Exhibit 99(a)

       Maytag Names William L. Beer President of Major Appliance Division

     NEWTON, Iowa--(Jan. 31, 2001)-- Maytag announced today that William L. Beer
has been named president of the corporation's major appliance division, a
position he had held previously. The appointment is effective immediately. Beer
replaces Lawrence J. Blanford, who has resigned and will leave the company. The
position reports to the CEO.

     "We are delighted Bill will step back into this critical role," said
Leonard A. Hadley, Maytag's president and CEO. "With more than twenty-five years
of experience in major appliances at Maytag, Bill is one of the most trusted and
respected senior leaders we have. His business experience includes sales and
marketing, as well as manufacturing and the supply chain. The breadth of that
experience, plus his knowledge of the Maytag organization, give him an ideal set
of strengths with which to lead our major appliance business in a constantly
changing industry."

     Beer joined Maytag in 1974 and served in marketing, market research, and
strategic planning roles in the major appliance division and on corporate staff.
In 1996, he was named vice president of strategic marketing, with responsibility
for all of the corporation's major appliance brands. He was named senior vice
president for the major appliance division in 1997, responsible for
manufacturing and the supply chain, and he became president of the division in
1998.

     In August 2000, Beer was assigned to a new role on corporate staff to
support strategic projects for then-CEO Lloyd Ward. Shortly thereafter Beer left
the corporation, although he remained a consultant to Maytag as well as other
companies.

     Hadley concluded: "We wish Larry Blanford well. He stepped into the major
appliance leadership role last August with energy and purpose. We appreciate his
contribution."

     Maytag Corporation is a leading producer of home and commercial appliances.
Its products are sold to customers throughout North America and in international
markets. The corporation's principal brands include Maytag, Hoover, Jenn-Air,
Maytag Performa, Blodgett and Dixie-Narco.

                                     # # #

Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this news release, including
any discussion of management expectations for future periods, constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to
differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by those
statements. For a description of such factors, refer to "Forward Looking
Statements" in the Management's Discussion and Analysis section of Maytag's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, and each
quarter's 10-Q.