What culligan does

Culligan International Company is a privately held, Illinois-incorporated water treatment company founded in 1936, headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois. It designs, manufactures, and distributes water softening, filtration, and reverse osmosis systems under proprietary brand families including Aquasential and the Good Water Machine, alongside subscription-based services such as 5-gallon water jug delivery, salt delivery, water testing, and maintenance. Technology spans multi-stage reverse osmosis membranes certified to reduce more than 90 contaminants including PFAS, lead, mercury, and chromium, plus WiFi-connected equipment monitored through the Culligan Connect app.

Culligan operates through a hybrid distribution model combining 900+ independent dealers and franchisees across more than 90 countries with a direct enterprise sales motion via the Culligan Quench subsidiary (HQ in King of Prussia, PA), which rents bottleless water coolers, sparkling and flavored dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers to commercial customers under monthly subscription contracts starting at $63 per cooler. Quench serves 140,000+ businesses and claims 75% of Fortune 500 companies as customers, supported by 500+ service technicians and an installed base of 400,000+ units.

Revenue is generated across five primary streams: one-time equipment sales or financed rentals of softeners/filtration systems, recurring bottleless cooler rental and maintenance, recurring water and salt delivery subscriptions, professional water testing and repair services, and workplace direct sales. Independent product certifications from NSF, WQA, IAPMO, and UL underpin quality claims, and dealer bottlers are members of the IBWA and CBWA industry associations.

Name

culligan

Legal name

Culligan International Company

Website

https://culliganohiovalley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Culligan is a privately held water treatment company founded in 1936 that designs, manufactures, and distributes water softeners, filtration systems, reverse osmosis units, and bottleless workplace coolers through 900+ dealers across 90+ countries, serving residential, commercial, and enterprise customers including 75% of Fortune 500 firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Treatment Systems

NAICS

Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Beverages (2080), Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086)

akta.pro primary industry

Potable Water Treatment & Conditioning (Filtration, Disinfection, Corrosion Control) (EUANAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disinfection & Oxidation (Chlorine/Chloramine, UV, Ozone, AOP) (EUANABAD), Purified/RO Bottled Water Production (AFAFACAC), Countertop Water Filtration Systems (CRAJAJAC)

Keywords

• Water treatment systems
• Water filtration solutions
• Water softening equipment
• Bottled water delivery
• Workplace water coolers

Headquarters

HQ city

Rosemont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Water Treatment Equipment Sales: Sale of water softeners, filtration systems, reverse osmosis units, and related equipment. Products available for purchase or rent with options to finance.
2. Water Delivery Service: Subscription-based delivery of 5-gallon water jugs to residential and commercial customers. Culligan bottled water undergoes reverse osmosis and softening processes.
3. Workplace Water Cooler Rental: Rental of bottleless water coolers, sparkling water dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers to commercial customers. Includes installation, maintenance, and filter changes in monthly fee.
4. Salt Delivery Service: Regular delivery of water softener salt to customers with water softening systems
5. Service and Maintenance: Water testing, repairs, and ongoing service for water treatment systems

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Culligan manufactures, distributes, and services water treatment systems for residential, commercial, and workplace customers, including water softeners (Aquasential line), whole-house filtration, reverse osmosis drinking water systems, PFAS filtration, hot/cold and bottleless dispensers, and salt-free conditioners. The company also operates subscription delivery of 5-gallon bottled water and water softener salt, plus maintenance, water testing, and portable exchange services through its network of 900+ independent dealers and franchisees worldwide. Culligan Quench provides bottleless workplace water coolers, sparkling and flavored dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers on a rental/subscription basis.

Product overview

Culligan is a comprehensive water treatment company offering a broad portfolio of residential, commercial, and workplace water solutions. The core residential offering spans water softeners (Aquasential® series including Smart HE, Twin, and municipal/well variants), whole-house filtration systems (with specialized Iron-Cleer®, Sulfur-Cleer®, Sulfur-OX3®, Iron-OX5®, Arsenic Reduction, and Nitrate Reduction models), reverse osmosis drinking water systems (including Smart RO, Tankless RO, and the AC-30 Good Water Machine®), PFAS filtration systems, and a range of dispensers including bottleless coolers (Ascent™ series) and hot/cold water dispensers. Culligan Quench, the workplace-focused sub-brand, provides bottleless water coolers (Q3 through Q14 series), the Twist flavored water dispenser, sparkling water dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers — all powered by a proprietary 5-stage filtration system, quenchWATER+ electrolyte enhancement, and in-tank UV sanitization. Complementary services include water delivery (5-gallon jugs), salt delivery, portable exchange, water testing, repairs, and the Culligan Connect app for WiFi-connected system monitoring. The product architecture is a unified platform combining hardware systems (softeners, filters, dispensers) with software services (mobile app, water testing, subscription delivery).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Culligan Quench: Workplace bottleless water coolers, sparkling water dispensers, ice machines, and coffee brewers for commercial spaces
• Aquasential
• Quench

Products and services

• Water Softeners (Aquasential line) Whole-home water softening systems including Smart HE, twin-tank, and municipal/well water variants that reduce water hardness to protect plumbing, appliances, skin, and hair. Available for purchase, rental, or financing through Culligan dealers.
• Salt-Free Water Conditioners Salt-free scale-reduction conditioners for households in brine-restricted areas, with zero water waste.
• Whole House Water Filters Point-of-entry filtration systems treating water at the main supply before distribution, with specialty media (Iron-Cleer, Sulfur-Cleer, Arsenic Reduction, Nitrate Reduction) for well and municipal water contaminants.
• Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems Point-of-use RO systems including Smart RO, Tankless RO, and the AC-30 Good Water Machine under-sink unit. Certified to reduce more than 90 contaminants including heavy metals like lead, mercury, and chromium.
• PFAS Filtration Systems Whole-house and point-of-use filtration systems specifically designed to reduce PFAS 'forever chemicals' from water supplies.
• Hot and Cold Water Dispensers Freestanding and countertop dispensers providing instant hot, cold, and ambient water, available in standard and high-capacity models.
• Bottleless Water Coolers (Ascent series) Point-of-use water coolers connecting directly to a building's water supply for continuous filtered hot and cold water without bottle deliveries. Includes Ascent 40, Ascent 80, and Ascent CT models.
• Culligan Quench Bottleless Water Coolers (Q Series) Workplace bottleless water coolers — Q3, Q4 Touchless, Q5, Q8 Touchless, Q12 Touchless, Q14 — ranging from 1–25 to high-capacity users, with options for sparkling water, touchless dispensing, and electrolyte enhancement (quenchWATER+). Rented on subscription with bundled service.
• Twist Flavored and Sparkling Water Dispenser Workplace water dispenser offering still, sparkling, and flavored water with electrolyte enhancements and customizable flavor intensity, designed for 51+ users.
• Culligan Quench Sparkling Water Dispensers Workplace sparkling water dispensers with built-in advanced filtration delivering premium sparkling water for office environments.
• Culligan Quench Ice Machines Commercial ice machines producing bullet ice from filtered water for workplace and hospitality environments.
• Culligan Quench Coffee Brewers Filtered coffee brewing systems for the workplace, leveraging advanced water filtration for improved coffee taste.
• Culligan Peak Combination Ice Maker & Water Dispenser Combined ice maker and water dispenser providing filtered water alongside commercial-grade ice production.
• Culligan Quench Specialty Water Filters Specialty filtration including under-sink RO, deionizing units, and emergency filtration systems for labs, healthcare, and specialized commercial environments.
• Water Delivery Service Subscription-based home and office delivery of sanitized 5-gallon (18.9-liter) water jugs sourced from springs or municipalities, treated with reverse osmosis and softening. Dealers are members of IBWA and CBWA.
• Salt Delivery Service Scheduled delivery of water softener salt to residential customers for ongoing system operation.
• Portable Water Exchange Service Exchange service for portable water softener tanks for seasonal properties and brine-restricted areas with no additional utility costs.
• Water Testing Service In-home water quality testing and analysis by certified Culligan experts, including field tests and comprehensive lab-based testing.
• Repairs & Maintenance Service Technical repair and maintenance services for Culligan water treatment systems handled by local certified technicians.
• Culligan Connect App Mobile application providing remote monitoring and control for WiFi-connected Culligan water treatment systems, enabling users to track water quality and system status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 billion single-use plastic water bottles avoided annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Bottled Water AssociationcoreOthersCulligan dealer bottlers are members of IBWA which holds them to higher quality standards than FDA requirements.
• Canadian Bottled Water AssociationcoreOthersCanadian Culligan dealers are members of CBWA meeting elevated quality standards for bottled water.
• NSF InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF International audits Culligan dealers annually to ensure they meet quality and safety standards.
• National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent product validation for Culligan water treatment products.
• Water Quality Association (WQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry certification body providing independent product validation for Culligan products.
• IAPMOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct certification organization validating Culligan water treatment equipment.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct safety certification for Culligan water treatment products.
• IAPMO (for Culligan Quench)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial water filtration systems certified by IAPMO to reduce PFAS, TDS, lead, arsenic, chlorine, cysts, and VOCs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pentair: Global water treatment and filtration company offering residential and commercial water softening, filtration, and RO systems. Closely comparable to Culligan's core residential/commercial water treatment franchise and a key benchmark for scale and product breadth.
• EcoWater Systems: Manufacturer of residential and commercial water conditioning and filtration equipment sold through an independent dealer network. Directly comparable business model to Culligan's dealer-driven franchise.
• Kinetico: Water treatment equipment manufacturer specializing in non-electric water softeners and filtration systems, also sold through an independent dealer network. Comparable residential focus and dealer-distribution model.
• Primo Water Corporation: Public water delivery and filtration company providing bottled water, water dispensers, and filtration services to residential and commercial customers. Comparable business in the delivery/dispenser segment where Culligan also operates.

Broad incumbents

• Watts Water Technologies: Public manufacturer of water quality, conservation, and flow control products for residential, commercial, and institutional applications. Overlaps with Culligan in filtration and water treatment components but serves a broader plumbing/industrial portfolio.
• 3M Purification: Large industrial conglomerate with significant water filtration and separation products for residential and industrial markets. Comparable technology (RO, filtration) but operates as part of a much broader portfolio.
• A. O. Smith Corporation: Global water technology and heating company with significant residential and commercial water treatment product lines. Comparable product portfolio and end-market exposure, though also broader in water heating.

Emerging players

• Brita (Clorox): Consumer-focused water filtration brand offering pitchers, dispensers, and replacement filters through retail channels. Compares to Culligan's point-of-use residential filtration but emphasizes consumer/shelf purchase rather than installed whole-home systems.
• Flo by Moen: Smart water monitoring and shutoff device platform extending into whole-home water security. Comparable emerging technology category that could partially substitute for traditional softeners and create connected-home competition.
• SodaStream (PepsiCo): Consumer sparkling water maker enabling in-home carbonation as a substitute for bottled sparkling water and a complement to workplace dispensers. Comparable sustainability narrative (avoiding single-use bottles) and growing direct competition with Culligan Quench's sparkling dispensers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CulliganIntl
• Facebookfacebook.com/culligan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/culligan-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/heyculligan
• TikToktiktok.com/@heyculligan

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about culligan