The impressively powerful Kohler family has conducted business and political activity since the Kohler company’s establishment in 1873. Founder John Michael Kohler established a plumbing and plumbing fixtures company, which quickly grew and expanded to manufacture furniture, cabinetry, tiles, engines, and generators. They also have a hospitality and real estate arm, Destination Kohler.
John Michael was later elected mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was responsible for building the city’s first opera house. He built an oversized factory several miles from the city, which burned down soon after his death. Two of his sons also died during its rebuilding.
John Michael’s son Walter was elected president of the company in 1905 and showed a tenacity for business as well as empathetic projects such as The American Club. He was also a major supporter of the arts.
John Michael’s grandson, Herbert Kohler Jr., took over as president of the company after Walter, and Herbert’s son, David Kohler, took over on June 1st, 2015.
In the late 1990s, the Kohler family began the process of purchasing all existing shares of the company so that it was completely under familial control. Kohler won a lawsuit against the IRS to maintain the majority.
Aside from its plumbing fixture business, real estate group, construction, and a non-profit, the Kohler family also established the John Michael Kohler Arts Centre, which offers extended residencies for aspiring artists.
