Dive Brief:
- Plumbing and appliance manufacturer Kohler Co. opened its 1-million-square-foot facility, which includes a manufacturing space, in Casa Grande, Arizona, on May 15.
- The estimated $300 million project also includes an ancillary warehouse, distribution center, office space and cafeterias, as well as a showroom, a Kohler spokesperson said in an email to Manufacturing Dive.
- The Casa Grande facility lies on 216 acres with the option for possible expansion. The company also plans to install an electric boiler and microgrid system and is in talks with the Department of Energy to receive up to $51.2 million as part of the agency’s Industrial Demonstrations Program.
Dive Insight:
Kohler’s Casa Grande manufacturing facility produces its Sterling brand bath and shower fixtures and opened with 400 jobs, according to the release.
The facility will also use smart factory features and technology to produce baths, shower receptors and bath or shower walls.
“The new plant provides the capacity to support our strong growth projections for STERLING to better serve our customers with the highest level of quality and delivery,” Norb Schmidt, president of Kitchen and Bath North America for Kohler, said in a statement.
Additionally, the Casa Grande site produces Vikrell material for the Sterling fixtures, the spokesperson said. Vikrell is made up of resins, fiberglass and filler exclusive to Kohler and sold through Sterling.
Kohler plans to match the DOE’s award and use the funds to install electric boilers and a 21-megawatt solar microgrid at the Vikrell facility on the Casa Granda campus. The company will also use the funds to install an energy storage system and backup generators.
The Vikrell project is part of Kohler’s effort to cut an estimated 7,865 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the site a year.
These efforts will help Kohler track its sustainability measures to minimize GHG emissions, water use, solid waste and energy efficiency. Kohler is aiming to achieve net-zero GHG emissions across scope 1 and scope 2 by 2035.
Kohler’s new facility was one of 33 projects chosen by DOE in March for its program focused on changing industries with the most greenhouse gas emissions.
