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The
year was 1873. An unlikely time to start a new business in America.
A financial panic had begun in September of that year, followed by a
depression that affected the national economy for the next five years.
Despite the economic uncertainties of the day, John Michael Kohler purchased
the Sheboygan Union Iron and Steel Foundry, never anticipating the growth
of the company that would eventually bear his name.
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The firm produced cast iron and steel implements for farmers in the area, castings for the city's furniture factories, and ornamental iron pieces that included hitching posts, cemetery crosses, urns and settees. In 1883 John Michael took a product in his line called a horse trough/hog scalder, heated it up to 930 degrees Celsius and sprinkled on some enamel powder. He liked it so much he pictured it in his catalog, calling it "a horse trough/hog scalder, when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub." Kohler was in the plumbing business. |
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Like
Kohler, many of the early employees were immigrants. Steeped in a heritage
of European craftsmanship, they were eager to achieve success in their
new country. Their dedication to excellence helped to forge one of the
oldest and largest privately-held companies in the United States; a
company that has grown to international stature with 19,000 associates
worldwide. From potteries in Mexico and China, to showrooms in Japan
and France, KOHLER ideas, craftsmanship and technology are at work today
leading the way to more gracious living in plumbing products, exquisite
furniture, engines and generators, hospitality and real estate.
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Long
a leader in product design and innovation, KOHLER pioneered such products
as the one-piece, built-in bathtub with apron in 1911. The identical
color on vitreous china and cast iron fixtures created coordinated
bathroom suites in 1927. From that point on KOHLER plumbing products
meant beautiful form as much as reliable function.
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In
the 1960s, The Bold Look of KOHLER® emerged in the form of a new advertising
campaign and an array of lavatories in vivid accent colors. It represented
the first of many daring introductions throughout the decades to follow.
To this day, the logo represents leadership in design and technology
in the plumbing industry.
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Throughout the 1980s, KOHLER advanced the trend toward increased luxury in the home by fostering the master suite concept. Console tables and bath vanities now share a unity of design with bedroom furnishings. Innovative showering products and luxurious whirlpools have transformed these spaces into retreats for relaxation. Electronics and other technological improvements continue to enhance the personal bathing experience and have also contributed to an array of stylish toilets, faucets and showerheads, all engineered to promote water conservation in the home.
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