17 Awesome All-American Inventions for DIYers

KOHLER: A TUB BUILT FOR HOGS…AND HUMANS

In 1883, John Michael Kohler coated a large rectangular basin with an enamel powder he’d developed and heated it to 1,700 degrees F. He marketed his product to farmers as a water trough and hog scalder and to the regular consumer as a bathtub.

The bathtub was a hit and became the first of thousands of bath products the Kohler Company would go on to manufacture. Today the Kohler Company headquarters is in Kohler, WI, and it has more than 50 manufacturing locations, employing more than 30,000 people worldwide. It’s one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies.