Business Connections by Adams

4 F A L L 2 0 1 8 Nikolaus Kohl was born in Germany in 1836 and immigrated to the United States in 1857. He founded Kohl Wholesale, previously known as N. Kohl Grocer Co., in 1873 in Quincy, Illinois, after years of employment in the wholesale grocery business. With his four sons, Kohl built the business into a leading coffee roaster and wholesale grocery establishment in the Midwest. Owned by Family, Responsive to Customers Today Kohl Wholesale is led by the family’s fifth generation —Rick Ehrhart, Mark Ehrhart, and Matt Ehrhart—and serves businesses including restaurants, hotels, supermarket delis, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, retail groceries, caterers, and taverns in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. As a Broadline Foodservice Distributor, Kohl Wholesale carries more than 10,000 products and also offers training, education, and support services for its customers. Kohl Wholesale maintains an office, distribution center, and Kohl Cash & Carry Showroom here in Quincy. Rick Ehrhart said, “Since our founding 145 years ago, there have been many changes in our industry in areas such as packaging, frozen foods, and offering broadline products. Kohl Wholesale always strives to cater to our customers’ needs by stocking the items they request. What sets us apart is being family owned, responsive to our customers, and committed to offering personal service to every customer.” Internet and Voice Services from Adams To help Kohl Wholesale stay connected to its customers, Adams provides Internet service, SIP phone service, and landlines for faxes at its three Quincy facilities. “Fast and reliable Internet service is extremely important in this day and age. Most of our data traffic travels over the Internet, including orders from customers and orders to vendors, and we rely on our Internet service in order to provide the best customer service. High-quality, clear, and static-free voice communications between our employees is also key to our operations. We recently upgraded our phone system and changed to SIP from Adams, an Internet-based solution. We have found all of our services from Adams to be very dependable,” noted Ehrhart. What does Ehrhart value most about the customer service and support from Adams? He replied, “Serving our customers is of Kohl Wholesale For 145 years, this wholesale grocery business has brought a lot to the table BUSINESS spotlight