“Koehler was teaming up with inventor Grant Wheat in designing one of the very first electric-powered rechargeable lights for underground mining.”



Original Miners
Lamp ~1917

PAST TO PRESENT:


Koehler Lighting Products enjoys a long, accomplished tradition in the design and development of lamps for mine safety. Founded by German immigrant Ernest F. Koehler in 1912 in Massachusetts, our company manufactured the first naphtha-burning safety lamp ever approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines for explosive coal mine atmospheres. In 1915, that lamp received a gold medal marking the opening of the Panama Canal—the first of a number of milestones.

Within a few years, Koehler was teaming up with inventor Grant Wheat in designing one of the very first electric-powered rechargeable lights for underground mining. Wheat Cap Lamps remain one of the industry’s most relied upon choices to this day. In fact, their unmatched quality has made them a favorite among thousands of workers in various industrial settings, including more than 85 percent of U.S. and Canadian underground miners. By 1980, Koehler Lighting Products had grown to a position of greater prominence. That year, the International Olympic Committee determined our Flame Safety Lamp was the only safe way to transport the Olympic flame on an airliner—a decision they made again for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.

Today, as part of the Marmon Group, Koehler Lighting Products makes its home in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Our commitment to mine safety is as steadfast now as it was when Ernest Koehler first rented space to manufacture lamps in a Massachusetts shoe factory. This continuing commitment is why Koehler has remained strong for nearly 100 years, and why we remain the leader in underground lighting technology.

COMPANY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE...


Mission

To provide outstanding value and service to the worldwide marketplace with the most effective, innovative and reliable portable lighting products and accessories, while meeting the expectations of The Marmon Group, our customers and our employees.

Quality

To set measurable goals each year as part of our management review, which will include measuring our systems performance, obtaining customer feedback, setting higher standards and establishing a plan to always remain ahead of our competition in both performance and customer service.

Safety

To eliminate or control both known and potential safety hazards that face us on a daily basis by involving every employee through proactive awareness training and preventive maintenance programs.