Maytag knows all about economy of use; the company was founded during the Great Depression back in 1893 and has continued to grow from strength to strength ever since. The company showed its determination to compete in the consumer marketplace from the very beginning with as The Maytag Washing Machine Company was one of very few companies that succeeded in making a profit during this period. The company secured revenue during the Second World War by joining in with arms production but got back into appliances and manufactured its first refrigerator by 1946. Maytag now operates under the Whirlpool Corporation.