Leopold & Louis Katz at the Arthington Facility - 1926
Elkay began as a vision of Leopold Katz and his son Louis on the North side of Chicago in 1920.
Their goal was to manufacture the highest quality sinks and provide exceptional service. The result: a thriving company built one satisfied customer at a time.
Today, we’re proud to be America’s number one kitchen sink company. We’ve expanded into a range of kitchen and bathroom plumbing, commercial sinks, and water delivery for home, office, school, and more.
Through the years, Elkay has continued to launch new products, designs, and innovations, and serves as a thought leader in an amazing array of different industries.
1920's Sink
Click Through The Elkay Timeline
1920
Elkay is founded on January 26, 1920 in 2100 square foot of rented space on Chicago’s Near North Side.
1930
By 1930, Elkay has outgrown our first location and moved into a larger manufacturing space.
1940
During World War II, Elkay receives a U.S. Naval award for its custom fold-up stainless steel sinks for the Navy.
1957
Elkay becomes the world's largest manufacturer of residential sinks.
1969
Elkay begins producing its own line of water coolers.
1971
Elkay’s first under-sink water purifier debuts.
1985
Elkay manufactures its 1 millionth water cooler.
1991
Elkay acquires Halsey Taylor and expands our sink and water fountain offerings.
2010
The ezH2O bottle filling station debuts, changing water delivery forever.
2016
Elkay acquires MR Direct, Inc., an online sink retailer selling directly to customers.
2019
The ezH2O Liv debuts -- the first built-in filtered water dispenser for your home.
2020
Elkay celebrates 100 years of success.
2021
Elkay acquires IPT Sink, a direct-to-consumer sink company.
2021
Elkay produces its 1 millionth ezH2O bottle filling station.
2022
Elkay and Zurn Water Solutions merge to form Zurn Elkay Water Solutions.