For the second year in a row, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored Kohler with its Sustained Excellence Award, recognizing the company’s continuing dedication to the development and promotion of water-saving products and the education of consumers on water conservation issues.
Kohler has been honored with multiple awards by the EPA and in 2008 was the agency’s first recipient of its WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year Award. The company received the award again in 2009 and was recognized with WaterSense Excellence Awards in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Kohler was honored as the EPA’s Manufacturer Partner of the Year, and last year the company was recognized with the agency’s inaugural Sustained Excellence Award.
“To win this award for the second time is evidence of our continuing efforts in the area of water conservation and our strong, long-term association with the EPA,” said Rob Zimmerman, senior channel manager of sustainability for Kohler Co. “We have embraced the WaterSense initiatives since the very beginning, and its goals have been adopted as part of our corporate identity as a leader in this area.”
Since WaterSense was introduced in 2006, Kohler has engineered nearly all of its toilets, bathroom faucets, urinals and many of its showerheads to use far less water. The EPA notes that its WaterSense program has recognized Kohler for numerous industry-leading innovations, including the company’s development of a dual-flush trip lever for tank-type toilets. This lever makes selecting a dual-flush toilet easier for consumers accustomed to using traditional flush levers and allows dual-flush to be an accessible technology for those with dexterity challenges.
“Continuing to develop efficient products and engineering new ways to protect our global water supply is a long-term project for Kohler and part of our DNA as a company,” said Zimmerman. “WaterSense has been an excellent way for us to educate consumers, challenge ourselves and build on our heritage as a pioneering business.”
