In Brief - May 2009

The Kohler Co. Board of Directors has elected David Kohler, president and chief operating officer of Kohler Co. His time with the company goes back to summer jobs in the mid-1980s when still a teenager. He has served as director of fixtures marketing for Plumbing and Specialty Products, as vice president of sales, sector VP of Plumbing North America, group president of Kitchen & Bath and, in 2007, executive vice president.

EMCOR Group Inc. combined its subsidiaries, Illingworth Corp. and Kilgust Mechanical Inc., to provide, throughout Wisconsin, comprehensive HVAC and mechanical systems solutions. Illingworth-Kilgust Mechanical offices are located in Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.

The Mechanical Service Contractors of America hosted a second annual MSCA Star Summit, touring the largest LEED certified building in the world and strategizing for the year ahead. The meeting was held April 6-7, at the LEED Silver rated Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. Forty MSCA qualified MSCA Stars attended educational sessions, focusing on marketing expertise and branding in a challenging economic environment.

Heliodyne, in cooperation with plumbing wholesaler Ferguson, is launching a complete line of solar hot water products for both residential and commercial applications. Ferguson will carry the components that make a SHW system, as well as pre-packaged “off-the-shelf” systems. A launch party was hosted in April.

The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute presented its inaugural President's Award to two of its member-volunteers: Sally Remedios of Delta Faucet Co. and Shabbir Rawalpindiwala of Kohler Co. PMI President Walter Strader made the presentation during the group's 2009 Spring Meeting, April 5-8, Asheville, N.C.

A. O. Smith acquired Applied Energy Recovery Systems Inc., Norcross, Ga., a manufacturer of commercial and residential heat pump water heaters. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The AERS product line includes the E-Tech line of commercial and industrial water heaters, as well as commercial outdoor and indoor pool heating systems, and residential water heating and swimming pool products.

Green Life Smart Life, a Rhode Island-based green building showcase home, announced the addition of Kohler to the project. Kohler is supplying the home with all of the high efficiency faucets, showerhead fixtures, and EPA WaterSense 1.1-gpf toilets, as well as the company's line of 93% recycled cast-iron sinks and tubs. Products being used in the Green Life home will help the homeowners conserve roughly 32.8% more than an average family, a projection of more than 93,000-gal. of water annually.