Kohler launches a bold new era for customer excellence in the Middle East

With 2012 sales and orders up significantly, Kohler also unveiled a five-year strategy, which includes opening five additional showrooms in 2013 in an effort to strengthen the customer experience and general distributor network.

Kohler Design Centre; Dubai

Kohler Co. President and Chief Operating Officer David Kohler made the announcement of the Design Centre alongside Sayed Al Hashimi - Chairman of Al Hashimi Group. "At Kohler we strive to bring a new element of gracious living to our customers through their experiences with our products," Kohler said. "It's about a quality of charm, good taste and generosity of spirit that is especially appreciated by our customers in the Middle East—they embrace bold design and leading functionality, as well as recognize the importance of water conservation and sustainability." The Middle East is now home to a flagship Kohler Design Centre. That, Kohler says, is a testament to the company's commitment and belief in the region's potential for even greater growth. The two-storey, 500-square-metre Kohler Design Centre in Dubai serves as an inspirational hub for specifiers, architects, consumers and designers alike to explore bold designs and displays for the kitchen and bath from Kohler's US and European products, which appeal to Dubai's contemporary and traditional tastes. It also includes workspace for specifiers, complete with phones, catalogues, internet connectivity and virtual design programmes.

Kohler Showroom; Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, the two-storey 460-square-metre showroom displays full bathroom suites from Kohler's traditional offering of products from the U.S. and Europe. Its wide display of the Kohler Artist Edition collection gives the showroom an appearance of an art gallery, exhibiting these handcrafted products made by a small group of seasoned artisans in Kohler, Wisconsin in the United States. With the Middle East's high demand for luxury, Artist Edition products can be found in many of the most gracious homes throughout the region.

The bold design featured in the Abu Dhabi showroom is balanced with water-saving products offering conservation of the world's most precious resource without sacrificing experience. Working displays of water-conserving products include single-function rain showerheads with Katalyst technology, which injects air into each drop for a rich, luxurious spray while reducing water consumption by 20 percent. The showroom also displays the Ove, Formilia, Escale, Odela and Rêve toilets. Kohler products are expected to join the Estidama Villa Products Database in the first quarter of 2013.

Jerome Michel Named Managing Director for EMEA

To oversee the new five-year strategy for the Middle East and to advance regional business to new heights, Kohler Co. has appointed Jerome Michel as the Managing Director for EMEA. Michel has worked at the Kohler regional headquarters in Dubai since January 2011 and brings more than 11 years managerial experience with the premium brand to the Middle East. Before his move to the UAE two years ago, he served as Managing Director for Kohler Kitchens and Bathrooms, France. "With the Middle East's taste for luxurious and well-designed products, those that offer both the best in form and function are becoming increasingly desirable," Michel says. "This region holds great promise for the luxury market, and we're confident our established regional distributor network and strong customer relationships will give us an enviable foothold."

KOHLER Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker

As demand for seamless integration of technology in the bath continues to grow, Kohler maintains its commitment to being at the forefront of this trend through its product offering, whether it's the DTV shower system or a bath complete with spa-like features including chromatherapy, whirlpools, and music. The Design Centre also has Kohler's latest introduction on display: the Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker, a showerhead the first of its kind to simultaneously shower bathers with music and a best-in-class spray experience. Its integrated wireless speaker syncs with any Bluetooth-enabled device and is both rechargeable and removable, boasting up to seven hours of playtime in the shower, throughout the rest of the bathroom and beyond.