You might be familiar with the Kohler products in your bathroom or kitchen. But did you know the Wisconsin manufacturer also runs hotels and golf courses?
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is highlighting some of the state’s iconic brands as part of the USA 250 project that looked at 50 national brands that helped shape our country.
As part of that effort, we’re also spotlighting some local companies that might not have splashy ads or naming rights, but are key parts of the local and national economy.
Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler, an Austrian-American business mogul and mayor of Sheboygan. It has since grown to more than 30,000 employees across six continents.
The company is best known for manufacturing plumbing fixtures: sinks, faucets, bathtubs, toilets and vanities. But the company has branched out to the high-end resort, health and home energy markets.
“We have the people, the products, the focus, the resources and the passion to pursue our mission and compete successfully,” former owner Herbert V. Kohler once told his associates.
The company brought in around $7 billion in revenue in 2022, according to Forbes.
Here’s what to know about the company:
Wisconsin town named after Kohler
The village of Kohler in Sheboygan County is named after Kohler Co. Initially formed as a company town in 1900, the village was incorporated in 1912.
Kohler Co. still maintains considerable influence over new development in the village.
Kohler Design Center a popular tourist destination
The Kohler Design Center, 101 Upper Road in Kohler, serves as the company’s showcase of its history and product design evolution.
The 36,000-square-foot center features bathroom, kitchen and other model room displays – including the “great wall of china,” a floor-to-ceiling plumbing installation.
“We can show the array of possibilities, educate, encourage and inspire people in a no-pressure atmosphere so that their kitchen or bathroom turns out as beautifully as they imagined,” Michael Smith, manager of the Kohler Design Center, said in 2017.
It also offers information about the company’s founding and development.
The design center is open to the public free of charge. Attendees can also join a 3-mile tour of the Kohler factory.
Other product lines include hospitality, golf courses
The company’s hospitality arm, Destination Kohler, owns a series of luxury resort hotels in the U.S. and Scotland. The American Club, a high-end resort in Kohler, earned AAA Five Diamonds designation in 2007.
Kohler owns two golf courses in Wisconsin. That includes Whistling Straits near Sheboygan, which is a three-time PGA Championship host. Its other course, located in Kohler, hosted the U.S. Women’s Open twice.
Kohler’s manufacturing line also extends beyond kitchen and bath. Among its list of products are home generators, and health monitors that attach to your toilet.
Kohler in 2024 spun off the generators business as a stand-alone unit, which was renamed Rehlko.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Francesca Pica can be reached at fpica@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin-based Kohler makes more than just toilets
Reporting by Francesca Pica, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Francesca Pica, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
