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February 24, 2023
KOHLER – This year marks the 150-year anniversary of Kohler Co., one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, a village in Sheboygan County west of Lake Michigan with just more than 2,000 residents, Kohler Co. is world-renowned for its reputation as a global leader.
Given the challenges businesses face today, including an ongoing global pandemic and economic and political challenges, Chair and CEO David Kohler said the company’s sesquicentennial is cause for celebration.
The company has adopted the anniversary theme – “Come All Creators” – and is using the initiative to invite associates, partners and customers to participate in a year-long celebration through a series of special events around the world.
David said, “bold moves” and “an entrepreneurial spirit” are part of the Kohler family’s DNA.
“They have deep meaning within our organization – starting with our founder John Michael Kohler who formed our company in Wisconsin together with an immigrant workforce creating new and better lives for their families,” David, the fourth generation of Kohler family leadership, and only the ninth person to lead the company, said. “As we celebrate our 150 years of achievements, learnings and growth, we encourage all passionate creators to join our pursuit of continuous improvement in providing a gracious living for future generations through better design, innovation, wellness and sustainability.”
Kohler Co. was founded by John Michael Kohler Dec. 3, 1873, in Sheboygan. The company, initially named Kohler & Silberzahn, started out making plows and other farm implements. Photo Courtesy of Kohler Co
To help bring the initiative to life, David said the company has partnered with American artist Daniel Arsham to conceive the commemorative 150th-anniversary creative identity to meld the company’s storied heritage with its “leading boldly” approach to the future.
He said Come All Creators initiatives include a Heritage Colors product launch this spring, pop-up events, a home generator expansion with 10 new exclusive colors and patterns and a partnership with explorer Robert Swan, who relied solely on Kohler renewable energy solutions for his expedition across the Antarctic landmass last month.
David said Kohler will also revise its iconic ad from the 1980s, known as “the toilet in the road,” with imagery and video featuring its award-winning Numi smart toilet.
He said a variety of other 150th anniversary activities and events are also planned across the globe over the next year at KOHLER Experience Centers, Kohler Signature Stores and various trade shows and events in 2023.
The company, David said, is also planning celebrations with its past and current associates, as well as a community-wide celebration in the village of Kohler.
Company history
Founded in 1873 by David’s great-grandfather – John Michael Kohler, the company got its start in Sheboygan under the name Kohler & Silberzahn and initially made plows and other farm implements.
When a fire destroyed the Kohler facility in 1880, the company moved to a new Sheboygan facility and added an enameling shop.
The company manufactured its first plumbing product – an enameled cast-iron hog scaler/water trough which was sold as a bathtub – in 1883.
This marked the company’s first dabbling in the plumbing industry, and as it’s often said, the rest is history.
Over the past 150 years, Kohler Co. continued to add new and innovative products to the industry – growing the company along with it.
Today, Kohler has more than 55 manufacturing locations worldwide and 40,000-plus associates.
One thing that has remained constant over the last century and a half is its focus on family leadership – with a Kohler holding the role of president and CEO since its beginning.
John Michael’s third son, Walter Kohler, succeeded his father in running the company beginning in 1905.
In support of the World War II effort, Kohler Co. converts much of its production to torpedo tubes, shell fuses and other military components. Plumbing fixtures and generators were manufactured only for war housing, war industries, hospitals and military use. This photo is from 1941. Photo Courtesy of Kohler Co
Herbert V. Kohler, Sr. was elected president of Kohler Co. in 1937 and became chairman and CEO after his brother Walter’s death in 1940.
In 1968, at 29 years old, Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. became vice president of operations.
Four years later, he became chairman and CEO of Kohler Co.
In 2015, Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. was elected to the role of executive chairman, and his son, David was elected president and CEO.
Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. passed away in September 2022 at the age of 83, following a 61-year career with the company.
Brand awareness
You’d be hard-pressed to find a consumer who doesn’t know the Kohler name – often known for its kitchen, bath and decorative product offerings.
But, David said the company is also known for its power and clean energy solutions.
Under Herb V. Kohler (1939–2022), who served as the company’s CEO for 43 years, the company invested in manufacturing technologies, revitalized the company’s product innovation and launched brand-awareness campaigns geared toward consumers.
During that time, David said the company also added production, distribution and marketing in Mexico, United Kingdom and Continental Europe, North Africa, India, Middle East, Latin America, Brazil, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.?
In the late 1970s, Kohler Co. redeveloped The American Club – which was originally built as an immigrant workers’ dormitory in 1918 – into a luxury spa and resort.
Today, The American Club is the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel, is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Historic Hotels of America program and is among only a handful globally to have both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star designations.
David Kohler
The Kohler Co. opened its first luxury hotel – Lodge Kohler – in the Village of Ashwaubenon in 2017, which serves as an anchor property within the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown District.
It also owns and operates two five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler and St. Andrews, Scotland.
Its Whistling Straits Golf Course hosted the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021.
Sustainability and social impact
As business has expanded, Ratish Namboothiry, Kohler director of Innovation for Good & Sustainability, said the company has focused on sustainability and social impact – which includes its 2035 Net Zero goals that were announced in 2008.
Formalizing its sustainability and social impact efforts under the umbrella of Believing in Better: Better Planet, Better Communities and Better Lives – Namboothiry said it is based on the company’s operating philosophy that its best can always be better – for the planet, people, communities and business.
Under the initiative’s three pillars – Better Planet, Better Communities and Better Lives – Namboothiry said Kohler works to develop products and programs that will have a meaningful impact, not only for its business, but for the communities it serves, and for the lives of the people who use its products.
In October 2022, Kohler Co. was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2022 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for its continual efforts to innovate water-efficient plumbing products, promote water conservation and aid in the protection of this natural resource.
Namboothiry said the award was Kohler’s eighth sustained excellence recognition and its 13th year of recognition overall by the WaterSense program.
Lodge Kohler opened its doors in the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown District in the Village of Ashwaubenon in 2017. Photo Courtesy of Kohler Co
“Protecting natural resources like water takes form in everything from innovative products to awareness to advanced technology,” he said. “We are honored to be recognized by the WaterSense program and to stand side-by-side with so many impactful organizations helping to reduce water waste.”
The company’s long-standing commitment to developing and marketing products that carry the WaterSense label, Namboothiry said, continues to deliver water, energy and cost savings to American consumers.
In 2021, he said Kohler Co.’s various plumbing brands launched 186 WaterSense-labeled products.
Since 2007, Namboothiry said cumulative savings due to Kohler brands is more than 437 billion gallons of water, 9.26 million metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions and $7 billion in energy and water costs.
Kohler’s continuous focus on sustainability was recently taken to a new level in January when it announced Laura Kohler as its first-ever chief sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer.
Previously senior vice president of human resources, stewardship and sustainability, Laura has helped formalize and strengthen Kohler’s commitment to environmental sustainability and social impact.
“I am looking forward to leading these initiatives for Kohler and building on our company legacy as we celebrate 150 years of business in 2023,” she said. “I will continue to promote transparency, push for innovative solutions, foster associate engagement and raise awareness through programs and partnerships around the issues that impact our planet, business and people.”
Laura Kohler
Laura said Kohler Co. is also investing in several other positions that will help the company achieve its long-term sustainability, social impact and DEI vision and goals.
She will lead a team of 40-plus experts who will focus on strengthening the company’s relationship with key stakeholders, expanding the development of environmentally friendly products and processes and advocating important industry and societal challenges.
