From her appearances in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, to her romance with Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander to her ad’s for the video game, Game of Thrones, beauty Kate Upton is seemingly everywhere.
So, what do Kate Upton and your refrigerator, washer and dryer, dishwasher or other household appliances have in common? Much more than you think, especially if your appliances are made by Whirlpool. So, you can also include in this many models including Maytag, Kitchen Aid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Sears’ Kenmore line, Best Buy’s Inglis appliances, IKEA brand appliances, as well as Crosley and Admiral appliances for Home Depot. These appliance brands are also seemingly everywhere.
Kate Upton’s great-grandfather was Frederick Upton. Fred, along with his uncle Emory and brother Louis joined together to produce motor-driven wringer washers as the Upton Machine Company, the fore-runner of appliance manufacturer and marketer Whirlpool Corporation. The company first found success marketing its own brand, but later made a name for itself making private label items for others including Federal Electric and Sears. Over the past century, the company has grown, expanded and acquired many of the leading brands of appliances.
Kate may be one of the most celebrated members of her family. However, she’s not the only one in the Upton clan who has significant achievements to their credit. Her uncle, Fred Upton, is a representative for Michigan’s 6th congressional district, serving in that role since 1987. He is Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
So, next time you flip a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer or get a jug of milk out of the fridge, know that Kate Upton’s great grandpa was behind the success of the household appliances we take for granted today.