Culligan International is a global water-treatment franchise founded in 1986 by Emmett J. Culligan in Northbrook, Illinois. The company is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, and operates in more than 90 countries through over 1,000 dealers.
It began franchising the same year, with its first dealership in Wheaton, Illinois.
Culligan sells water softeners, whole-house filters, reverse-osmosis systems, bottled and bottleless water coolers, along with commercial and industrial water solutions. It holds over 200 patents and emphasizes customized water solutions, supported by a certified testing laboratory and ongoing research and development.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Culligan provides a structured training program designed to equip new franchisees with essential operational knowledge and support. Here are the key training components:
Culligan provides territory protection to its franchisees, but with several conditions and exceptions. Franchisees are granted a defined “Territory” where Culligan agrees not to open or authorize another dealership selling the same restricted products and services.
These restrictions are outlined in the Franchise Agreement and apply only to specific categories of products such as household services and bottled water distribution. However, this protection is not absolute.
Culligan reserves rights to continue operations or sales under previous agreements, sell certain small bottled products, and allow exceptions such as sales through national accounts or alternative distribution channels.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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