Work hard, play hard.

Team building is an important part of all departments across Kohler Co., but no one does it quite like our team in Zibo, China. They have built an unparalleled culture of family and community, and the results are much more than they could have imagined.

Each year the team hosts numerous celebrations—everything from Children’s Day volunteer outings to a New Year’s party and, of course, the highly anticipated annual Family Day extravaganza.

Often drawing more than 1,000 associates and their families, these annual events feature new attractions each year—everything from family tours of the plant and recognition awards for outstanding associates to dances, skits, acrobatics and even a drum dance performance by members of the management team.

But the celebrations’ community-first mindset has benefits well beyond just fun and games.

The Zibo team’s dedication to the well-being of their entire community especially includes honoring the Chinese tradition of respect for the elderly. They often volunteer at local nursing homes, cooking and providing gifts for residents during traditional holiday celebrations.

Now, it may seem like they’re not getting much work done, but it turns out that some good, old-fashioned parties can also do wonders for business.

Just a year after the first one rolled down their production line, the Kohler Zibo team celebrated its three millionth toilet. Achieving this production volume is no easy feat and takes determination and persistence from each member of the team. So it seems a little camaraderie and celebration may have been just the trick to build this well-oiled machine of a team.

Work hard, play hard, indeed.