CLYDE, Ohio—Ryan DeLand arrives at Whirlpool’sWHR1.67%increase; green up pointing triangle washing-machine factory at 6:53 a.m., not long after day-shift workers have settled into their stations.

Whirlpool still has a lot of work to do to meet its margin expectations, but sequential margins are moving in the right direction. Price increases, cost cuts, and a possible improvement in ...