a variety of unidentified cold meats and salami, mayonnaise, or something similar, an anemic lettuce leaf and a slice of tomato; a biscuit affected by gigantism, not bad; a bag of bacon-flavored, crisp-like snacks; an apple (which was my salvation). The salt content would have been enough to preserve the catch of a whole anchovy season in Monterosso, but it had the merit of masking the real flavor of the food.

Things got better in the evening, with the dinner served at 6.30 pm, in accordance with US customs. An excellent introduction with Californian red and white wines. Worth noting was the Pinot Noir, which was generous and without pretense. On the table, in a warm and cozy mountain lodge setting, we were welcomed with the classic mixed salad, presented, however, with a few refinements. It was pleasing to the eye, and refreshing to the palate, which was still deadened by the forced salting of lunch. The main course fell into the category of “surf and turf”, with a mixed grill of meat and fish, accompanied by an excellent selection of mixed vegetables. I won’t say what I thought of the abundance of scallops or the chicken (both exemplary), but I felt sorry for the poor sockeye salmon, which I image was of noble heritage, but which was, sadly, overcooked. At the end, an irresistible monolith of chocolate, in its more classical of guises, of the “black forest” gateau, saved the day.

Day 2 – Brandywine – Benton Harbor – Greenville

Good, substantial and rich breakfast in the lovely dining room of the lodge. At lunchtime, we were received by the chairman, Jeff Fettig, in the “executive dining room” in the world headquarters. We were a little in awe, and our interest was certainly not focused on the food, but on the discussion of the great topics of innovation and of the company’s strategy. The questions came thick and fast, but the chairman answered tirelessly, even managing to eat without anyone noticing. There was an art to it all. The gastronomic appearance suffered from the need not to wait even one second for the most important man in the team, and as a result, the chicken and beef kebabs, accompanied with pilaf rice and grilled vegetables, were a little tough. They were already suffering from anonymity, and the wait depressed them further. No first course, and the dessert was a single portion, a choice between an excellent lemon pie and a delicate clafoutis of blueberries. There was no alcohol on the table, this was, after all, a place of work.

Evening came, and our coach reached Greenville. Waiting for us in the very latest “KitchenAid Experience” shop was a group of women pensioners, former employees of the factory, who were ready to spoil us with canapés that they themselves had made. Loving little grandmas, blessed housewives who, with a smile, presented us with deep, rural America, on a dish. Surprising roulades of water chestnuts and bacon, in a barbecue sauce; baked cheese in a pecan crust and cane sugar, to spread on bread; king prawns in a tomato, radish, Tabasco and Worcester sauce; fresh herb cheese, and vegetables all unknown to me, also for spreading; fresh vegetables of every kind. A breath of fresh air, a small gastronomic discovery, with simplicity and, above all, with heart.

The actual dinner took place in the Bistro off Broadway, situated in the building that housed the original factory of the legendary mixers. The setting was that of a mid-west diner, with colored neon signs advertising this or that make of beer, suffused lights, wooden floors and a long counter. We dined in the company of the Mayor and of a county politician. It was compulsory to try the beef, one of the various local cuts that are unknown on Italian tables. I ventured for a flat iron, a particular cut from the front, but Marco was less adventurous and more cautiously chose a “New York” (a sirloin cut “the other way” to us). Of course, there were plenty of French fries, and they were good. And plenty of icy-cold beer. It was impossible to face the dessert, the US portions are difficult to tackle for our European stomachs.

Day 3 – Greenville – Clyde – Detroit

Breakfast at the “Comfort Inn”, without any hitches, with a pleasant variation of the “do it yourself” wafer. In fact, we were assisted by a sprightly grandma of the west. Here, everyone is so polite, and always ready to do their utmost to make you more comfortable, to serve you what you want, the way you want it …

At lunch, the dismal bread rolls reappeared, but then, the schedule was so full that there was no alternative. We fed ourselves with a classic foot-long “sub” (from subway”, because of the elongated shape), which came in the ham, cheese, or “club” (a bit of everything) version. We chose the latter. Again the giant biscuits, which were good, albeit a little boring. And to drink, there was the Atlanta “soda” again, in its unmistakable red can.

We ate dinner in the airport, in Detroit. We were spoilt for choice. Marco was attracted by Mexican food, which, to be honest, was very inviting. We gave in. I realized that the director of Varesenews, in fact, didn’t know anything about pico de gallo, fajitas, jalapeños , chipotles or chili con carne. To tell the truth, he had said little, if indeed anything, about the food during this trip. This was the least adventurous side of his personality. This would have to be remedied, no authentic native of Viterbo can be without an opinion on culinary matters. There must be a way, in the near future, I hoped. In the meantime, I ordered him a “classic bacon barbecue burger”, which came with solid French fries. The waitress asked to see my identity card when I asked for a draught Budweiser. She wanted to check that I was 21!! The paradoxes of the rule followed to the letter!

And thus, our gastronomic adventures in the American mid-west came to an end in the most classic of ways, with a perfect, and, alas, highly calorific hamburger, as we were already dreaming of “linguine”, ravioli and risottos. Incorrigible.

Pierre Ley

In Ohio, Whirlpool has another five production units, with a total of 10,000 employees. This factory has been running since 1880, and in 1952, the corporation purchased the company Clyde Porcelain Steel. Only last year did production of front-loading washing machines begin. One factory, with 5 million pieces per year, and over 70% of the top-loading washing machines present in American homes are produced here. To date, 145 million washing machines have been produced. Three thousand four hundred people work in Clyde, and more than half of them have over 20 years of service. The most important qualities of this factory are a strong organizational ability, great motivation and work ethic, and a structure with a potential for very flexible expansion. There is a strong social sense, and, over the last three years, over $1,400,000 has been donated to a variety of causes in the area. Many of us do voluntary work, and collaborate on social activities. The factory extends over an area equal to 55 football pitches. There are dozens of production lines, and it is impressive to see pieces of washing machine flying overhead, converging on assembly areas. Today, a lot of focus is put on saving energy, starting with water. “In the past, a wash took 80 gallons, now, 15-16 is sufficient,” Bill explains to us. The whole of the manufacturing process is done in Clyde, including working the metal and the plastic “This is a de-unionized factory,” Bill tells us as he accompanies us to see the various production phases. And this fact is confirmed also by the director and the head of personnel. “Basic pay is about $18/hour, to which a number of benefits are added, like health care and social security, which the company guarantees.” The salary is established from an analysis of the market, which is made annually, on both a national and a local basis. This is a different system from the one in Italy, and comparisons are difficult. And the feeling of belonging is also different, which is accepted, for good and bad.

“Il mondo è un libro e quelli che non viaggiano ne leggono solo una pagina”

Ed eccola qui… anche la strega, o la principessa, poco importa chi, porta un tocco di colore. E a questo proposito forse è bene sapere che il fucsia è stato l’ultimo colore aggiunto per la produzione dei mixer. Inoltre, per ogni prodotto acquistato in rosa Whirlpool devolve una parte del ricavato alla ricerca contro il cancro. MIca male…

A Greenville c’è KitchedAid e il suo famoso mixer. Una creatura inventata da Hobart nel 1908 che poi iniziò a produrla nel 1919.

Bill Good, il direttore dello stabilimento racconta le tappe salienti della storia dell’azienda acquisita nel 1986 da Whirlpool.

“Il nostro è un marchio  un prodotto incredibile. Siamo la barca da corsa e malgrado le dimensioni ridotte produciamo per tutto il mondo. Ci lavorano novecento persone e costruiscono un milione e ottocentomila pezzi di mixer e 500mila frullatori all’anno con un margine di difetti dell’1%”.

Il trailer creato dalla corporation per Habitat for Humanity, l’associazione benefica a cui Whirlpool è legata: da decenni i lavoratori delle aziende vanno fisicamente a costruire case per chi non può permettersele.

Whirlpool oggi, oltre Benton Harbor è presente a Sao Paulo (Brasile), Comerio (Europa), Gurgaon (India), Shanghai (China).
Il marchio conosciuto a livello mondiale, in 130 paesi, è Whirlpool, mentre KitchenAid è presente nelle Americhe e in Europa. Gladiator è diffuso negli Stati Uniti e in Oceania. Un marchio di prodotti per il garage. È nato dal gruppo di lavoro sull’innovazione per dare una risposta ad alcuni bisogni della casa.
A questi marchi si affiancano altri con diffusione locale. Inglis, Jenn-Air, Amana, Maytag negli Usa. Acros in Messico, Brastemp, Consul ed Eslabòn in America Latina. Ignis e Bauk necht in Europa.
Dal 1999 al 2009 sono stati dieci anni di profondi cambiamenti con attenzione ai consumatori e alla competizione. Venne avviato uno studio con 25mila persone per capire meglio le esigenze. Da qui è nata una nuova strategia per la comunicazione e il marketing per ognuno dei nostri marchi.

“At the time, it was thought that innovation was the work of the few, and the intuition of our chairman appeared unprecedented. But it was the best, winning idea. We began with a team of 75 people, 25 in America, 25 in Comerio and 25 in San Paolo. We put them all together, with a new way of working. At the time, there was a sea of white in the shops, with electrical appliances all the same. I thought that, by bringing these people together, we would find the solution, but we understood this wasn’t enough.”

Since then, Whirlpool has come a long way, and is one of the companies that focuses most on innovation. Nancy Tennant continues, “For us, innovation must have three requisites. It must be unique and significant. It must create a real and competitive advantage, and lastly, it must be so new that the consumer is willing to pay something extra to have that product. The perception of what innovation is has changed over the last few years. We’re proud to have changed the rules of the game; the crisis distracted us a little, but we have to start working even more in that direction.”

Nancy happily talks about when the chairman Richard Withwam retired, he declared that he would only give his name for Brandywine Creek, the Whirlpool lodge, where we are staying, because he was convinced of the need for the continuous training and development of the employees.

Coming back to the innovation that is so dear to the corporation, the question now is how to step up a grade. “We realized we were all talking the same language, but interpreting differently. So we decided to introduce concepts, sharing and applying them in all regions. Another important point, given the new markets, is that innovation must not be expensive. It can be conceived and realized also for the masses, with low technology materials, introducing entry level products that enable a part of the population, who would never be able to purchase some products, acquire them. This innovation needs the same inventiveness and skill, and is possibly even more difficult.”

In short, processes that are not only revolutionary, like the iPod, but also small, incremental changes, that do not change people’s lives, but improve the product.

“We attach importance to the innovation of process and of product, and we use the same instruments and people that are in charge of developing it.”

It is a central theme for the economy and the life of companies that would require days of work. Here, you have to run, but you won’t have an evening with Nancy Tennant every day.

The setting is one that would fascinate even the most skeptical.

A technology, somewhere between “touch” and something that has still not been tried out, would allow cooking, interacting with friends on social networks and using the same space to do something entirely different.

The enthusiasm of the young man who is explaining to us how technology is evolving, is palpable. He knows he is using a trick, because it projects from overhead, thanks to a remote control that he keeps hidden away, but he also knows that they are working seriously there.

It is not magic, but research and innovation. It is the most intriguing moment of the hour and a half spent in the design development laboratories. A genuine tour that has shown us how much work there is behind the success of a product. Nothing is left to chance. There is study, research, testing and analysis. And to finish, a touch of madness of great visionaries.

Richard Gresens, the head of Global Consumer Design, presents the organization of this strategic sector.

“There are six centers throughout the world, the biggest is in Benton Harbor, with 120 employees. One in the United States, in Mexico, in Italy, China and India. An organization like this is important, in order to be near the local communities. Attention is paid to cultures and styles, and we try to understand what’s happening around the place. The advantage of a large corporation is being able to coordinate different experiences and consider them when innovating products. We work on sensorial design, for intuitive usability. Other elements are the workmanship and the color. Finally, a lot of attention is paid to the little final touches, which are almost imperceptible, but which may have a significant impact on whether or not the product is chosen.”

There is a great difference between different brands, which might contain the same technology, but which appear very different.

The Whirlpool name is the more global one, as it is present in all countries and pays most attention to innovation. One concrete example comes from the United States, where the washing machine market is changing. In the past, 75% of homes had a vertical-loading model, with less attention to design. Today, as people change their washing machines, they choose front-loading models that have more attractive designs.