...η ιστορία του Maytag

  

In the Beginning*F.L. Maytag, who came to Iowa as a farm boy in a 
covered wagon, joined with three other men to found the company in 1893.

The firm produced threshing machine band-cutter and self-feeder 
attachments invented by one of the founders of the company. 
Operations were housed in an abandoned, 30 x 40 foot stove works 
in Newton.
*After the turn of the century, the company became involved in several sidelines. The farm equipment line was expanded to include hay presses, 
hog waterers and numerous specialized feeders and harvesting equipment. Between 1907 and 1911, F.L. Maytag produced 'Maytag-Mason' automobiles 
in Waterloo, Iowa. As late as 1916, Maytag Company briefly produced 
farm tractors.
*The first Maytag clothes washer was built in 1907as a sideline to 
the farm equipment line. It was intended that this product would solve 
seasonal slumps in the farm equipment business and fill the need for 
a home washing machine.
*The 1907 'Pastime' washer had a wooden tub with a hand crank that turned an inside dolly with pegs, which, in turn, pulled the clothes through 
the water and against the corrugated tub sides.
*About this time in the company's history, F.L. Maytag became 
sole owner of the firm. 
Improvements on the first washer came steadily. 
A pulley mechanism was added so the machine could be operated by 
an outside power source, and, in 1911, a model with an electric motor 
was unveiled.
*Three years later, Maytag developed its Multi-Motor gasoline engine 
washer that became a boon to rural homemakers who did not have access 
to electric power. In 1919 the company succeeded in casting the first 
aluminum washer tub, producing what was called in the trade 'the washer 
that couldn't 
be built,' and eliminating problems inherent in the wooden tub construction.
*Expansion into a national company and world leadership came during 
the first half of the 1920's under L.B.Maytag, a son of the founder, who served as company president between 1920 and 1926. He was a member of the board of directors from 1940 until his death in 1966. He also conceived a new washer design that replaced the dolly under the lid with an agitator in the bottom of 
the tub.
*Howard Snyder, a former mechanic whose inventive genius had led him 
to head Maytag's development department, worked out details of the new design and came up with one of the most significant inventions in laundry appliance history. His revolutionary washing principle was to force water through the clothes with a vaned agitator mounted on the bottom of the tub, rather than drag clothes through the water with a lid dolly. Maytag first introduced this type of washer in 1922, and it was a great success.
*The new washer design put Maytag exclusively into 
the washer business, prompted discontinuance of farm implement manufacturing, and propelled the company to a dominant position in 
the young laundry appliance industry.
*Trainloads of Maytag 'Gyrafoam' washers went out from the Newton 
plant in single shipments, and by 1927 the company had produced its first million. It has now produced more than 40 million laundry and kitchen appliances.
- Company Goes Public
*In 1925, the company went public with listing 
on the New York Stock Exchange. The company did not, however, 
turn its back on its rural base. It soon began providing butter churn and 
meat grinder attachments for its washer and adapted its Multi-Motor for use with a cream separator and, in the 1930's, to function as a light generator. 
In 1924 an ironer had been introduced as a companion appliance to the 
Maytag washer.
*From 1926 to 1940 the company was headed by E.H. Maytag, 
another son of the founder. In 1929 the company reached a pre-war high in earnings of $6,838,883, and the firm made its way through the depression years without encountering a loss.
*As the shadow of war fell over the country, E.H. Maytag died, 
and his son, Fred Maytag II, assumed the company presidency in 1940 
at age 29.
*During World War II, the company discontinued the manufacture 
of washers and devoted its facilities to the war effort. From 1941 to 1945, 
Maytag improved and produced numerous special components for military airplanes.
*Production of wringer washers was resumed in 1946, and, three 
years later, Plant 2, a new facility for manufacturing automatic washers, 
was opened in Newton. Maytag's first automatic washer, the AMP, was introduced in 1949 and began a new era in the history of the company.
*With the beginning of the Korean War in 1951, Maytag again served 
its country, constructing a building next to Plant 1 to produce parts for tanks and other military equipment while continuing its washer production. 
Production of clothes dryers was added in 1953.
- The End of an Era
*Thirty years later in late 1983, the end of an era occurred when 
Maytag discontinued production of wringer washers. 
The company had produced wringer washers for 76 years, and when manufacturing was discontinued 11.7 million units had rolled off assembly 
lines in Newton. Industry sales of wringer washers had been decreasing 
since 1948, and, because of the low volume involved, it was no longer economical for Maytag to manufacture the product.
*Plant 2 has been expanded many times since it was built in 1949. 
The facility and its adjoining product warehouse now cover more than two million square feet on a 175-acre tract. Plant 1, where component parts 
are manufactured, covers over 29 acres with its numerous buildings and 
has a floor area of more than a million square feet. 
The Headquarters building was dedicated in 1961, and the Technical 
Center was created with the renovation of part of Plant 1 in 1988. 
Completing the Maytag office complex are Research and Development 
and the Training Center on the east side of Dependability Square.
*Upon his death in 1962, Fred Maytag II was succeeded as chairman 
of the board and chief executive officer by George M. Umbreit. E.G. Higdon 
was named president of the company at the same time. This marked the 
first time in history that the company was not headed by a Maytag. 
Since then, professional managers have led Maytag Company, and family members have not been involved in management.
*In 1972, Daniel J. Krumm succeeded E.G. Higdon as Maytag president 
and treasurer, and two years later he was named chief executive officer.
*Throughout history, Maytag Company has done more of its own manufacturing than perhaps any other appliance maker, due in part to its location, but primarily to its overriding concern for product quality and cost control. Production facilities include machining, sheet metal stamping and welding, rubber and plastics molding and extruding, die casting, 
heat treating, plating, porcelain enameling and paint finishing.
- Field Sales Organization
*The company's field sales organization is divided into Eastern, 
Northern, Central and Western divisions, under which 24 branches with 
nearly 250 regional managers serve more than 10,000 retail dealers 
throughout the nation. Canada is served by the Maytag Company Ltd., 
a subsidiary, and distributors headquartered in Montreal and Truro, 
Nova Scotia. Overseas, Maytag appliances are sold through Maytag Corporation's international subsidiary, Domicor.
*In 1983 Maytag established a national parts distribution operation in 
Jefferson City, Mo. Today, this facility and the service and parts operations 
of all Maytag Corporation appliance companies are consolidated under the direction of the Maycor Appliance Parts and Service Company,headquartered 
in Cleveland, Tenn.
*In 1985 Maytag began operations in its second facility in Jefferson City-a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant. This plant produces wire harnesses, powdered metal parts and other components for Maytag appliances.
- Expansion of Product Line
*In the late 1950's, Maytag expanded into the growing commercial 
laundry field. In 1958, the company began manufacturing washers and 
dryers for commercial self service laundries and commercial route operators.
*Over the years, the company has introduced many innovations in the commercial laundry field, including plastic tickets to operate machines 
rather than coins and the concept of stacking two regular-size dryers. 
The latter idea provides customers with their own individual laundry areas, 
and it saves space while conserving energy.
*In addition to its single-load laundry equipment and multi-load dryers 
for the commercial market, Maytag added, in 1987, a line of front-loading 
washers to its offering of commercial products.
*As far as non-laundry appliances are concerned, Maytag began marketing 
a line of ranges and refrigerators in 1946, both of which were manufactured under the Maytag name by other companies. However, Maytag chose not to 
stay in this business. Ranges were discontinued in 1955 and refrigerators 
in 1960.
*Six years later the company reentered the kitchen appliance field with 
a portable dishwasher, and in 1968 it unveiled a line of food waste disposers. These products were manufactured at Maytag Company facilities.
*In 1969 the company added a built-in dishwasher and a convertible dishwasher. Two more built-in models were introduced in 1971, and 
today the company offers a full line.
- Growth by Acquisition
*In 1981 Maytag launched a program of growth by acquisition and 
purchased Hardwick Stove Company of Cleveland, Tennessee. 
Maytag reentered the cooking appliance field in 1982 with a line of gas 
and electric ranges, wall ovens, built-in cooktops and microwave ovens. 
During that year, Maytag also acquired Jenn-Air Corp. 
of Indianapolis, Indiana.
*Jenn-Air manufactures electric and gas down-draft grill ranges and cooktops. It pioneered the concept of down-draft cooking ventilation. 
The company is the leading manufacturer of down-draft cooktops, units 
that make barbecuing an indoor, year-round activity. 
In 1987 Jenn-Air began marketing a gas model, downdraft cooktop, 
as well as a line of refrigeration products.
*Late in 1982, Maytag began manufacturing dishwashers for Jenn-Air. 
These units are built in Newton, Iowa, and marketed by the Indianapolis 
firm under the Jenn-Air label. Jenn-Air, in turn, makes several cooking appliances for Maytag Company.
- Maytag Corporation is Formed
*Maytag Corporation, headed by Chairman and CEO Daniel J. Krumm, was formed when the Magic Chef family of companies was merged into Maytag operations on May 30, 1986. In January 1989, Maytag Corporation expanded 
its worldwide presence by acquiring Chicago Pacific Corporation and its 
Hoover division.
*Today, Maytag Corporation is comprised of three divisions-the appliance group, Hoover group and diversified products group. Altogether, full or nearly full lines of major appliances are marketed in the U.S. under the Admiral, Jenn-Air, Magic Chef and Maytag brands. Other domestic appliance brands include Hardwick and Norge. Hoover floor-care products are distributed internationally, and Hoover home appliances are sold primarily in the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and Australia. The corporation also manufacturers soft drink vending machines and currency changers under the Dixie-Narco and Ardac brands.
*The manufacturing and service companies within the corporation, 
in addition to Maytag Company, include: Admiral Company; Dixie-Narco Inc.; Domicor, Inc.; Heatube Company; Hoover Company; Jenn-Air Company; 
Magic Chef Company; Maycor Appliance Parts and Service Company; 
and Maytag Financial Services Corp.
*Today, Maytag Corporation and Maytag Company are headquartered in Newton. The company employs approximately 3,500 people in Newton 
and Jefferson City, Missouri while the corporation employs approximately 29,000 worldwide.
*When Mr. Owens sent us this brief company history, he also enclosed photocopies of service and parts manuals, as well as a listing of serial 
numbers and their corresponding dates of production. Maytag owners 
seeking such information may forward questions to Mr. Owens. 
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