Kohler Co.
Austria → USA
Manufacturing, Industry & Materials
Summary
Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, by John Michael Kohler, born in 1844 in Schnepfau, in the Vorarlberg region of Austria. Kohler emigrated to the United States with his family in 1854 and entered the iron and steel trade. In 1883 he produced the first Kohler enamelled cast-iron bathtub, the company’s defining product. Five generations later Kohler remains family-owned and operates in plumbing, generators, engines, tiles, and hospitality, including the American Club resort in Wisconsin.
European Contribution
Austrian Alpine craft traditions of metalwork and family-run manufacturing.
American Impact
Built the bathroom-fixture industry in the United States; created a model American company town at Kohler, Wisconsin.
Timeline Highlights
- 1854 Kohler family emigrates from Austria
- 1873 Iron and steel foundry founded in Sheboygan
- 1883 First enamelled cast-iron bathtub produced
- 1900 Village of Kohler, Wisconsin, established
- Today Fifth-generation family ownership