Kohler Company
Encyclopedia
'
The Kohler Company is a manufacturing company in Kohler, Wisconsin
best known for its plumbing
products. Kohler also manufactures furniture
, cabinetry, tile
, engine
s, and generators
.
n immigrant John Michael Kohler
with the purchase of the Sheboygan Union Iron and Steel Foundry. Early products included cast iron
and steel
farm
implements, castings for furniture factories
, and ornamental iron pieces including cemetery
cross
es and settees. A breakthrough came in 1883 when John Michael applied enamel
to a cast iron horse trough to create the company's first bathtub
. The company has been primarily in the plumbing business ever since, known for plumbing fixtures. In 1888, the then Kohler Water Works developed the original trademarked Bubbler
. They became popular, and other companies developed similar products under the generic term "drinking fountain." The colloquial word "bubbler" is still used in several regions of the United States.
In 1934 and 1954, the Kohler Strikes
took place.
The Kohler group acquired 2005 Sdmo
Industries, a manufacturer of power generators, along with SOREEL (electrical engineering) and BES (maintenance of gensets) from the French Meunier Holding.
was President of Kohler Company and his son former Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
served for many years in senior management. Today, the president of Kohler is Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. (born February 20, 1939), grandson of the founder.
In 1998, Kohler made a plan to buy back any outstanding shares not owned by the family. All family members had to exchange their common shares for share with limited rights, those that could not be sold. Since Kohler is not a publicly traded company, the number of shares floating were minimal. Kohler offered $55,400 per share, but some shareholders challenged this valuation and sued.
The IRS also challenged this valuation by prosecuting the estate of Frederick Kohler, who had recently died holding 975 shares. Kohler won the lawsuit against the IRS.
Kohler's bath and kitchen fixtures are available in American
hardware and home improvement store
s. Kohler still makes traditional cast iron bathtubs, one of the few United States manufacturers to do so. Besides residential products, Kohler manufactures a commercial
line of bathroom
fixtures. The company also does art
istic custom work, such as hand-painted sinks and toilets.
Kohler also makes a wide range of small industrial engines. Traditionally, the company manufactured gasoline engines, however after purchasing Lombardini company (Italy), it extended its range and now offers diesel engine
s up to 65HP. In 2007, Kohler created a joint venture in China called Kohler-YinXiang Ltd., based in Chongquing, China
, to manufacture small gasoline engines, and intends to begin importing more of their engines, rather than building them in the USA.
Kohler engines power a range of devices from water pump
s to off-road vehicles. The Global Power group manufactures generators ranging in size from 8,500 watt to 2.8 megawatts. Kohler was the first company to offer residential back-up generators to consumers, starting in 1920.
More recently, the company has been expanding in the areas of furniture, cabinetry, and tile in the consumer market, and engines and generators for industry. The Kohler Interiors division of the company comprises Baker Furniture, McGuire Furniture, Kallista and Ann Sacks Tile.
Kohler's UK subsidiary is the Cheltenham
-based Kohler Mira Ltd
, best known for manufacturing Mira Showers.
Kohler displays many of its products at the Kohler Design Center in the village of Kohler.
resort
in Kohler called The American Club
. The American Club is the only AAA 5-Diamond resort hotel in the entire Midwest. The Whistling Straits
golf course is associated with the resort, which hosted the PGA Championship
in 2004 and 2010, and will again in 2015 and also hosted the U.S. Senior Open in 2007. Blackwolf Run
, another golf course in Kohler, features two courses, and will host the 2012 U.S. Women's Open.
Kohler also owns the Old Course Hotel at St. Andrews in Scotland
. The 5 Red Star golf resort is situated on the famed "Road Hole" fairway of the 17th green.
in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
, which occupies a square block of downtown Sheboygan that contains Kohler's restored former mansion
, several newer buildings, and the exterior structure of the former Carnegie-era
Mead Public Library building as a modern "ruin
." The John Michael Kohler Arts Center operates an Arts/Industry program, the primary component of which is a residency program at Kohler Company. Artists have the opportunity to spend two to six months creating works of art using the industrial materials and equipment.
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
best known for its plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
products. Kohler also manufactures furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, cabinetry, tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
, engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s, and generators
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
.
History
Kohler was founded in 1873 by AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n immigrant John Michael Kohler
John Michael Kohler
John Michael Kohler was a prosperous industrialist and mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Kohler founded what later became known as the Kohler Company, a large producer of bathroom and kitchen products.-Early life:...
with the purchase of the Sheboygan Union Iron and Steel Foundry. Early products included cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
implements, castings for furniture factories
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
, and ornamental iron pieces including cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
es and settees. A breakthrough came in 1883 when John Michael applied enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
to a cast iron horse trough to create the company's first bathtub
Bathtub
A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...
. The company has been primarily in the plumbing business ever since, known for plumbing fixtures. In 1888, the then Kohler Water Works developed the original trademarked Bubbler
Bubbler
Bubbler is a trademarked name that refers to what some may call a drinking fountain.-History of device:The Bubbler' was developed in 1889 by the then-small Kohler Water Works in Kohler, Wisconsin, which was already well-known for its faucet production...
. They became popular, and other companies developed similar products under the generic term "drinking fountain." The colloquial word "bubbler" is still used in several regions of the United States.
In 1934 and 1954, the Kohler Strikes
Kohler Strikes
The Kohler Strikes at the Kohler Company, just west of Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1934 and 1954 are landmarks in the history of both business and labor in the United States. Labor leaders have often cited the warfare at the giant plumbing supply company in their contention that workers need unions...
took place.
The Kohler group acquired 2005 Sdmo
Sdmo
SDMO is an industrial French company based in Brest, specializing in the manufacturing of generating sets. SDMO is the leading manufacturer of generating sets in the European market and is the 3rd largest worldwide.-Sites:...
Industries, a manufacturer of power generators, along with SOREEL (electrical engineering) and BES (maintenance of gensets) from the French Meunier Holding.
Corporate management
Former Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Sr.Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr. was an American businessman and politician. He was an innovative and highly successful Wisconsin industrialist. The Kohler Company was founded by his father, John Michael Kohler. Walter Kohler served as the company's president 1905 to 1937...
was President of Kohler Company and his son former Wisconsin Governor Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
Walter J. Kohler, Jr.
Walter Jodok Kohler, Jr. was the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin for three terms from 1951 to 1957 and a leading figure in state and national Republican Party activities. His role in the clash between Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 has interested...
served for many years in senior management. Today, the president of Kohler is Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. (born February 20, 1939), grandson of the founder.
In 1998, Kohler made a plan to buy back any outstanding shares not owned by the family. All family members had to exchange their common shares for share with limited rights, those that could not be sold. Since Kohler is not a publicly traded company, the number of shares floating were minimal. Kohler offered $55,400 per share, but some shareholders challenged this valuation and sued.
The IRS also challenged this valuation by prosecuting the estate of Frederick Kohler, who had recently died holding 975 shares. Kohler won the lawsuit against the IRS.
Products
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hardware and home improvement store
Hardware store
Hardware stores, sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware including: fasteners, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, cleaning products, housewares, tools, utensils, paint, and lawn and garden products directly to consumers for...
s. Kohler still makes traditional cast iron bathtubs, one of the few United States manufacturers to do so. Besides residential products, Kohler manufactures a commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
line of bathroom
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
fixtures. The company also does art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
istic custom work, such as hand-painted sinks and toilets.
Kohler also makes a wide range of small industrial engines. Traditionally, the company manufactured gasoline engines, however after purchasing Lombardini company (Italy), it extended its range and now offers diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s up to 65HP. In 2007, Kohler created a joint venture in China called Kohler-YinXiang Ltd., based in Chongquing, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, to manufacture small gasoline engines, and intends to begin importing more of their engines, rather than building them in the USA.
Kohler engines power a range of devices from water pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
s to off-road vehicles. The Global Power group manufactures generators ranging in size from 8,500 watt to 2.8 megawatts. Kohler was the first company to offer residential back-up generators to consumers, starting in 1920.
More recently, the company has been expanding in the areas of furniture, cabinetry, and tile in the consumer market, and engines and generators for industry. The Kohler Interiors division of the company comprises Baker Furniture, McGuire Furniture, Kallista and Ann Sacks Tile.
Kohler's UK subsidiary is the Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
-based Kohler Mira Ltd
Kohler Mira Ltd
Kohler Mira Ltd is a plumbing company based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire known for its brand of Mira showers, the most popular shower in the UK.-Walker Crosweller:Walker, Crosweller and Co. Ltd. was founded in London in 1921 by James MacFarlane Walker....
, best known for manufacturing Mira Showers.
Kohler displays many of its products at the Kohler Design Center in the village of Kohler.
Other holdings
Kohler Co. also has a Hospitality and Real Estate Group, which owns a golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
in Kohler called The American Club
The American Club
The American Club is a luxury spa and resort located in Kohler, Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by the Kohler Company. It has received various awards, including the Top 100 Golf Resorts by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, and is the Midwest's only AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel...
. The American Club is the only AAA 5-Diamond resort hotel in the entire Midwest. The Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits
Whistling Straits is one of two golfing destinations associated with The American Club, a luxury resort located in nearby Kohler, Wisconsin, and owned by a subsidiary of the Kohler Company. The other course is Blackwolf Run. The Whistling Straits complex is located in the unincorporated Sheboygan...
golf course is associated with the resort, which hosted the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
in 2004 and 2010, and will again in 2015 and also hosted the U.S. Senior Open in 2007. Blackwolf Run
Blackwolf Run
Blackwolf Run is a golf course complex in Kohler, Wisconsin. It is one of two golfing destinations associated with The American Club, a luxury resort, and owned by a subsidiary of the Kohler Company...
, another golf course in Kohler, features two courses, and will host the 2012 U.S. Women's Open.
Kohler also owns the Old Course Hotel at St. Andrews in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The 5 Red Star golf resort is situated on the famed "Road Hole" fairway of the 17th green.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The Kohler Company is affiliated with the non-profit John Michael Kohler Arts CenterJohn Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a not-for-profit art museum located in downtown Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The original house at the facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the John Michael Kohler House...
in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
, which occupies a square block of downtown Sheboygan that contains Kohler's restored former mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
, several newer buildings, and the exterior structure of the former Carnegie-era
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
Mead Public Library building as a modern "ruin
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
." The John Michael Kohler Arts Center operates an Arts/Industry program, the primary component of which is a residency program at Kohler Company. Artists have the opportunity to spend two to six months creating works of art using the industrial materials and equipment.