Kohler
Please fill in the blank (This is a very important part of the interview – to know why you are interested):
List 2-3 reason why you are interested in this industry?
______
List 2-3 reasons why you are interested in Kohler?
______
List 2-3 reasons why you are interested in this position?
______
General Company Overview
Kohler's profits are in the toilet, literally. The company makes bathroom products under the names Hytec, Kohler, and Sterling (plumbing); Ann Sacks (ceramic tile, marble, stone); and Kallista (fixtures). European brands include Jacob Delafon and Neomediam (plumbing) and Sanijura (cabinetry). Kohler also makes furniture under such names as Baker and McGuire. Lesser-known Kohler operations include small engines, generators, and uninterruptible power supplies. Kohler's real estate operations include Destination Kohler, a giant resort in Wisconsin, and Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa in Scotland. Chairman Herbert Kohler Jr. and his sister Ruth Kohler, grandchildren of the founder, control Kohler.
Kohler started out with bathroom fixtures, but it's become a huge private company with interests in both seemingly natural (furnishings) and unexpected (engines, resorts) businesses. Best known, of course, is the Kitchen & Bath Group, which includes fixtures, plumbing, and cabinetry products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets.
The Interiors Group got its start with the 1986 acquisition of Baker Furniture. Today, the division includes Milling Road Furniture, Dapha, Ltd. (custom upholstery), McGuire Furniture (rattan, teak, bamboo, and Oriental hardwoods), and Ann Sacks (tile and stone).
The company's Global Power Group began making engines way back in the 1920s. Modern products include small 4-31 hp engines and generator sets up to 2,800 kW. Kohler also offers uninterruptible power systems through Kohler Rental Power. The Global Power Group is acquiring Italian engine maker Lombardini Srl from Mark IV Industries, adding a diesel product line to its stable of offerings.
Lastly, the Hospitality and Real Estate Group includes Destination Kohler, a luxury resort in Wisconsin that boasts a resort hotel, four golf courses, nearly 30 specialty boutiques, an 800-acre wildlife preserve, and a fitness complex. The division also includes Village Realty & Development, a planned community adjacent to Destination Kohler.
Key Financials
Fiscal Year-End / December2006 Sales (mil.) / $5,000.0
1-Year Sales Growth / 66.7%
2006 Employees / 33,000
1-Year Employee Growth / 6.5%
Top Competitors
· American Standard - a leading maker of air-conditioning systems, plumbing products, and automotive braking systems. Its air-conditioning division (over half of sales) makes consumer and commercial systems under the Trane and American Standard brand names.
· Masco- The company's cabinet and faucet businesses account for more than half its sales: cabinet brands include KraftMaid, Merillat, and Mill's Pride in the US (The Moores Group, The Aran Group, and Tvilum-Scanbirk in Europe); faucet brands include Delta and Peerless in the US (and Bristan, Mariani, and Hansgrohe in Europe). Masco also makes bath shower accessories, BEHR paints and stains, windows, patio doors, staple guns, locksets, and HVAC products.
· Moen- Inventor Al Moen created the single-handle mixing faucet in 1937. A Fortune Brands company, Moen is North America's #1 faucet maker. The company also makes sinks, bath accessories, and more than 10,000 plumbing repair products.
Products/Operations
Kohler Co. operates 44 manufacturing plants, 26 subsidiaries and affiliates, and sales offices worldwide.
Furniture
· Baker Furniture
· McGuire Furniture Company
· Milling Road Furniture
Kitchen and bath products
· Cabinets and vanities
· Canac (bathroom cabinetry)
· Robern (lighting and mirrored bath cabinetry)
· Sanijura (vanities and other bath furniture)
· Plumbing products
· Jacob Delafon (bathtubs, faucets, lavatories, and toilets)
· Kohler (bath and shower faucets, baths, bidet faucets, bidets, body spa systems, glass showers and shower doors, kitchen and bathroom sinks and faucets, master baths, toilets, toilet seats, vanities, whirlpool baths)
· Kallista (bathroom and kitchen sinks and faucets)
· Sterling (bathing fixtures, faucets, sinks, tub/shower enclosures, vitreous china bath fixtures)
· Tile and stone products
· Ann Sacks (art tile, glazed tile, knobs and pulls, mosaics, terra cotta)
Engines
· Commercial turf equipment engines
· Consumer lawn and garden equipment engines
· Industrial, construction, and commercial equipment engines
· Recreational equipment engines
Generators
· Kohler rental power
· Marine generators
· Mobile generators
· On-site power systems
· Automatic transfer switches
· Switchgear
· Residential generators
· Small business generators
Real estate and hospitality (Destination Kohler)
· The American Club (resort hotel)
· Blackwolf Run golf course
· Golf Resorts International, Limited (Scotland)
· Inn on Woodlake
· Kohler Stables
· Kohler Waters Spa
· Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa (Scotland)
· Riverbend (private club)
· River Wildlife
· The Shops at Woodlake Kohler
· Whistling Straits golf course
In the News
October 1, 2007 – Kohler Co. And UAW Local 833 Agree On New Three-Year ContractKohler Co. and United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 833 have reached agreement on a new three-year labor contract, effective Monday, Oct. 1. The union membership ratified the contract in a vote that began on Sunday, Sept. 30, and concluded on Monday, Oct. 1. The collective bargaining agreement, which has been in effect since 2002, expired at midnight on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007. Local 833 represents employees who work in production and maintenance positions at the company’s Wisconsin manufacturing facilities in the Village of Kohler and the Town of Mosel in Sheboygan County. The agreement provides for increases in wages and pensions, and a new healthcare plan, said Paul Ten Pas, Vice President-Labor Relations and the head of Kohler’s negotiating committee.“The fact that we were able to reach agreement on several significant issues is a reflection of the relationship the parties have continued to develop over the years,” he said.
February 5, 2007 – Kohler Co. Joins Alliance for Sustainable Built EnvironmentsKohler Co., a global leader in kitchen and bath design and technology, has joined the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments. Founded in 2003, the mission of the Alliance’s international corporate members is to educate the marketplace and top management on the benefits of reducing the overall impact facilities have on the natural environment and on building occupants. Members include Johnson Controls, Milliken & Company, Forbo Flooring, Philips Lighting, JohnsonDiversey, Owens Corning, USG Corporation, and now Kohler. The Alliance invited Kohler to join based on the company’s commitment to water conservation through its product offerings, its recognition of sustainability as a critical part of its business strategy, and its efforts to green its facilities. Participation in the Alliance strengthens Kohler’s leadership in delivering innovation, quality and performance water conservation solutions to customers and offers opportunities to leverage critical partnerships within the marketplace.
January 6, 2006 – Kohler purchase of SKMO confirmed
Kohler, the US industrial group, has gone ahead with its purchase of SDMO, a leading electricity generating company formerly of French group Meunier. Kohler has now acquired all three of Meunier's energy subsidiaries (SDMO, Bealas Energie Services and Soreel SAS), which employ a total of 1,000 people and generate turnover of 360m euros. Kohler's annual turnover stands at $4bn (3.36bn euros). Meunier is based in the French department of Finistere.