Assessment of Core Competencies and a "SWOT" analysis of Kohler COmpany
Executive Summary
Kohler Co. is a 129-year-old company strong in its tradition and focusing on quality and improving the level of gracious living for its customers. A SWOT analysis is described in this paper to discuss the Strengths - quality and employee loyalty; Weaknesses - slow traditions and limited customers; Opportunities - increase hospitality division and sell to a broader range of customers; and Threats - Porter's 5 forces. Due to the analysis provided, the core competencies of Kohler emerge as high quality, great design, history and tradition, and a commitment to gracious living for their customers.
Kohler Background
Kohler Co. is a world leader in plumbing and power systems, but is diverse and sells products with more than a dozen brands other than just Kohler. Some examples are: Sterling, Hytec, Ann Sacks, Baker, Jacob Delafon, and Robern. The Kohler family of businesses extends from kitchen & bath, engines, generators, furniture, cabinetry, interior tile, and hospitality such as golf courses, resorts, restaurants, spas, and hotels. The Kohler Co. mission is to improve the level of gracious living for each person touched by Kohler's products and services. This mission is carried out by 20,000 employees world-wide, on six different continents. The world headquarters is located in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Kohler was founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler to make cast iron and steel farming tools. Ten years later, Kohler created a horse trough and placed it in his catalog indicating that four legs could be added to create a bathtub. This was the first plumbing product that Kohler originally created. Since then Kohler has grown tremendously, but is still a privately held, family owned company, with John Michael Kohler's grandson, Herbert V. Kohler running the company. Herbert V. Kohler's wife and three children also currently work for Kohler Co.
SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is used to analyze a situation or company for making decisions and helping to
Kohler Co. is a 129-year-old company strong in its tradition and focusing on quality and improving the level of gracious living for its customers. A SWOT analysis is described in this paper to discuss the Strengths - quality and employee loyalty; Weaknesses - slow traditions and limited customers; Opportunities - increase hospitality division and sell to a broader range of customers; and Threats - Porter's 5 forces. Due to the analysis provided, the core competencies of Kohler emerge as high quality, great design, history and tradition, and a commitment to gracious living for their customers.
Kohler Background
Kohler Co. is a world leader in plumbing and power systems, but is diverse and sells products with more than a dozen brands other than just Kohler. Some examples are: Sterling, Hytec, Ann Sacks, Baker, Jacob Delafon, and Robern. The Kohler family of businesses extends from kitchen & bath, engines, generators, furniture, cabinetry, interior tile, and hospitality such as golf courses, resorts, restaurants, spas, and hotels. The Kohler Co. mission is to improve the level of gracious living for each person touched by Kohler's products and services. This mission is carried out by 20,000 employees world-wide, on six different continents. The world headquarters is located in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Kohler was founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler to make cast iron and steel farming tools. Ten years later, Kohler created a horse trough and placed it in his catalog indicating that four legs could be added to create a bathtub. This was the first plumbing product that Kohler originally created. Since then Kohler has grown tremendously, but is still a privately held, family owned company, with John Michael Kohler's grandson, Herbert V. Kohler running the company. Herbert V. Kohler's wife and three children also currently work for Kohler Co.
SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is used to analyze a situation or company for making decisions and helping to
References: Kohler Co. website, 2002 [Online] Available: http://www.kohler.com Kyle, Bobette http://www.ebizability.com/artman/publish/article_116.shtml Pearce, J.A. & Robinson, R.B. (2002). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, and Control. 7th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Primis Custom Publishing. Recklies, Dagmar (2001, June). Porters 5 Forces. Themanager.org [Online] Available: http://www.themanager.org/Models/p5f.htm