August 31, 2022

Fast Company today announced its fourth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, honoring organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. Kohler Co. is listed No. 10 on the Fast Company 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators list, named the winner of Fast Company’s 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators Sustainability list and a finalist on the Large Companies list.

A variety of company initiatives secured Kohler Co. on the Fast Company lists. The high rankings for Kohler Co. on Fast Company’s lists are rooted in the company’s Believing in Better operating philosophy that strives to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations through design, craftsmanship, and innovation. The company’s cultural belief in Boldly Innovating, encourages and empowers associates to take action. These and other initiatives including innovative solutions from the company’s Kitchen & Bath, Power and Hospitality & Real Estate businesses were recently shared in Kohler’s first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.

“We work hard to foster a supportive and inspiring workplace where all associates have the opportunity to boldly innovate and to achieve their full potential,” says Laura Kohler, SVP of HR, Stewardship and Sustainability. “That means we engage our associates in meaningful work, match them with their purpose and passion, and give them the freedom to innovate for the greater good.”

Kohler provides opportunities for associates to connect to their purpose and passion through Business Resource Groups (BRGs), community stewardship teams, engagement committees and more. These opportunities give associates a platform to solve challenges, bring forward solutions, and grow and develop personally and professionally – all while making a meaningful impact in our workplace and world.

More than 500 Kohler associates around the globe act as Sustainability Champions, driving sustainability efforts and constant improvement throughout all areas of the company. A virtuous cycle, this program empowers all associates to be innovators and take ownership in the company’s journey for a better planet.

Kohler Innovation for Good started out as an associate led initiative to drive further sustainable and social innovation. It has since evolved into a formal idea incubator focused on commercializing new business opportunities with a social and environmental purpose.

Kohler WasteLAB is one of several success stories born out of Kohler’s Innovation for Good® program. It looks to nature as a model for sustainable processes – where waste simply doesn’t exist. Through this approach, Kohler WasteLAB® leverages a manufacturing process that transforms landfill-bound materials into functional products of style and beauty.

The I-Prize challenge, an annual internal global competition within Kohler’s Innovation for Good program, propels innovation from interested Kohler associates who team up to pitch new business solutions that address social and environmental issues.

Through its signature Safe Water for All program, Kohler partners with organizations to bring about meaningful innovation and change to communities who lack adequate access to clean water and safe sanitation. Kohler’s partnership with Dig Deep is funding projects on the Navajo Nation that are beginning to bridge the gap in access to clean water and sanitation through community-based service models or new technologies.

“This year’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators recognizes organizations that have demonstrated a deep commitment to cultivating creativity across the board,” says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “In the face of powerful headwinds, these leaders and teams continue to spur innovation.”

Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the 2022 Best Workplaces for Innovators ranks 100 winners from nearly 1500 applications in a variety of industries, including computer science, biotech, consumer packaged goods, nonprofit, education, financial services, cybersecurity, engineering, diversity, sustainability, B2B, and consumer products and services.