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Captive Supplier or Partner? Sears, Whirlpool and Washer Design

Exactly eighty years ago the founder of a struggling manufacturing company approached executives at the prominent mail order specialist Sears, Roebuck to demonstrate an electric washing machine. Despite the number of electrics marketed since the first Thor appeared in 1908, Sears sold primarily hand-powered machines. Now Louis C. "Lou" Upton sought to list his product. Just thirty years of age, Upton possessed a "brilliant talent for sales promotion" [1, p. 1], and likely captured Sears' interest with an air rifle produced by the Upton Machine Company that sold well in the militaristic spirit of the age. Whether because Sears needed an electric, or because of Upton's persuasive qualities, Upton won a deal to supply some 25 machines per month. To quote the corporate chronicle, this was "probably the most important announcement in the history of the Upton Machine Company and the successor companies" [8, p. 18; 1, p. 7]. Thus began what Lou's brother Frederick, who was secretary of the firm, considered "one of the finest business relationships that was ever put together, starting out in a very, very small way" [10, p. 14]. The agreement paved the way for the Whirlpool Corporation's long rise to dominance in the appliance industry, and apparently contributed very significantly to profits at Sears as well.