Novo Water Group has acquired the U.S. operating company WaterGroup Inc., WaterGroup Companies Inc. and Petwa Ltd. in Canada from Culligan International Company Inc. Divesting of WaterGroup removes the channel conflict with Culligan’s core franchise dealer business.
Judd Larned, vice president of strategy for Culligan International Company, commented on the decision to sell the business: “WaterGroup was not a great fit with our global portfolio of businesses and did not align well with our primary strategy of growing our core Culligan Franchise Dealer businesses.”
The acquisition of WaterGroup will allow Novo to combine the expertise of both organizations while becoming a single source for water treatment products. “The transaction will allow us to provide a broader range of products and brands demanded by the market” stated Don Fettes, president & CEO of Novo Water Group Inc. and one of WaterGroup’s original co-founders. “Our plan to grow the business through strategic acquisitions and organic growth will allow us to offer more choice and value to our customers.
“For our customers we expect it to be business as usual. Customers will continue to be served under the current trade names and supplied with the same products and brands,” added Fettes. “Combining the experience and depth of both organizations will allow us to provide a higher level of customer service and on-time delivery from more locations as we implement the best practices of both organizations.”
