End of Westinghouse top mount fridge production at Orange factory

Westinghouse wrapped up production of top mount fridges in NSW in 2016.

Image featured in the Appliances Online blog

In July 2015 more than 700 refrigerators a day were rolling off the assembly line at the Electrolux Home Products Refrigeration Plant in Orange, New South Wales. The following year, the factory closed, ending its 74 years of operation.

Amongst the fridges being made on that day in 2015 were the last Australian-made Westinghouse 420L top-mounts. This classic fridge from the Westinghouse range had been made at the plant for more than 30 years.

According to the ABC, these Australian-made fridges had been in production since 1978, and while their design may have changed over the years, the models remained consistently popular.

"This product has added a lot of volume for us as a factory and a business and you can probably say it’s been one of the reasons we’ve been going this long,” said Matthew Vickery, Production Manager at Electrolux.

Electrolux general manager Mark O’Kane said the factory produced around 1 million of the fridges since the 1970s.

But the very last of these iconic fridges to be made in Orange was not intended for sale, instead being safely put to one side to serve as a memento to the staff who are finishing up. At the time, the ABC reported Mr O'Kane as saying:

“It will be put aside and all of our employees will have the opportunity to sign the refrigerator and we’ll certainly be keeping it for historical purposes."

The Electrolux plant in Orange was originally built as a munitions plant in 1942, and has since been used to manufacture products from the Electrolux, Westinghouse, Kelvinator and Simpson brands.

In 2013, the global Electrolux board made the decision to shut down the plant as part of its strategy to consolidate its Asia-Pacific refrigeration production.

According to the Central Western Daily, the end of production of the Westinghouse 420L fridge coincided with the staged redundancy of over 40 full time employees, with 30+ more casual workers also due to finish up around the same time. The plant employed approximately 550 workers at the time of the shutdown decision.

After so many years of production, it's no surprise that the Westinghouse 420L top mount had become a common choice of fridge for homes across Australia, and that it earned a lot of praise from Appliances Online customers, including the following:

This was our second Westinghouse 420L. The first had been a seconds and had not had a good seal but it had lasted us 11 years. It had survived 2 moves. Buying this one new we hope it will last even longer. We like the size of both fridge and freezer. We prefer a white exterior as we feel silver marks too easily. White is easy to wipe down. Westinghouse is a brand that has lasted and has always been good for us. – Anonymous

I love this fridge. It is so quiet, looks great and holds a lot more food than I thought possible. I enjoy the ice-maker & the fruit/vege compartment (although I thought it was small) it actually holds more than my previous fridge & being see-through helps locate food easily. – Julie E

My old Westinghouse was 37 years-old, so I figured it was high time I upgraded. The new fridge is great – quiet, sleek, plenty of space and easy to clean. I also did some research and found that modern fridges use less energy, which means cheaper to run. It’s all good. – Janie H

A great unit. A perfect size. Love the ice cube dispenser and the lockable section for medications. Large crisper drawer which certainly has kept our vegies crisp and fresh. – Alfred S

I love this fridge, especially the ice maker. The interior has an excellent design and the operation is quiet and unobtrusive. – Lorraine S

So far I am happy with the fridge time will only tell how it performs overall. The shelving and compartments are poisitioned ok an everyone loves the ice cube maker great idea for the size of the fridge. – Kathy M

Westinghouse top mounts today

Today, Westinghouse top mount fridges you buy in Australia are most likely to have been manufactured in Thailand.

Westinghouse may no longer make fridges in Australia, but its top mount models remain a popular choice with those who prefer this classic fridge configuration over the bottom mount and French door models that have surged in popularity in recent years.

Mark Bristow

After joining Appliances Online, Mark learned more than he ever expected to know about washers, dryers and fridges, and discovered a knack for solving everyday problems using typical household appliances. When he’s not toiling at his day job, Mark tries to find time to write the next bestseller and draw satirical cartoons, but is too easily distracted by TV, music and video games.