BRIEFLY : Whirlpool agreed to buy a big share of Kitchenaid.

The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based company said that it has agreed to buy the consumer products section of the Kitchenaid division of Hobart Corp., Troy, Mich. Whirlpool signed a “definitive agreement” with Hobart’s parent company, Dart & Kraft, to acquire the Kitchenaid section for an undisclosed amount of cash. Under the agreement, Whirlpool will acquire five plants in four states.