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CLASSNOTES | Profile
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Herbert V. Kohler, Jr.
Defining Gracious Living It’s the all-American story that almost wasn’t. Because when Herbert V. Kohler, Jr., left his family home in Kohler, Wisconsin in the fall of 1953, he had no intention of returning to join the family business. After graduating from Choate in 1957, Herb was determined to make his own way. He enrolled at Yale University, and upon graduation found work in Connecticut. When his father asked him to come back to join the company, Herb, after much hesitation and consideration, accepted his invitation … on one condition: that his father would have nothing to do with any promotion or discipline, and that Herb would be free to make his own way in the company. To be sure, for the last 50 years, he has indeed conducted business at Kohler “his way.” During Herb’s 43-year tenure as President and CEO, Kohler Co. has grown and evolved into a company that reaches across the world. With a constant focus on maintaining a single level of quality, Kohler remains dedicated to its mission of contributing to a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by its products and services. Herb has established and kept true to the guiding principles that support and enable the mission. In 2015, Herb passed the post of leadership to his son, David ’84, but Herb remains Executive Chairman and is excited as ever about the markets that the company serves. With tremendous admiration for Kohler – both the man and the company – Beth Curtis P ’17, ’20, wife of Choate’s Headmaster, Alex Curtis, traveled to Wisconsin this winter to spend some time with one of Choate’s most fascinating alumni.
BETH CURTIS: What better place to begin our interview than with Kohler’s mission “to contribute to a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by your products and services.” Tell us a bit more about the mission and your leadership in support of it. HERBERT V. KOHLER, JR.: I am often asked how I evaluate our success relative to our mission. If I were to run into you three, four, or five years from now and ask about your experience with a Kohler service or product that you purchased in the past, and it made you smile, I believe, in some way, this company has improved your sense of gracious living. And our five guiding principles ensure that we do that – consistently.