Whirlpool Corp. said earlier this week that it has sold a number of former Maytag Corp.facilities. The facilities are those in Newton, Iowa; Florence, S.C.; Galesburg and Herrin, Ill.; Searcy, Ark.; and Ranson, W.Va. Whirlpool acquired Maytag in April 2006.

The former Maytag manufacturing facilities located in Galesburg and Herrin, Ill.; Searcy, Ark.; Ranson, W.Va. and Newton, Iowa, were sold together as a package to Industrial Realty Group (IRG) of Los Angeles. IRG specializes in the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of excess corporate real estate and manufacturing facilities.

"We are pleased to see the transition plans for each of the former Maytag properties. We have been working in cooperation with business and community leaders in each of these locations to develop appropriate plans for the former Maytag properties," said David L. Swift, president, Whirlpool North America. "We believe that the sale of these properties and the resulting future reuse and redevelopment is another important step forward in the ongoing transition of each of the communities."

The former Maytag manufacturing facility in Florence, S.C., has been sold to Hackman Capital Partners, LLC of Los Angeles, a private asset-based investment firm that specializes in the acquisition of real estate and capital assets.

The fomerMaytag headquarters building complex was sold to Iowa Telecom. Following the sale, some of the property will be transferred from Maytag to the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to be converted and used as a regional vocational training center..