How an outside idea reaches a company, in its own words · checked 2026-10-29
How to sell an idea to Whirlpool
Does not take outside ideas
Whirlpool accepts no ideas it did not ask for, from products and technologies to names and artwork. Anything sent anyway is licensed to it royalty-free, for good, and not kept confidential. It has bought Maytag and KitchenAid.
“Whirlpool does not accept unsolicited ideas, works, materials, proposals, suggestions, artwork, content, or the like, including for products, services, technologies, product enhancements, processes, marketing strategies, product names, content, or creative materials (“Submissions”).”
What you agree to by sending something
“Whirlpool may use or redistribute the Submissions and their contents for any purpose and in any way on an unrestricted basis by way of you granting a perpetual, global, royalty-free, unrestricted license to any intellectual property rights related to the Submissions;”
“Whirlpool has no obligation to keep any Submissions confidential.”
What it has bought from outside
2006
Maytag from Maytag Corporation shareholders $1.7 billion
“The bid failed and Maytag was bought by Whirlpool for $1.7 billion.” en.wikipedia.org
1986
KitchenAid from KitchenAid $150 million
“After being cleared by a federal appeals court in January 1986, Whirlpool Corporation was cleared to purchase KitchenAid for $150 million, after initial complaints regarding competition from dishwasher manufacturers White Consolidated Industries and Magic Chef were dismissed.” en.wikipedia.org
2022
InSinkErator from InSinkErator
“On November 1, 2022, InSinkErator was acquired by Whirlpool Corporation.” en.wikipedia.org
Other companies that take an invention or product idea
