Fact sheet

1. Company Summary

Kohler Power Systems is a division of Kohler Co.’s Global Power Group, and provides complete power systems, including generators (home, industrial, mobile and marine), automatic transfer switches, switchgear, controls, monitoring and accessories for use in emergency and non-emergency applications. Kohler Power Systems has delivered energy solutions for markets worldwide since 1920. Kohler’s first generator, called the Automatic Power & Light, was built for farming communities in the United States. Today, Kohler is a global leader in power systems, building its first generator plant outside of the U.S. in Singapore in 1996. Kohler Power Systems plants soon followed in China and India before the company solidified its worldwide presence with acquisitions of SDMO in 2005 (based in Brest, France), UPSL in 2008 (Hook, England) and Maquigeral in 2012 (São Paolo, Brazil). Kohler Power Systems has an extensive service network, with more than 800 locations throughout the world.

2. KEY MANAGEMENT

• Herbert V. Kohler Jr.

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Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

• David Kohler
  President, Chief Operating Officer

• Larry Bryce

President, Kohler Power Systems

• Vito Minneci

Vice President Marketing, Kohler Power Systems

3. CORE VALUES

The Kohler culture is comprised of strong ethics, innovative and industry-leading design and technology, and a commitment to upholding the company’s core goals: build trust, drive continuous improvement, focus on the end customer, and set high standards of performance. These qualities are essential to individual and collective success, and separate Kohler Co. as a leader in improving the level of gracious living for all who are touched by the company’s products and services. As a division of Kohler Co., Kohler Power Systems provides superior quality and reliability in its comprehensive product lines, excellent customer service, and total system integration through an array of products and accessories customized to each application.

4. LOCATIONS

Production Plants worldwide:

· Mosel, Wisconsin, U.S. (headquarters)

· Saukville, Wisconsin

· Aurangabad, India

· Brest, France

· Cholet, France

· Changzhou, China

· Sao Paolo, Brazil

· Singapore

5. PRODUCT LINES

GENSETS

· Residential

(8.5kW – 20kW Air Cooled, 6kW DC Generator,
Gas and Propane)

· Marine

(4kW – 500kW Diesel, 5kW – 15kW Gasoline)

· Light Commercial

(15kW – 150kW Gasoline and Propane)

· Towable

(20kW – 500kW Diesel)

· Industrial

(10kW – 3,250 kW Diesel,
25kW – 400kW Gas and Propane)

Automatic Transfer Switches

(30 Amps – 4,000 Amps)

Switchgear

(Bus Rating up to 10,000 Amps,
Short Circuit Rating up to 200kA, Voltage up to 15kV)

Controls and accessories

(Fuel tanks, enclosures, etc.)

6. INDUSTRIES

The key industries that benefit from Kohler Power Systems products include:

• Healthcare
• Water Treatment
• Data Centers
• Telecommunications
• Government
• Food Service
• Manufacturing
• Oil & Gas
• Education
• Retail Facilities
• Hospitality
• Rental

7. History/Timeline

1873 – Kohler Co. is founded in Kohler, Wisconsin, U.S.

1920 - Kohler Power Systems is founded and introduces the company’s first generator, the Automatic Power & Light. The 1,500-watt generator set delivered 110-volt DC current and was powered by a KOHLER four-cylinder, water-cooled, cast iron gasoline engine. 

1929 - Admiral Richard Byrd begins first Antarctic expedition. He takes five KOHLER gasoline-powered generators. Three remain onboard expedition boats, two were moved to his on-ice headquarters. 

1934 – Admiral Byrd makes his second journey to the South Pole with seven additional KOHLER generators only to discover the original KOHLER generators left behind from his first expedition are still operational.

1939 – Kohler begins developing liquid-cooled diesel engines.

1948 – Kohler introduces the first “stand alone” engine for industrial purposes.

1965 – Kohler develops Automatic Compression Release (ACR), an industry first that allows for effortless recoil starts of KOHLER engines.

1966 – The one-millionth engine for the domestic market rolls off the Kohler assembly line.

1975 - Kohler Co. purchases a manufacturing plant in Mosel, Wisconsin, U.S., for its Generator Division.

1976 – Kohler ships its one-millionth engine to the international market.

1985 - Kohler Generator Division introduces automatic paralleling switchgear and launches the Pace brand of automatic transfer switches and switchgear.

1996 – Kohler builds its first generator plant outside of the U.S., in Singapore.

2005 – Kohler Co. acquires SDMO, SOREEL and BES from France’s MEUNIER holding company.

2008 – Kohler acquires UPSL in the UK.

2012 - Kohler acquires Maquigeral, the second-largest company in the Brazilian genset market. SDMO’s main production site, the K2 Factory, is expanded to 131,000 ft² (40,000 m²).

2013 - Kohler Power Systems announces a 100,000 ft² (30,000 m²) expansion of its Mosel facility.

8. SUBSIDIARIES

SDMO

SDMO Industries is the world’s third-largest manufacturer in the generator set market. Acquired by Kohler Power Systems in 2005, SDMO is headquartered in Brest, France, with a distribution network that covers more than 180 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central America and South America. Founded in 1966, SDMO has three production plants in France (Réaumur, Villeneuve, Kergaradec) that together cover more than 147,000 ft² (45,000 m²).

UPSL

Uninterruptible Power Supplies Ltd. is a provider of power protection products and service solutions such as uninterruptible power supplies for small/medium business, large networks and data centers. The company also produces diesel generators, battery banks, switchgear, power conditioning equipment and supporting software. Founded in 1997 in Theale, Berkshire, UK, UPSL was acquired by Kohler Power Group in 2008 and today has headquarters in Hook, Hampshire, UK.

Maquigeral

Specializing in generating sets and control panels, Maquigeral is the third-largest generating sets manufacturer in Brazil with five sites and a network of 35 distributors throughout the country. In 2012, Kohler Power Systems acquired Maquigeral, and the brand is managed by the SDMO subsidiary.

SOREEL

From its Cholet plant in France, SOREEL manufactures electrical control panels and automation consoles for the generator market, as well as for transport, OEM and water treatment segments. In 2005, Kohler acquired SOREEL along with BES and SDMO.

BES

BES (Béalas Energie Services, SA) is a leader in generator set maintenance throughout France, providing service from eight branch offices. In 2005, Kohler acquired BES along with SOREEL and SDMO.