Whirlpool Corp. is preparing to eliminate nearly 350 positions at its refrigerator manufacturing plant in Amana, Iowa, as part of what the Benton Harbor–based appliance giant describes as a multi‑year effort to modernize its operations.

State filings show that 341 employees are slated for layoffs effective March 9, a reduction that affects more than a quarter of the plant’s roughly 1,500‑person workforce. Whirlpool has also signaled that additional job cuts may occur later in the year as it continues to assess the facility’s long‑term needs.The Amana plant—one of the company’s largest refrigerator production sites—has long built models for the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana brands.