Sterling Plumbing

Sterling Plumbing is an American kitchen and bathroom products brand owned by Kohler Co. Its present portfolio is associated primarily with bathing products, bathroom fixtures, shower and tub enclosures, sinks, toilets, and related accessories. The brand’s industrial origins are in the early twentieth-century American brass and plumbing-products sector. In 1907, Pittsburgh-area brothers Clark and John M. Beggs established a factory in Crafton, Pennsylvania, making household gas valves and boiler stands. John Wesley Ruby joined the factory that year as a buffer and later became a central executive in the company’s development. The Sterling Specialty Company was established in 1913 and built a facility in Newcomerstown, Ohio. The business adopted the name Sterling Faucet Company in 1931 and increasingly concentrated on faucets, while also performing chrome and nickel plating for automotive and medical instruments. Sterling experienced financial and operational difficulties during the 1930s. It sought protection and reorganization under United States bankruptcy law in 1936, and a major fire destroyed its Newcomerstown facility in 1939. The company relocated its operations to Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1940, where J. Wesley Ruby assumed responsibility for the facility. During the Second World War, Sterling redirected brass-manufacturing capacity toward military production. After the war, the company expanded through new corporations, subsidiaries, facilities, and acquisitions, including operations in West Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Ontario, Canada. By 1967, Sterling Faucet Company reported sales of approximately $28 million and employed about 2,000 people across plants in Reedsville and Morgantown, West Virginia, Tyler, Texas, and Oakville, Ontario. Rockwell Manufacturing Co. agreed to acquire Sterling Faucet Company and related subsidiaries in 1968. Rockwell later placed the business in a Building Components Division and used the Rockwell name on some faucet production. In 1978, William W. Boyd and David C. Wright reacquired the business, restored the Sterling Faucet Company name, and reorganized it as a privately held company. Sterling broadened its product strategy during the 1980s, introducing the Accent faucet brand and adding products beyond faucets. Kohler Co. acquired Sterling Faucet Company in 1984. The transaction gave Kohler an economy-oriented faucet business and added manufacturing capacity in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Sheridan, Arkansas. Kohler integrated Sterling and Accent into its Kitchen & Bath portfolio and expanded Sterling-branded offerings to include tub and shower doors, corner shower enclosures, bathing fixtures, vitreous china fixtures, and bathroom accessories. Sterling subsequently acquired Polar Stainless Products in 1986, adding stainless-steel sinks, and purchased Owens Corning’s Bath Products Division and related technology in 1987, bringing Vikrell bathing products into the portfolio. Vikrell is a molded composite material used for bathing fixtures. In 1988, the company adopted the name Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. and acquired Kinkead Industries, adding further shower-door and enclosure capabilities. From 1994 to 1996, Sterling transferred faucet operations from Morgantown to Arkansas facilities and moved its corporate offices to Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. merged with Kohler Co. in 1999, after which Kohler branding replaced Sterling Plumbing Group facility logos. In 2003, Sterling discontinued its broad faucet product line and concentrated on other plumbing categories; faucet production continued in Kohler facilities under the Kohler brand. Kohler later announced the closure of its Malvern, Arkansas, faucet facility in 2012, with production transferred to Sheridan, Arkansas, and Kohler, Wisconsin. Sterling introduced a stainless-steel kitchen sink package with a pull-out faucet and soap dispenser in 2015, representing a limited return of a faucet-related offering under the Sterling name. Today, Sterling functions as a Kohler-owned plumbing and bath brand rather than as an independent publicly traded company.

Sterling Plumbing traces its industrial roots to 1907, when Clark and John M. Beggs established a factory in Crafton, Pennsylvania, for household gas valves and boiler stands. John Wesley Ruby joined the operation that year and later became its president. In 1913, the Sterling Specialty Company was formed in Pittsburgh and established a plant in Newcomerstown, Ohio. The company became The Sterling Faucet Company in 1931, concentrating on faucet production while also providing metal-plating services for automotive and medical equipment. The company faced serious challenges during the Great Depression. In 1936 it petitioned a federal court for insolvency protection and reorganization. A fire destroyed the Newcomerstown plant in 1939, and Sterling moved its operations to Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1940. During the Second World War, the company redirected brass manufacturing toward military work. It then expanded through new subsidiaries and facilities, including businesses in Reedsville, West Virginia, and plants in Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Ontario, Canada. Sterling also acquired or developed additional manufacturing capacity as its plumbing business grew. By 1967, Sterling Faucet Company had reached approximately $28 million in sales and employed about 2,000 workers. Rockwell Manufacturing acquired Sterling and several subsidiaries in 1968. Rockwell renamed the operation its Building Components Division in 1973 and consolidated facilities during the 1970s. William W. Boyd and David C. Wright bought the division in 1978, restored the Sterling Faucet Company name, and operated it as a private company. Sterling introduced the Accent faucet brand in 1980. Kohler acquired Sterling Faucet Company in 1984. Kohler integrated Sterling and Accent into its Kitchen & Bath business and expanded the Sterling name from faucets into bathing fixtures, shower doors, tub and shower enclosures, corner units, vitreous china products, and accessories. Sterling acquired Polar Stainless Products in 1986, adding stainless-steel sinks, and purchased Owens Corning’s Bath Products Division in 1987. That transaction brought Vikrell composite bathing technology into Sterling’s product offering. In 1988, the company became Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. and acquired Kinkead Industries, adding more shower-door and enclosure products. Between 1994 and 1996, faucet production moved from Morgantown to Arkansas facilities and the corporate office moved to Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Sterling Plumbing Group merged into Kohler in 1999. During the early twenty-first century, Kohler repositioned the brand away from a broad faucet range. Sterling announced in 2003 that it would discontinue its complete faucet line, with faucet production continuing under the Kohler name. In 2012, Kohler announced the closure of its Malvern faucet facility and the transfer of operations to Sheridan, Arkansas, and Kohler, Wisconsin. In 2015, Sterling introduced a stainless-steel kitchen sink package with a pull-out faucet and soap dispenser. Sterling now operates as a Kohler-owned brand serving the kitchen and bath market, with emphasis on bathing products, fixtures, enclosures, sinks, and accessories.

• 2015

  Stainless-steel kitchen sink package introduced

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling launched a stainless-steel kitchen sink package with a pull-out faucet and soap dispenser.

• 2012

  Malvern faucet facility closure announced

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Kohler announced that Malvern operations would be transferred to Sheridan and Kohler, Wisconsin.

• 2003

  Full faucet line discontinued

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling ended its complete faucet range and concentrated on other plumbing products.

• 1999

  Merged into Kohler

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. merged with Kohler Co.; Kohler branding subsequently replaced Sterling Plumbing Group logos at facilities.

• 1988

  Sterling Plumbing Group formed

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling Faucet Company changed its name to Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. and expanded through the acquisition of Kinkead Industries.

• 1987

  Owens Corning bath-products business acquired

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling purchased Owens Corning’s Bath Products Division and related technology, including Vikrell bathing products.

• 1986

  Polar Stainless Products acquired

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling acquired Polar Stainless Products, adding stainless-steel sinks to its product family.

• 1984

  Acquired by Kohler

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Kohler acquired Sterling Faucet Company and incorporated Sterling and Accent into its Kitchen & Bath portfolio.

• 1980

  Accent faucet brand introduced

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling launched the Accent faucet brand.

• 1978

  Reacquired as a private company

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  William W. Boyd and David C. Wright purchased the business from Rockwell and re-established it as a privately held Sterling Faucet Company.

• 1968

  Acquired by Rockwell Manufacturing

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Rockwell agreed to acquire Sterling Faucet Company and its principal subsidiaries.

• 1967

  Scale across North American plants

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling reached approximately $28 million in sales and operated plants in West Virginia, Texas, and Ontario with about 2,000 employees.

• 1940

  Operations transferred to Morgantown

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling transferred its assets and operations to a former industrial facility in Morgantown, West Virginia.

• 1939

  Newcomerstown plant destroyed by fire

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  A fire destroyed Sterling’s Ohio facility, leading to uncertainty about the site’s future.

• 1936

  Reorganization petition

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Sterling sought federal-court protection and authorization to reorganize under U.S. bankruptcy law.

• 1931

  Business renamed Sterling Faucet Company

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  The company adopted the Sterling Faucet Company name and focused on faucet manufacturing.

• 1913

  Sterling Specialty Company formed

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  The Sterling Specialty Company was established and built a facility in Newcomerstown, Ohio.

• 1907

  Crafton factory established

  [1]Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org

  Clark and John M. Beggs established an early factory in Crafton, Pennsylvania, producing household gas valves and boiler stands.

An economy- and value-oriented kitchen and bath brand within Kohler’s broader portfolio, focused on practical plumbing fixtures, bathing products, enclosures, sinks, and related bathroom products.

• Bathing products · 1987

  Vikrell bathing fixtures

  Vikrell is a molded composite material derived from poly-resin, plastic, and fiberglass components. Sterling added Vikrell bathing products after acquiring Owens Corning’s Bath Products Division and related technology in 1987. The material became associated with Sterling’s bath and shower fixtures and supported the brand’s value-oriented positioning.

• Bathroom enclosures · 1988

  Shower and tub enclosures

  Sterling’s enclosure portfolio includes shower doors, tub and shower enclosures, folding shower doors, and corner shower enclosures. These products expanded the brand beyond its original faucet focus and became an important part of its bathroom offering after the acquisition of Kinkead Industries and the broader development of Sterling’s bathing business.

• Bathroom fixtures · 1984

  Bathing fixtures

  Sterling offers bathing fixtures for residential bathroom applications, including products built around its composite-material capabilities. The category reflects the brand’s post-Kohler expansion from faucets into tubs, shower products, and broader bath installations.

• Kitchen and bathroom sinks · 1986

  Sinks

  Sterling added stainless-steel sinks through its 1986 acquisition of Polar Stainless Products. The brand later introduced a stainless-steel kitchen sink package with a pull-out faucet and soap dispenser in 2015, providing a limited kitchen-oriented extension after the earlier discontinuation of its main faucet line.

• Plumbing fixtures · 1931

  Faucets

  Faucets were Sterling’s original core product and drove the company’s identity as Sterling Faucet Company. The company marketed numerous faucet lines, including Nova, Starflo, Gemini, Tribute, Eminence, and Progression. Sterling discontinued its full faucet line in 2003, although a limited faucet-related kitchen sink package appeared in 2015.

• Bathroom accessories

  Bathroom accessories

  Bathroom accessories were added as Sterling broadened its product range under Kohler ownership. They complement the brand’s fixtures, bathing products, shower doors, and enclosure systems, although the available reference material does not specify a complete current accessory catalog.

• 2015

  Limited return of a faucet-related offeringProduct launch

  Background

  Sterling had not offered a broad faucet line under its own name since the early 2000s.

  Action taken

  Sterling introduced a stainless-steel kitchen sink package incorporating a pull-out faucet and soap dispenser.

  Aftermath

  The launch represented a limited kitchen-faucet presence rather than a restoration of Sterling’s former standalone faucet portfolio.

  Source

• 2012

  Malvern manufacturing consolidationStrategy

  Background

  Kohler reviewed its faucet manufacturing footprint after Sterling’s full faucet line had been discontinued under the Sterling name.

  Action taken

  Kohler announced the closure of its Malvern, Arkansas, faucet facility and the transfer of operations to Sheridan, Arkansas, and Kohler, Wisconsin.

  Aftermath

  Faucet manufacturing was consolidated into other Kohler facilities.

  Source

• 2003

  Withdrawal from the full faucet categoryStrategy

  Background

  Sterling and Kohler reassessed the brand’s product emphasis after Sterling had developed a broader bathing and bathroom-fixtures portfolio.

  Action taken

  Sterling discontinued its entire faucet product line, including Nova, Starflo, Gemini, Tribute, Eminence, and Progression, as well as bath and shower drains and accessories associated with the faucet range.

  Aftermath

  Faucet manufacturing continued at Kohler facilities under the Kohler brand, while Sterling focused on other plumbing products.

  Source

• 1999

  Sterling Plumbing Group merged into KohlerM&A

  Background

  Sterling had operated as a Kohler-owned business since 1984 while continuing to develop a broader plumbing-products portfolio.

  Action taken

  Sterling Plumbing Group Inc. was merged with Kohler Co.

  Aftermath

  The independent Sterling Plumbing Group corporate identity was absorbed, and facility logos were replaced by Kohler branding by the end of the year.

  Source

• 1984

  Kohler acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Kohler sought an entry into the economy segment of the faucet market and wanted to broaden its kitchen and bath product range.

  Action taken

  Kohler acquired Sterling Faucet Company, including significant brass, molding, assembly, and related manufacturing operations.

  Aftermath

  Sterling and Accent were integrated into Kohler Kitchen & Bath, and the Sterling portfolio expanded into bathing fixtures, enclosures, sinks, vitreous china products, and accessories.

  Source

1. 1Sterling Plumbingen.wikipedia.org