Did you know Kohler converted its entire brass manufacturing operation to wartime manufacturing within six months after Pearl Harbor?
During World War I and II, manufacturers around the world were called upon to support military efforts. Kohler Co. went above and beyond in many ways, producing tens of millions of military support materials including torpedo tubes, shells, fuses, aircraft valves and fittings, and aircraft piston rings.
At the same time, Kohler was innovative in developing new products from non-essential materials to provide plumbing equipment to the booming demand of military bases and military housing developments around the U.S. and the world. Brass and other finishing materials were reserved for only war-effort manufacturing, so Kohler Co. pivoted to produce “Win-the-War” fittings of cast iron coated with baked black plastic in place of the usual chrome finish.
Kohler Engines and Generators also joined troops all over the world, providing crucial power on land and at sea for mobile hospitals, radio communication, lights, refrigeration, mobile laundry trailers and more. KOHLER Power was used on rescue boats, searching with spotlights and radio communication to find pilots and sailors stranded at sea in battle.
As more and more young men left home to serve in the military, women entering the workforce were essential in helping Kohler maintain production levels. Many new associates had little to no work experience, so Kohler retirees, often stepping in to replace their sons who left for war, helped train women in the factory work.
As a result of Kohler’s war-time production, the company was honored with an Army-Navy “E Award” during World War II. The prestigious award was given to companies whose achieved “Excellence in Production” of war equipment—an honor bestowed on only five percent of the more than 85,000 companies involved in producing wartime materials.
