The Beginning
John C. Kohler was a steamfitter by trade. He was Outside Superintendent for S. Faith and Co. when he decided to go out on his own. He and Nate Sherman, S. Faith's blacksmith, resigned from S. Faith on the same day in 1928. Nate founded Sherman Pipe and Hangar Co., while John established John C. Kohler Co. The two young companies helped each other get off the ground, and even shared a truck in the early years.
John C. Kohler Co. operated as a proprietorship from 1928 until its incorporation in 1958. During this time the company performed work throughout the Philadelphia area. The young firm's largest customers were the School District of Philadelphia and Publicker Distillery. The company also performed the mechanical work for the new Central High School at Broad and Olney in 1936. While most of the work was within city limits, in the 1940s the company began to venture into what were then the seemingly "distant" suburbs for such jobs as fountain piping at Longwood Gardens and mechanical installations at Abington High School and Graterford Prison, among others.
Continuing a Legacy
Around the time of the company's incorporation John C. Kohler became ill. Consequently his oldest son John J. Kohler, who had been active in the business since the 1930s, assumed his father's role as the company's president. The new generation brought with it growth in the company. Over one hundred Philadelphia school contracts were completed, and eight General Electric buildings and seven Western Electric buildings were constructed, to name but a few. John C. Kohler Co. also took part in the historic UNIVAC project, which marked the birth of the computer revolution, with the construction of three buildings in Blue Bell, PA. John J. Kohler was commended by the U.S. Navy, which awarded him Notable Citations for his work in the Naval Test Propulsion Facility in Lakehurst, NJ. He directed and grew the company until his retirement in 1980.
Building on a Foundation of Integrity, Dedication, and Performance
The third and fourth generation continues the company's long tradition of unmatched quality and pride in its work. After moving our offices to Lansdale, PA in 1985, the company has completed countless schools, regional shopping malls, office buildings, government buildings, and industrial facilities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. We are proud of the projects that we have completed, as well as the relationships that we have built. For example, for over fifty years our company has participated in the construction, additions, and multiple renovations to King of Prussia Mall. This includes the Court, Plaza, Pavilion, Connector, and the parking garages at King of Prussia Mall. It now stands as one of the largest malls in the United States with approximately 10,000 tons of central plant cooling capacity.
Another example of our capabilities is the construction of Tasty Baking Company’s new state of the art 340,000 sq ft facility. This unique project included the installation of plumbing, process piping, and interfacing with and installing baking equipment from around the world. Some of the various piping systems that we installed were thermal oil, high pressure steam, double wall stainless/hot water jacketed shortening piping, compressed air, and stainless chocolate piping.
Regardless of the project size or complexity, we work tirelessly to ensure the highest level of integrity and performance from our team, ensuring total project success.