Kohler donates more than 10,000 engines to high schools and technical colleges nationwide

   I must admit when I was in high school I had no interest in taking "shop" class. Oh, how foolish I was. The kids that took shop were "hoods" as we used to call them. Well now I pay those people I looked down my nose at a fair amount of money to fix my ever more complex car. 

   My attitude was wrong on so many levels, not the least of which, was that I though I was better than those kids. While I barely gave them a second thought many years ago, the people who can fix my car are extremely important in my life, now.  

   And it is with that new found appreciation that I applaud the donation Kohler has made to help ensure there will be plenty of well-trained technicians to fix the machines we rely on daily. Below is the press release from Kohler that details their gift. Bravo Kohler.

KOHLER, Wis. – In an effort to ignite a renewed appreciation and understanding of small engines among high school and technical college students nationwide, Kohler_® Engines recently donated more than 10,000 engines to hundreds of educational institutions across the country. The company partnered with several non-profit organizations on the one-time gift, that worked independently to distribute the engines to interested schools. All of the donated engines have been delivered to numerous schools from New York to California and almost every state in between.

“This has been a very rewarding process,” said Justin Blount, director of marketing for Kohler Engines.  “We’ve been touched by the level of response this donation has received from students, facility and administrators at all of the participating schools. We’ve received countless emails, letters and photos from the people who directly benefited from this donation – and those have certainly been appreciated by everyone here at Kohler.”

The organizations that helped distribute the donated engines on Kohler’s behalf, include: SkillsUSA, a non-profit partnership of students, teachers and companies working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce; the Equipment and Engine Training Counsel (EETC), a non-profit association whose goal is to address the shortage of qualified service technicians in the outdoor power equipment industry; Fox Valley Technical College Foundation, in Appleton, Wis.; and Hinds Community College Foundation in Jackson, Miss. Each of these organizations distributed the engines only to schools who agreed to utilize the donated product exclusively for educational purposes. Individual classrooms within the participating schools were eligible to receive up to 24 engines each.

The products donated by Kohler were Courage_® XT 7 hp vertical-shaft engines, which are typically utilized in equipment such as walk-behind lawn mowers and pressure washers. Students with access to the donated engines are now able to gain critical hands-on experience, while also enhancing their knowledge of a variety of engine-related topics, including assembly and disassembly, components, torque values, engineering processes, the general functioning of internal combustion engines, and more.

“As a leading engine manufacturer, we’re very interested in working with future generations of technicians and consumers to make sure they understand the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into each engine bearing the Kohler name,” Blount continued. “This recent donation presented an ideal opportunity to connect directly with students across the country while also aiding the administrators and faculty who play such a critical role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow with needed equipment.”

To learn more, visit www.KohlerEngines.com or www.facebook.com/kohlerengines.

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wis., Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies. KOHLER is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and an international host to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.