KOHLER—Kohler Co. Executive Chairman Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Jr. died on Saturday in Kohler at age 83.
In a statement, his family said Kohler’s bold ideas and hands-on leadership transformed the plumbing products manufacturer founded by his grandfather into a global and diverse family of businesses synonymous with quality, creativity, and bold innovation.
“His zest for life, adventure and impact inspires all of us,” his family said. “We traveled together, celebrated together, and worked together. He was all in, all the time, leaving an indelible mark on how we live our lives today and carry on his legacy.”
During his 43-year span as CEO, he transformed his family-owned company into a world leader in the industry, with more than 40,000 associates and dozens of manufacturing facilities on six continents.
Under Herb Kohler’s watch, the “The Bold Look of Kohler” campaign went beyond a corporate promotion to become a guiding spirit for the company and its associates, the company said.
In the late 1970s, Herb Kohler convinced skeptical colleagues to develop The American Club – originally built as an immigrant workers’ dormitory in 1918 – into a luxury spa and resort. The Board of Directors twice rejected the idea, but he persisted, and today The American Club is the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel. The establishment of that property eventually led to the development of championship golf destinations Blackwolf Run in 1988 and Whistling Straits in 1998, both recognized among the best golf courses in the country.
Herb Kohler took the company into new businesses with more than 48 acquisitions over his tenure, beginning with Sterling Faucet Co. in 1984 and expanding into diesel engines and generators, with Kohler Co. now third largest global power systems organization in the world, the company said.
As a hands-on executive, Herb Kohler designed many of the company’s products himself and held more than 200 design and utility patents.
Herb Kohler was born in Chicago on Feb. 20, 1939. His father Herbert V. Kohler, Sr., son of Kohler Co. founder John Michael Kohler, served as Board Chairman and CEO of Kohler Co. from 1940 until his death in 1968. His mother Ruth De Young Kohler was a historian and former women’s editor of the Chicago Tribune.
In 2015, Herb Kohler became the company’s executive chairman, with his son David taking the helm as president and CEO. He served Kohler Co. for 61 years.
The family plans to host a private service. Kohler Co. will host a tribute to Herb Kohler for associates, past and present, at a later date.
