Kohler history, company profile (overview) and history video

 Kohler was founded in 1873 when John Michael Kohler purchased the Sheboygan Union Iron & Steel Foundry. The firm originally produced cast iron implements for farmers, castings for furniture factories, and ornamental iron pieces. Kohler also owns two golf resorts: Destination Kohler, also known as the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, and Destination St. Andrews in Scotland, also known as the Old Course Hotel. Herbert Kohler, grandson of the founder, runs the company.”

“A LEGACY IN THE MAKING

Our company’s founder, John Michael Kohler, was an Austrian immigrant, a businessman and a visionary. In 1873 he purchased a foundry in rural Wisconsin that produced a variety of cast-iron and steel products.

Ten years later, Kohler took a product in his line, heated it to 1700°F and sprinkled it with enamel powder. Placing a picture of it in the center of his one-page catalog, he called it “a horse trough/hog scalder . . .  when furnished with four legs will serve as a bathtub.” Kohler was in the plumbing business.

From those humble beginnings, our company has grown into a multifaceted global family of brands that lead the way to enhance our customers’ sense of gracious living.”

*Information from Forbes.com and Kohler.com

**Video published on YouTube by “KohlerCo“