Terry Kohler, driving force of North Technology dies at 82

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 21 Sep 2016 Terry Kohler who purchased North Sails from Lowell North over 30 years ago and was the driving force behind the North Technology Group, has died aged 82.

He was the majority shareholder in what became North Technology, before becoming the sole shareholder through his company Windway Capital Corp.

Windway, named after his father's estate, in turn, sold North Technology which included North Sails, which makes 80% of the world's sails, and Southern Spars to Oakley Capital in 2014

During his tenure, overseeing the development of the sailing and composites conglomerate, Kohler created the 'Engine above the Deck' concept which married the technology used to build the sails and spars so they were designed and would work as an integral unit.

North Technology also acquired the world rights to one piece moulded sails technology and developed this process further to the point where a unique designed blanks could be moulded in a high quality one off process.

Under Kohler, North Technology also moved into low-cost production of standard rig for Olympic and other one designs, with North Sails and Southern Spars both opening major production facilities in Sri Lanka.

North Sails has been on every America’s Cup Challenger and Defender in the modern era as well as being a dominant supplier in the Volvo Ocean Race and countless ocean, Grand Prix race winners and Olympic sailors.

Kohler oversaw the development of the technology used in sailmaking and composites including the development of patented North Thin Ply Technology and North Cutting Systems.

A former Air Force B-47 jet pilot Kohler Kohler later graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in industrial management. A year later he earned an MBA in the same field from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Terry Kohler was born on May 14, 1934, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. His father was a three-term Governor of Wisconsin, and was President of the Vollrath Company.

His parents divorced when he was 12 years old and he was raised by his father at Windway, his parents' estate not far from the Kohler factory in the village of Kohler - a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River with a population now of just over 2000.

Terry Kohler was the third generation to take over the company founded in 1876. Vollrath is a manufacturer of stainless steel and aluminum small-wares and equipment, and deep draw stainless steel supplying to commercial and institutional foodservice operations.

Introduced to sailing a the age of five he stayed with the sport and in his teens was asked to join the regular crew of an 87ft M class yacht.

Terry Kohler has an extensive record of success racing on the Great Lakes including wins in the 1984 and 1985 Chicago to Mackinac Race.

In 1992, sailing in the Great Lakes 70 class on his yacht Cynosure, Terry and his crew completed the hat-trick scoring first to finish, first in section and first overall. Sixteen years later he almost repeated the feat in his Great Lakes 70 class, Evolution, when she placed second in class and second in fleet in the 100th Anniversary Chicago to Mackinac Race.

In 2008 he was admited to the Hall of Fame for the Lake Michigan Sailing Federation for numerous sailing related projects including being a founder and contributor to Sheboygan Youth Sailing Center; a founder and contributor to Sail Sheboygan Ltd., a leader in education and exposing of sailing to people. Kohler was a big supporter of the Women’s International Match Racing Association, which was one of the bodies responsible for getting women’s match racing in the 2012 Olympics. He also founded and contributed to the Sail Yacht Research Foundation, which studied the dynamics which allow sailboats to perform in water.

He was a past Commodore of the Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation. He was also awarded the Nathanael Herreshoff Trophy by US Sailing in 2009.

Kohler was, like his father, active in the Republican Party and made an unsuccessful attempt in 1980 to win the party's nomination for the US Senate. He did, however, remain active in the party for another 30 years.

Kohler was also heavily involved in conservation projects including the reintroduction of whooping cranes and trumpeter swans in Wisconsin by using his personal plane to fly swan eggs from Alaska to Wisconsin for over a decade. In 2009 he received the Charles Lindbergh Award in 2009 for his conservation efforts with cranes and swans.

In New Zealand, Kohler's 75ft powercat, NorthStar was used as the commentary vessel for two America's Cup broadcasts and became the epicentre for America's Cup coverage from the Hauraki Gulf in 2000 and 2003.

Kohler died at home and is survived by his wife Mary Kohler, three daughters and four step-children.

For an additional tribute click here