Toilet Brands – A to Z
Since toilets have been made for over 100 years you would expect to find brands that have been around almost since the beginning and also new manufacturers who jumped on board along the way.
Today we’ll look at just who makes what when it comes to commodes and hopefully help you in your search. If you are remodeling your bathroom or building a new house, you have come to the right place as we take a look at your best options.
Toilet brands literally do run A to Z with manufacturers from around the world. The list of the most well known reads like this:
American Standard – This is probably the best known name in the industry. Started in 1875, they were the early pioneers in this industry. American Standard is credited with inventing the one piece toilet.
(Outside of the toilet they also came up with faucets that mix cold and hot water and built in bath tubs). By the late 1900’s they produced more bathroom fixtures than any company in the world.
Briggs – This Company began in 1908 and actually was started making body parts for cars. It wasn’t until the 1940’s that they working in the plumbing industry and then later were credited with the one piece toilet and adding color to bathroom fixtures as well.
Kohler – For many people this is another major player among toilet brands. The company was founded in 1873 by Austrian immigrant John Kohler and actually began by making cast iron pieces.
Their biggest claim to fame was when in 1883 they came up with the idea of adding baked enamel to their horse troughs and before long realized this would be perfect for bathtubs and toilets. Amazing to think that this invention that was stumbled upon in the 1800’s still dominates how toilets are made today.
Toto USA – Well after talking about companies who have been around over 100 years, this company is like a baby in the industry with manufacturing of toilets in America in 1989. But like most companies if you dig a little deeper you find that they were founded in 1917 in Japan and were making toilets made of China just after the turn of the century.
The history of the toilet may not be as glamorous as some products but it is filled with companies that have been doing what they do best for over a century and continue to shine today.