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 | BDT Capital Partners And 40% stake with Thomas Culligan Jr of Akron, Ohio |
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Number of employees
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14,000 |
Culligan International is a company from the United States that helps treat water. It has a large network of dealers and offices in 90 countries. There are over 1,000 dealers, with more than 600 in North America alone. The company has over 14,000 employees who work to provide clean water solutions.
Contents
How Culligan Started
Culligan was started in 1936 by a person named Emmett Culligan. He began his business with just $50. His brother, Dr. John M. Culligan, and his sister, Anna V. Culligan, also helped him with money.
Emmett started the Culligan Zeolite Company with his brothers, Drs. John and Leo Culligan. They set up their first business in a blacksmith shop in Northbrook, Illinois. Emmett made a simple water filter using a coffee can with holes in the bottom. He filled it with a special sand called greensand.
When he poured water through his filter, he found that it made the water softer. This was a big discovery!
Early Growth and Changes
By 1938, the first Culligan dealership opened in Wheaton, Illinois. Soon after, another one opened in Hagerstown, Maryland. This helped the company grow.
In 1945, Emmett decided to create a new company. He was the president until 1950. Then, Harold Werhane became president, and Emmett became the chairman. In 1962, the company's name was changed to Culligan, Incorporated.
Today, Culligan's main office is in Rosemont, Illinois. There are now more than 1,000 dealerships and offices in over 90 countries around the world.
Company Ownership Over Time
Over the years, Culligan has been owned by different companies. First, a company called Beatrice Foods bought Culligan.
Later, in 1986, Beatrice Foods sold Culligan to another company called E-II Holdings. E-II Holdings tried to buy American Brands, but instead, American Brands bought E-II. American Brands then sold most of E-II's businesses.
After some changes, Culligan became its own separate company again in 1995.
In 1998, United States Filter bought Culligan. Then, in 1999, a company called Vivendi bought United States Filter. Vivendi later sold its water businesses, and Culligan was sold to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in 2003.
In 2004, Entrepreneur Magazine said Culligan was the best franchise in its industry. In 2007, Culligan's main office moved to Rosemont, Illinois. This new office has a special lab that checks water quality.
In 2012, Centerbridge Partners bought Culligan. Most recently, in 2021, Culligan was bought by BDT Capital Partners, LLC.
Culligan's Famous Slogans
Culligan's first known advertisement was in Life magazine in 1947. But they became really famous for a TV and radio ad. In this ad, a housewife would loudly shout, "Hey, Culligan Man!"
This famous advertising campaign started in 1959 for radio. A man named Dallas Williams created it. His wife, Jean Hughes Williams, was the one who provided the shouting voice. These "Hey, Culligan Man!" ads were very popular and continued to be shown for over 30 years.
In 2018, Culligan started a new advertising campaign in North America. They launched it during the Golden Globes with a TV ad featuring actor Cary Elwes. As of January 7, 2018, their slogan changed from "Hey, Culligan Man!" to simply "Hey, Culligan!" This change was made to give the brand a more modern feel.
