Culligan International
Culligan International’s commitment to improving water is the most important factor behind its continued success
The essential element
Culligan International’s commitment to improving water is the most important factor behind its continued success
Living with hard water can often be a pain – soap doesn’t lather easily, glasses are cloudy after washing and it can seriously damage the plumbing system in your home. These are just some of the easily recognisable signs of hard water and they can cause inconvenient and expensive problems. People are often amazed at the difference softened water can make to a lifestyle and the household budget.
As a recognised leader in household water treatment, Culligan International offers a wide choice of water softeners, in a range of sizes and capacities suitable for every location and household. For example, Culligan’s new ‘water genie’ is a remarkable blend of high performance water softening technology and compact, space saving design. The product’s state-ofthe- art technology also uses less water and salt than most competitive models, making it extremely efficient to use.
Operating within the water treatment business for over 70 years, Culligan International has continually raised the quality of life by purifying its most essential element – water. The company’s mission is to deliver high-quality water treatment products that benefit every aspect of consumers’ lives. Culligan has seen virtually every water problem imaginable and the business has solved these challenges to deliver the refreshing and clean water that’s become its trademark.
The organisation is divided into four divisions – household water treatment, commercial water treatment, office water solutions and Culligan after- sales services. In addition to water softeners, the company’s wide product range includes bottled water, filtration systems, ultraviolet disinfection and reverse osmosis equipment. The business also offers design and conception solutions, installation, commissioning, and after-sales services.
Looking at the overall company, Peter Marsh, general manager for the household division comments: “One of our key strengths is that we offer a very wide range of products – Culligan can provide almost any product for any need within the water treatment industry. Another strength is our size – we are the largest player in this market and we have manufacturing facilities across the world, including in Italy, the US, the Far East and the UK.”
The condition of the water treatment market is currently very strong and Culligan is continually evaluating the market to see, which areas present the best opportunities. Peter comments: “At the moment, there is a great need for water treatment products in the industry. People are becoming increasingly aware of the water they drink and use in their homes. They are now demanding a better quality of water – therefore, companies like Culligan are developing products to meet this demand.”
He continues: “One factor, which has affected the business over the past few years is changes to building regulations. It now states in Part P of these rules that if you are installing a new boiler in a house today, it has to be an energy efficient one. Furthermore, if the water hardness in that area is above 200 million parts per million then you should install some form of water treatment device to prevent scale from building up. As a result of these changes, our softener and Physical scale reducer sales have increased significantly.”
Peter adds: “We are continually trying to develop products, which are more environmentally friendly. Through our trade association – the United Kingdom Water Treatment Association – we are working very hard as a group to get water softeners listed as an energy efficient device. This is because if you can prevent a boiler becoming inefficient through reduction of excessive scale build up then you are going to use less fuel to heat water, and in turn help the environment.”
Over the years Culligan has built a strong reputation within the water treatment industry. The business’ success is a result of its commitment to improving its customers’ water supply. Looking at the company’s other strengths, Peter concludes: “In the UK, although the Culligan brand name is known, it is the brand names of Waterside, Liff, Aquadial and Permutit that we are better known for. Today, our main vision is to continually grow the business by approximately ten to 15 per cent every year. In addition to this, we are constantly upgrading our products to meet changes in customer demands. We have recently launched three completely new water softener systems into the builders merchants channel. These units boast many advantages over existing products, including economical and environmental benefits through greater research and better technology. We plan to continue developing solutions to help us meet increasing demands for purer, fresher and softer water. ”