Kohler is an heir to the fortune built by The Kohler Company, a toilet, faucet, and plumbing fixture manufacturer that has long had a contentious relationship with organized labor. In 1934, Kohler security guards fired into a crowd of striking workers, killing two and wounding 43 others, and marking a tragic landmark in labor history. Twenty years later, in 1954, the Kohler Company's refusal to negotiate with the union resulted in the longest strike in U.S. history, lasting nine years.