Kohler scored touchdown while NFL conquered London
In the 150th birthday year, Kohler invited us to Tottenham Stadium for the NFL match between the Wisconsin team, the Packers, against the New York Giants
When the Green Bay team, on the emotional wave of the “Go! You Packers! Go!” shouted at the top of their lungs by the crowd, in clear majority for the yellow-green Wisconsin suits, they ended the first two quarters ahead, the excitement in Kohler’s VIP room was tangible.
Kohler, the NFL and the roots in the territory
Although that 20 to 10 score was overturned in a bitter 22 to 27 in favour of the Giants, the matter remains the same. Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard and Marcedes Lewis will remain etched in the memory of London Packers fans. The operation has succeeded: the NFL has come to London, to one of the temples of football, the one with the round leather ball, the in US is called soccer, to be precise: the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (a billion pounds building). In suite 219, which hosted the Kohler team, one could breathe in that connection between the company and its territory. Indeed, the Green Bay Packers are a genuine and universally acknowledged expression of Wisconsin, and Kohler, which owns part of the shares, within what is an example of widespread shareholding.
The town of Kohler itself, a place-name inherited from the family that founded the bathroom, kitchen and gensets company that took over Lombardini in 2007, is located about 65 miles south of the Packers’ stadium, Lambeau Field. As proof of this strong regional identity, the Packers can boast many games played in Milwaukee’s stadium, a short distance from the Chicago Bears’ historical rivals. Many of these were played during the 1960s, dominated far and wide by the Wisconsin paladins. The two teams have combined for 21 world championships with Green Bay having the most at 13, including two championships against the Giants in 1961 and 1962.
One and a half centuries
This year Kohler blows out its 150th birthday candle, although 2022 will be etched in the annals of society as the year of the passing of Herbert V. Kohler, Jr, who was succeeded by his son David. And it is not only the NFL’s event that brings prestige to Kohler’s prestigious anniversary. In addition to the third Diesel of the year award, thanks to KSD engines, there is the takeover of Curtis Instruments and Heila Technologies, which sanction Kohler’s quantum leap into the electrification elite. Finally, it won’t be long before we see hybrids with direct diesel-electric coupling and more at Bauma Munich.