Culligan of Danville, Ill., has been serving the community since the 1940s, and Chad Reifsteck became part of its celebrated history as a route driver in 1998. He moved up the ranks and became the general manager in 2002. We asked Chad to explain how Culligan helps solve local water problems and to reflect on the more than two decades he’s spent with the company.
Vermilion County has a mix of municipal water and well water. What are some issues you see?
Our water is considered very hard. We sell a lot of water softening products to people with municipal water.
One of the biggest problems my well customers face is iron and the staining that comes along with it. We offer testing so we can figure out what type of iron it is, and then we have solutions such as Big Blue filters, larger-size water softeners, and when necessary, specialized iron filters. Big Blue offers a first line of defense. We let it take the brunt of the water and calm things down before we get to the softener.
We can also add an ultraviolet (UV) system to offer assurance the water is safe—it’s a nice insurance policy on the back end of all the water treatment.
What are the benefits of installing drinking water systems that use reverse osmosis?
They definitely improve the taste of the water, and they are very effective at removing a whole list of contaminants.
What kind of feedback do you most often hear from customers?
My favorite piece of feedback would probably come after they’ve used other treatment equipment that wasn’t applied properly, or they didn’t have the correct equipment and they’ve dealt with this water problem for years. We come in and apply the correct equipment and now they’ve got great water. Their reply is, “Wow, I did not know it could be this good.”
There are lots of different problems in the water that we test for and know how to solve for. It’s not going to be set up correctly if people just go down to the local hardware store and pick something off the shelf without knowing what they’re really trying to treat.
Do people think about water differently today than when you started in the business?
People have become more conscious of contamination in drinking water, so there’s more attention paid to drinking water now than before.
After so many years with Culligan, do you know a number of long-term customers?
We’re always trying to grow our customer base but yes, there are people who do business with me who I’ve known for almost 22 years now. And, sometimes when we add customers they’ll say, “Mom and Dad had you guys, and I remember the water when we were growing up, and it was really good. Now I’m ready for you to do the same for me.”
What do you like about your job?
I enjoy the chemistry side of water treatment. I enjoy “problem water” because it presents a challenge. You have to figure out what the customer’s needs are, and you have to couple their needs with a solution that will actually work. I really like providing satisfaction for my customers. It gives me fulfillment at the end of the day.
