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About Us

Nearly a century of trusted experience.

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How It All Began

Organized Living’s history goes back 100 years, when George Schulte and his brother John started producing top quality solid brass faucets and plumbing fixtures in their father’s garage in Cincinnati, Ohio. They named the business The Schulte Brass Company.

By the mid-1930s, the company was recognized as an industry leader and established themselves as experts in metal castings and plating.

1960, George Schulte’s son-in-law, Elmer Kokenge, took over as the second president of The Schulte Brass Company.

A New Era

In the 1970s, with the introduction of epoxy powder coating, The Schulte Brass Company coated parts for most of the major faucet manufacturers. In 1976, the company launched its ventilated shelving line of products as storage and organization began to boom. In the 1980s, the company changed its name to SCHULTE and dropped the Brass to reflect its broader range of manufacturing.

The shelving business continued to grow in the ‘80s. New business required expansion to another manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Indiana where they continued to produce epoxy powder coated shelving for companies like the Elfa Corporation, sold through The Container Store, as well as products under the Organized Living name.

The Next Chapter

In 1995, John Kokenge, son of Elmer Kokenge and grandson of George Schulte, became the third president of SCHULTE. John began the next chapter in SCHULTE’s history by capturing the company’s long standing vision and values. John and senior leadership set the core values, vision, and mission of the company. They believed the company’s growth dictated the need for a focused approach to instill core values, a vision statement, and mission statement.

Vision Statement: To be the brand of choice for home storage and organization in the Single Family and Multifamily markets. 

Mission Statement: To lead the market with exceptional Products, Programs and People that support and grow our Dealers and Market Members. 

Core Values:

  • Do the Right Thing
  • Act with Passion
  • Build Winning Partnerships
  • Think Long Term
  • Learn, Grow, Change, Excel

The core values, vision and mission statements guide the company’s vision of innovation and high quality to evolve, bringing the customer’s needs to the forefront in every task for the entire company. 

With the vision, mission and core values in place, the company focused on growth with development including the strategic acquisition of the Tru-Space Company, a leader in the manufacturing of wood laminate storage and organization systems.

When continued growth once again dictated expansion, the company consolidated all US manufacturing into one large, state-of-the-art facility in Bloomington, IN. The corporate headquarters, with sales and marketing, remained in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Organized Living Today

As the storage and organization market grew in popularity, the company acquired the brand name Organized Living. SCHULTE had already been manufacturing products under the brand for many years.

By 2012, the company recognized the need to consolidate to focus on one master brand across all markets, to convey the company vision and evoke a powerful connection for consumers. The obvious choice was Organized Living.

In 2013, SCHULTE adopted Organized Living as its new corporate name. The legacy of quality and innovative products for the home that began in 1919, continues today as Organized Living.