Culligan facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Water Treatment Products & Service |
| Founded | 1936 |
| Founder | Emmett J. Culligan |
| Headquarters | Rosemont, Illinois |
| Products | Water, water softener, water filters, bottled water, bottleless water coolers |
| Owner | Majority ownership by investment funds affiliated with BDT & MSD partners |
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Number of employees
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14,000 |
Culligan International is a company that helps people get clean, safe, and great-tasting water. They have been working on water solutions for over 80 years! Culligan provides clean water to more than 140 million people. They also help reduce plastic waste by offering ways to get water without using so many plastic bottles.
Contents
How Culligan Started
The story of Culligan began in 1921 with a man named Emmett J. Culligan. He was very creative and built his first homemade water softener using two coffee cans! He used special sand called greensand to filter the water. He found that this simple filter made the water softer.
In 1936, Emmett officially started the Culligan Zeolite Company. He had only $50 to begin with, and his brother and sister helped him with more money. They started the business in a blacksmith shop in Northbrook, Illinois.
By 1938, Culligan introduced a new type of water softener that could be easily moved. They also opened their first special stores, called dealerships, in Wheaton, Illinois, and Hagerstown, Maryland.
In 1945, Emmett changed the company structure. In 1950, he became the chairman, and Harold Werhane became the president. The company's name changed to Culligan, Incorporated, in 1962. In 1967, it became a public company, meaning people could buy shares of it. Finally, in 1970, the name became Culligan International, which it still is today.
Culligan's Journey Through the Years
In 1978, Culligan joined forces with a much larger company called Beatrice Foods Co. This helped Culligan grow even more. Beatrice Foods owned Culligan until 1985, but Culligan continued to operate under its own name.
Over the years, Culligan has been owned by different companies. In 1998, United States Filter bought Culligan. Then, in 1999, Vivendi bought US Filter. In 2003, Culligan was sold to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
In 2004, Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Culligan as the top franchise in its industry. A franchise is a business where you can use a well-known company's name and methods. In 2007, Culligan moved its main office to Rosemont, Illinois. They built a very modern lab there to test water.
Culligan Today
In 2012, Scott G. Clawson became the CEO of Culligan. He helped the company grow by making its network of dealers stronger and focusing on drinking water. He also helped Culligan expand by buying other water companies around the world.
Since 2016, Culligan has bought many global water filtration companies. For example, they joined with Waterlogic in 2022 and Primo Water's European businesses in 2023. Today, the Culligan brand includes over 35 international brands. These brands are known for their great water filtration and softening technologies. Some of these brands are Quench, Blupura, Zip Water, Waterlogic, Purezza Premium Water, and ZeroWater.
What Culligan Does: Products and Services
Culligan has created many new ways to treat water over the years.
In 1936, Emmett J. Culligan designed the first water softener for homes, called the Faucet Water Softener. In 1938, they introduced a portable water softener.
In the 1960s, Culligan started to sell its products around the world. In 1965, they made the world's first mass-produced reverse osmosis water treatment system. This system was called the Aqua 1 Water Purifier. Reverse osmosis is a way to clean water by pushing it through a very fine filter.
In 1987, Culligan introduced a special two-step reverse osmosis system for hospitals. This system was used for dialysis, a medical treatment. They continued to make new filtration products throughout the 1990s.
In 2010, Culligan launched the ClearLink PRO. This device allowed people to get reverse osmosis water right from their kitchen tap. They also introduced a line of very efficient water softeners and filters.
Culligan offers many products for homes and businesses. These include:
- Bottle-free coolers: These machines connect directly to your water supply. They give you filtered, hot, cold, or even sparkling water without needing big plastic bottles.
- Multi-functional taps: These special taps can give you boiling, chilled, or sparkling water.
- Water softening systems: These systems are installed where water enters your home. They make all the water in your house softer and cleaner.
- Under-the-sink filtration: These systems fit under your sink. They use technologies like reverse osmosis and activated carbon to filter your drinking water.
- Consumer water products: This includes things like water filter pitchers for your fridge, filters for your tap, shower filters, and bottles that filter and chill water.
- Filters: They make special filters for refrigerators.
- Water conditioning: These systems help prevent mineral buildup in your water. This can make your home appliances work better and save energy.
- Bottled water coolers: These are water dispensers that use large water bottles placed on top or inside the system.
Culligan is also a water services company. They have over 4,000 technicians who visit more than 20,000 homes and businesses every day to help with water systems.
Culligan's Famous Ads
Culligan's first company logo was designed in the 1940s. Their early slogan was "Soft Water for the American Home," which later became "Soft Water the Culligan Way." They started using custom delivery trucks in 1946. Their first well-known advertisement was in Life Magazine in 1947.
A very famous advertising campaign, "Hey, Culligan Man!", started in 1958. It featured a TV and radio ad where a housewife would loudly yell "Hey, Culligan Man!" when she needed help with her water.
In 2018, Culligan launched a new campaign during the Golden Globes. It featured actor Cary Elwes from the movie The Princess Bride. On January 7, 2018, the famous slogan changed slightly to "Hey, Culligan!"
In 2023, the company updated its brand with a new logo and a new slogan: Water You Love ™.
