This year Whirlpool Corp., which started with three people in Benton Harbor and nearly failed multiple times as an early business, is celebrating its 100th birthday.

The company now employs more than 70,000 people in more than 60 countries.

On that growth path, the company also made camp cook kits for the Boy Scouts of America and food for NASA astronauts, among other projects.

In many ways, to get a sense of how Whirlpool thrived – you need to know how Whirlpool survived.

The story begins around 1911, and at first, it was a story of failure.

As a teenager, Lou Upton lost his father in a street car accident. Lou quit school, sold insurance, saved up $500 to invest in a company -- and then lost everything.

"The company that he invested in said, I feel bad about that. Go see anything in our warehouse that might help you, and he found a drawing of a washing machine,” said Jeff Noel, with Whirlpool. “And he knew that there's something there that I can make of value,” added Noel.

Lou, his uncle and a friend got together and started the business. They borrowed more money and gave their washing machine company a shot.

"They started basically on borrowed money,” said Noel. “They made their very first 100 washing machines, they sold them, and they didn't work,” said Noel.

After that debacle, the founders borrowed more money -- and tried again.

Noel says the buyer was impressed and decided to buy 100 more.

Upton Machine Company became the 1900 Corporation; not until 1950 did they adopt the name Whirlpool Corp.

The company was progressing. But especially early on, they didn’t always sell so many washers.

"Anything they could do to create income -- these boys were hustlers, I'll tell ya,” said Steve Upton with a smile. Steve, who is now in his late 80’s, remembers some of the early years as his father Frederick helped Lou grow Whirlpool.

One way the company stayed afloat was by manufacturing and selling BB guns.

"The income from BB guns was a whole lot more than what was coming in from washing machines,” said Steve.

Over the years Whirlpool diversified and tried making various products. For a time, the company made organs. But mostly, the company’s success has been in manufacturing household items like dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves and oven ranges.

Over the years, Whirlpool would acquire more brands and set up shop in more countries.

"It's amazing the growth that came from this little company that started with just a nickel and a dime,” said Steve Upton.

"It's a classic story in my mind, of overcoming the odds," added Steve.