Whirlpool celebrated the opening of its new, nearly 900,000-square-foot Fredrickson distribution center Wednesday, complete with a visit from the Maytag Repairman.

Brian Hancock, Whirlpool’s vice president in charge of supply chain, said the Northwest distribution center is part of an effort to streamline the company’s distribution operations by consolidating more than two dozen facilities into 10 regional hubs.

Whirlpool left facilities in Sumner and Kent.

The company’s products – under brands including Maytag, KitchenAid and Jenn-Air – used to be scattered among the numerous distribution facilities. Though the number of facilities ensured that the products were close to the company’s customers, there wasn’t an overall inventory strategy, Hancock said.

Now each regional center carries both high volume products – the appliances people purchase the most – as well as the less common items.

Inside the Fredrickson facility, the most popular appliances are stacked on the outside of the product rows, so that they are quickly accessible.

Shortening the time it takes to get a product from the warehouse to a loading dock by even 10 seconds – and repeating that process for each item ordered – can save the company millions of dollars, Hancock said.

The new system saves Whirlpool more than $100 million a year.

That bodes well for the job security of the 150 people newly employed at the Fredrickson facility.

The company has been downsizing its operations for several years and announced plans last fall to cut 5,000 jobs or 7 percent of its work force, according to a report from Marketwatch.

But Hancock said the distribution operation is one area that hasn’t been cut.

“I don’t believe that will be changing anytime soon,” he said.

The Fredrickson distribution center began shipping products to customers last month.

The company’s regional distribution manager, Blair Child, estimated that 750,000 units – one unit is one appliance – will flow through the center each year.

The highlight of the center’s grand opening was the presence of Clay Jackson, the official Maytag Repairman.

Jackson has traveled the country as Maytag’s official spokesman since 2007, when he left his job selling residential real estate.

He sings the national anthem at sporting events, throws out the first pitch at baseball games and was even on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno.

It’s quite a contrast to the infamously out-of-work repairman portrayed on the company’s television commercials.

“It’s a full time job for a guy who’s not supposed to work very much,” Jackson said.

Kelly Kearsley: 253-597-8573

kelly.kearsley@thenewstribune.com