Sanitaryware covers the toilets, sinks, faucets, and bathtubs found in almost every American home and building. A small group of companies make most of the bathroom fixtures sold across the United States today.

Some of these brands started right here in America over a century ago. Others came from Japan or grew through mergers with large global manufacturing groups.

In this article, we’ll discuss 10 sanitaryware brands in the United States, based on their history, ownership, and the kind of products they are known for.

Quick Comparison

Rank	Brand	Founded	Owner / Founders	US Headquarters	Core Focus
1	Kohler	1873	Founded by John Michael Kohler; privately held, family-owned, led by CEO David Kohler	Kohler, Wisconsin	Toilets, Sinks & Bathtubs
2	American Standard	1875	Roots to Ahrens & Ott; owned by LIXIL Group, led by CEO Steven Delarge	Piscataway, New Jersey	Toilets, Faucets & Bathroom Fixtures
3	TOTO	1917	Founded by Kazuchika Okura; publicly listed	Morrow, Georgia (US)	Toilets & Smart Bathroom Technology
4	Moen	1956	Founded by Alfred Moen; part of Fortune Brands Innovations	North Olmsted, Ohio	Faucets & Bathroom Fixtures
5	Delta Faucet	1954	Founded by Alex Manoogian; part of Masco Corporation	Indianapolis, Indiana	Faucets & Showers
6	Zurn Elkay Water Solutions	1900 (Zurn) / 1920 (Elkay)	Founded by John A. Zurn & the Katz family; publicly listed	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Commercial Plumbing Fixtures
7	Sloan Valve Company	1906	Founded by William E. Sloan; privately held, family-owned	Franklin Park, Illinois	Toilet Flush Valves & Fixtures
8	Gerber Plumbing Fixtures	1932	Founded by Max Gerber; owned by Globe Union	Woodridge, Illinois	Toilets, Sinks & Bathroom Fixtures
9	Duravit USA	1817 (roots)	Founded by the Horn family; privately held	Duluth, Georgia	Designer Bathroom Fixtures
10	Jacuzzi	1915	Founded by the Jacuzzi brothers; privately held	Chino, California	Bathtubs, Whirlpools & Showers

Kohler – America’s Oldest Family-Owned Bathroom Brand

Image Courtesy: Kohler (Official Website)

• Founded: 1873 
• Owner: Founded by John Michael Kohler; privately held, family-owned, led by CEO David Kohler 
• Headquarters: Kohler, Wisconsin

Kohler began in 1873 when John Michael Kohler bought a small Wisconsin iron foundry that originally made farm tools. He later coated a cast-iron horse trough in white enamel, turning it into one of the very first bathtubs sold under the Kohler name. That single idea launched an entire bathroom fixture business.

The Kohler family has owned the company for more than 150 years, and David Kohler, the founder’s great-grandson, now leads it. Kohler grew into one of the largest makers of toilets, sinks, and bathtubs in the country. The company also expanded into cabinetry, tile, and even luxury hospitality resorts.

What Kohler does: Makes toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and faucets for homes and businesses.

Services: Bathroom fixtures, kitchen fixtures, plumbing hardware, and bathroom design products.

American Standard – A 19th-Century Name Still Trusted Today

Image Courtesy: American Standard (Official Website)

• Founded: 1875 
• Owner: Roots to Ahrens & Ott; owned by LIXIL Group, led by CEO Steven Delarge 
• Headquarters: Piscataway, New Jersey

American Standard traces its roots back to 1875, when a company called Ahrens & Ott began making plumbing products. Over the following decades, several smaller manufacturers merged, eventually adopting the American Standard name in 1967. The company pioneered several early plumbing innovations, including the one-piece toilet.

In 2013, Japanese building products company LIXIL bought American Standard, adding it to its own global lineup. The brand kept its own name and continued selling widely across the US through stores and professional dealers. American Standard remains one of the most recognized names in American bathrooms today.

What American Standard does: Makes toilets, faucets, and bathroom fixtures for homes and businesses.

Services: Toilets, bathroom faucets, kitchen fixtures, and bathtub and shower products.

TOTO – A Japanese Brand Known for High-Tech Toilets

Image Courtesy: TOTO (Official Website)

• Founded: 1917 
• Owner: Founded by Kazuchika Okura; publicly listed 
• Headquarters (US): Morrow, Georgia

TOTO was started in Japan in 1917 by Kazuchika Okura, who had traveled to Europe and been impressed by modern flushing toilets. At the time, most homes in Japan still used traditional squat toilets, so Okura set out to modernize Japanese bathrooms. That early vision shaped the company for over a century.

TOTO later became famous worldwide for the Washlet, a bidet toilet seat with warm water cleansing and heated seating. The company built a strong presence in the US, with its Americas headquarters based in Georgia. TOTO remains one of the largest plumbing fixture makers in the world.

What TOTO does: Makes toilets, bidet seats, and other high-tech bathroom fixtures.

Services: Toilets, Washlet bidet seats, faucets, and smart bathroom technology.

Moen – The Inventor of the Single-Handle Faucet

Image Courtesy: Moen (Official Website)

• Founded: 1956 
• Owner: Founded by Alfred Moen; part of Fortune Brands Innovations 
• Headquarters: North Olmsted, Ohio

Moen‘s story starts with inventor Alfred Moen, who came up with the idea for a single-handle faucet after burning his hands with an old two-handle model. His new design let people mix hot and cold water with just one lever instead of two separate knobs. Fortune magazine later named it one of the best-designed products of the century.

Moen’s invention became a huge commercial success and turned into its own major plumbing company. Over the decades, ownership passed through several larger companies before landing with Fortune Brands Innovations. Moen remains one of the most recognized faucet brands in American homes today.

What Moen does: Makes kitchen and bathroom faucets, sinks, and bath fixtures.

Services: Kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, shower fixtures, and smart water technology.

Delta Faucet – Named After a Greek Letter, Built by an Immigrant

Image Courtesy: Delta Faucet (Official Website)

• Founded: 1954 
• Owner: Founded by Alex Manoogian; part of Masco Corporation 
• Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana

Delta Faucet traces back to Alex Manoogian, an Armenian immigrant who had already built a successful screw manufacturing business called Masco. In 1954, he bought the rights to an early single-handle faucet design and improved it into a reliable ball-valve faucet. He named the new product Delta, after the triangular Greek letter that matched the faucet’s internal shape.

The faucet became a massive commercial success, eventually accounting for more than half of Masco’s total sales. Delta remained a subsidiary of Masco Corporation as the parent company grew into a major home products business. Delta Faucet remains one of the top-selling faucet brands in the United States today.

What Delta Faucet does: Makes kitchen and bathroom faucets, showers, and water filtration products.

Services: Kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, shower systems, and touch-activated faucet technology.

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions – Two Old Names Combined Into One

Image Courtesy: Zurn Elkay Water Solutions (Official Website)

• Founded: 1900 (Zurn) / 1920 (Elkay) 
• Owner: Founded by John A. Zurn & the Katz family; publicly listed 
• Headquarters: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Zurn‘s history began around 1900, when John A. Zurn started manufacturing valves and plumbing parts in Pennsylvania. Around the same time, Elkay Manufacturing was founded separately in Chicago by Leopold Katz, his son Louis, and partner Ellef Robarth, focused on stainless steel sinks. Both companies grew steadily over the following decades as separate businesses.

In 2022, Zurn Water Solutions acquired Elkay, combining the two long histories into one company called Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. The combined business focuses heavily on commercial plumbing fixtures used in schools, offices, and public buildings. Zurn Elkay remains one of the largest commercial plumbing fixture makers in the country.

What Zurn Elkay Water Solutions does: Makes commercial plumbing fixtures, sinks, and drinking water systems.

Services: Commercial sinks, drinking fountains, bottle filling stations, and plumbing fixtures.

Sloan Valve Company – The Family Behind the Modern Flush Valve

Image Courtesy: Sloan Valve Company (Official Website)

• Founded: 1906 
• Owner: Founded by William E. Sloan; privately held, family-owned 
• Headquarters: Franklin Park, Illinois

Sloan Valve Company was started in 1906 by William E. Sloan, focused on developing better ways to flush toilets in commercial buildings. The company became especially known for its flushometer valves, commonly found in public restrooms, schools, and airports. Sloan even developed special versions for naval and marine use.

The company has stayed in the hands of the Sloan and Allen families for well over a century now. Sloan later introduced some of the first sensor-activated, touchless flush valves, seen widely at places like Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The business remains privately owned and managed by descendants of the founder today.

What Sloan Valve Company does: Makes flush valves and fixtures for commercial restrooms.

Services: Toilet flush valves, sensor-activated fixtures, sink systems, and hand hygiene products.

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures – A Family Business Turned Global Brand

Image Courtesy: Gerber Plumbing Fixtures (Official Website)

• Founded: 1932 
• Owner: Founded by Max Gerber; owned by Globe Union 
• Headquarters: Woodridge, Illinois

Gerber Plumbing Fixtures began in 1932 when Polish immigrant Max Gerber bought a bankrupt pottery factory in Kokomo, Indiana. He built the business by personally traveling to meet customers and sealing deals with a handshake, growing it steadily over the following decades. The company remained family-owned and operated for over 70 years.

In 2003, Gerber was bought by Globe Union, a large Taiwan-based plumbing products manufacturer. The brand kept its own name and continued selling plumbing fixtures through professional wholesalers across the US and Canada. Gerber remains a trusted name for reliable, mid-priced bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

What Gerber Plumbing Fixtures does: Makes toilets, sinks, and faucets sold through professional wholesalers.

Services: Toilets, bathroom sinks, kitchen fixtures, and plumbing fittings.

Duravit USA – A German Design Brand for American Bathrooms

Image Courtesy: Duravit USA (Official Website)

• Founded: 1817 (roots) 
• Owner: Founded by the Horn family; privately held 
• Headquarters (US): Duluth, Georgia

Duravit‘s history stretches all the way back to 1817 in Germany, though the company took its modern shape and name much later under the Horn family’s ownership. The brand built its reputation on sleek, design-forward bathroom fixtures rather than basic, everyday products. Duravit often partners with well-known designers to create distinctive toilet, sink, and bathtub shapes.

The company expanded into the US market to serve homeowners and architects looking for higher-end, design-focused bathroom products. Duravit USA operates out of its American headquarters in Georgia, supporting dealers and showrooms nationwide. The brand remains privately owned by the Horn family in Germany.

What Duravit USA does: Makes design-focused toilets, sinks, and bathtubs for upscale bathrooms.

Services: Designer toilets, sinks, bathtubs, and bathroom furniture.

Jacuzzi – The Brand That Turned a Family Name Into a Bathtub Word

Image Courtesy: Jacuzzi (Official Website)

• Founded: 1915 
• Owner: Founded by the Jacuzzi brothers; privately held 
• Headquarters: Chino, California

Jacuzzi started in 1915 when a group of Italian immigrant brothers began building propellers and pumps rather than bathtubs at all. Years later, the family developed a portable pump that could be used for hydrotherapy, eventually leading to the whirlpool bathtub design the brand is now famous for. That invention became so popular that “Jacuzzi” is now used as a common word for any hot tub.

The company expanded from pumps into a full line of bathtubs, showers, and whirlpool spas over the following decades. Jacuzzi remains especially known for luxury bathing products rather than basic toilets or sinks. The brand continues to be sold widely across the United States today.

What Jacuzzi does: Makes whirlpool bathtubs, showers, and hot tubs.

Services: Whirlpool bathtubs, walk-in tubs, showers, and hot tubs and spas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which is the oldest sanitaryware brand on this list? 

Duravit has the oldest roots, tracing back to 1817 in Germany, though Kohler and American Standard are the oldest American-founded brands.

Which brands are originally American companies? 

Kohler, American Standard, Moen, Delta Faucet, Zurn, Elkay, Sloan Valve, Gerber, and Jacuzzi all started in the United States, while TOTO and Duravit started overseas.

Which brand invented the single-handle faucet? 

Both Moen and Delta Faucet are known for pioneering single-handle faucet designs, though each used a different internal mechanism.

Which brand is best known for high-tech, smart toilets? 

TOTO is best known for its Washlet bidet toilet seats, featuring warm water cleansing and heated seating.

Which two companies recently merged to form one larger brand? 

Zurn Water Solutions and Elkay Manufacturing merged in 2022 to form Zurn Elkay Water Solutions.

Are sanitaryware brands in the USA regulated? 

Yes, plumbing fixtures sold in the US must meet water efficiency and safety standards set by agencies like the EPA.

Which brand’s name became a common word for hot tubs? 

Jacuzzi’s name became so popular that it is now used as a general term for any whirlpool bathtub or hot tub.

Which brand focuses mainly on commercial restrooms rather than homes? 

Sloan Valve Company focuses heavily on commercial restroom fixtures, especially flush valves used in schools and airports.

Which brand remains fully family-owned after more than a century? 

Kohler remains fully owned by the Kohler family, now led by the founder’s great-grandson, David Kohler.

Why do these ten brands matter to everyday people? 

These brands make most of the toilets, sinks, and faucets found in American homes, offices, schools, and public restrooms.

Conclusion

America’s sanitaryware industry is a proud blend of century-old family tradesmen and multinational conglomerates that are determined to ensure the comfort of millions of American bathers. Such brands as Kohler, American Standard, Moen, Delta Faucet, Zurn, Elkay, Sloan Valve, Gerber, and Jacuzzi have established their production base in the United States, while TOTO and Duravit brought their decades-long experience of innovative design and engineering to the US market.

As a result, these ten brands feature the majority of residential and commercial sanitary products in the United States. Consequently, with the growing emphasis on water-saving technologies and bathroom fixtures’ smart integration into modern architecture, America’s foremost sanitaryware producers will shape the preferences of millions of buyers and continue to innovate the industry for years to come.