The former Kohler Engines business is sharpening its focus on operational excellence, customer support and real-world machine applications as it expands across diesel and gasoline segments.
For Rehlko Engines, the transition from Kohler is not only a new corporate identity. It is also an opportunity to tighten internal processes, improve operational performance and reinforce its position in compact heavy-duty engine markets.
The company, now operating under the Rehlko name following its acquisition by Platinum Equity, used its third Demo Days event in Reggio Emilia to present both its engine range and the wider strategy behind the brand’s next phase of growth.
Rehlko President of Engines Eric Fontaine said the company is focusing on two parallel priorities: strengthening its internal operating model and making sure its customer experience matches the performance of its engines in the field.
“First, it is about how we think about our internal structure. We are bringing in more lean tools and what I call policy deployment, so we can roll out our strategic plan broadly across our groups and keep everyone aligned. The second piece is a strong focus on operational excellence. We already have great engines that handle tough applications and do things other engines do not. Now we want to match that level with our on-time delivery, our quality, and our customer support.”
Fontaine’s message points to a broader shift inside the company. In a market where OEMs are under pressure to reduce downtime, manage costs and differentiate their machines, engine performance alone is no longer enough. Delivery reliability, product quality, service support and integration capability increasingly shape the value proposition for equipment manufacturers and fleet operators.
“We have seen how our engines help customers deliver a unique value proposition to their own end users. That proof, in real applications, is what underpins our strategy,” Fontaine explained.
That real-application focus was central to the Demo Days format, held at Rehlko’s Reggio Emilia plant on September 15 and 16. The event brought together seven customers and eight machines from Wacker Neuson, FIORI, TerraTec, Argo Tractors, Hiab, ROTAIR and Walker.
Rather than displaying engines in isolation, Rehlko placed them inside the machines where they are expected to perform: compact construction equipment, forklifts, agricultural machines, aerial and lifting applications, and professional turf equipment. The format gave visitors a direct view of how the company’s diesel and gasoline platforms are used across different duty cycles and operating environments.
A major theme of the event was the parallel presence of diesel and gasoline engines. Rehlko used the demonstrations to underline the breadth of its offering across markets where power demand, emissions requirements and operating conditions can vary widely.
For the first time, the event also included two zero-turn-radius lawn mowers. The machines highlighted a market segment that remains particularly significant for Rehlko in the United States, where professional landscaping and turf maintenance equipment represent an important application area for gasoline engines.
Among the diesel platforms on show were the KSD1403 and KDI 2504 engines. The KSD Series, in production since 2023, has been developed to support higher productivity, lower total cost of ownership and reduced downtime. The KDI 2504 TCR, meanwhile, is a clean-sheet diesel engine available in Stage V, Tier 4 Final and Stage IV configurations for off-road and stationary applications.
Alongside the diesel range, Rehlko also displayed several gasoline platforms, including the 7000 Series KT722, the Command PRO EFI ECH730 and the Command PRO EFI ECV940.
The 747 cc KT722 delivers 57 Nm of torque and features an oversized air cleaner designed to extend service intervals. The Command PRO EFI ECH730 adds closed-loop electronic fuel injection, self-tuning capability and an electronic throttle body, while the ECV940 targets higher-output applications with EFI throttle control, altitude adaptability, hydraulic lifters and an optimised cooling system.
For Rehlko Marketing Director Nino De Giglio, the value of Demo Days lies in letting customers speak through their own machines and applications.
“No one speaks for our products better than our customers. We call them the ‘Rehlko people’ because they live the performance and the power every day. Their voice carries more weight than any marketing claim, and that authenticity is what matters most to us.”
The event was designed as a customer-to-customer exchange, where OEMs, users and journalists could compare machines in a practical setting rather than rely on technical claims alone.
“Once customers decide to use our engine, they quickly become happy users and strong promoters. They experience responsiveness and power in their own applications, which turns satisfaction into genuine advocacy,” De Giglio said.
That approach is particularly relevant in the industrial equipment market, where engine selection can affect machine productivity, operator experience, maintenance planning and lifecycle costs.
“We are not in a fashion industry. We operate in a B2B, very industrial segment where you need to test the difference. In industrial machines the real difference is made by the engine, and when you feel it in use the choice becomes clear,” De Giglio added.
As Rehlko continues to build its identity beyond the Kohler name, the company’s strategy appears increasingly centred on proving its value in the field: not only through engine specifications, but through machine performance, customer relationships and operational reliability.
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