Culligan International Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Culligan International was acquired by BDT & MSD Partners for $6B in May 2021.

Culligan International acquisition price

$6B

Acquired by BDT & MSD Partners · May 2021

Cumulative funding Culligan International raised

$657M

across 1 funding round

Culligan International Overview

About Culligan International

Culligan International is a Rosemont-headquartered global water treatment company. Established in 1936, it supplies residential softeners, reverse osmosis drinking systems, and industrial deionization units to over 90 countries. Culligan services hotels, restaurants, and factories with scale inhibitors and legionella control, backed by 10,000 dealers worldwide.


Founded

1936

HQ

United StatesLos Angeles, CA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2C & B2B

Revenue model

Product sales, Services

Valuation

$6B (Mar 2020)

Culligan International Acquisition

Culligan International was acquired by BDT & MSD Partners for $6B on 25 May 2021.

Before the acquisition Culligan International had raised $657M across 1 funding round.

Culligan International acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
  • BDT & MSD Partners
25 May 2021PE buyout$6B

Culligan International Valuation

Culligan International is currently valued at $6B, based on its undisclosed-stage round in March 2020.

Culligan International valuation by funding round

Culligan International valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Mar 2020Undisclosed stage$6B

Culligan International Funding History

Culligan International has raised a total of $657M across 1 funding round.

Culligan International funding rounds

Culligan International funding rounds
DateStageRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Mar 2020Undisclosed stage$657M$6BCulligan International is a Rosemont, Illinois-based water treatment specialist founded in 1936, offering products and services for water filtration including water softeners, filter pitchers, whole-house systems, and business filtration, with monthly service contracts comprising about 65% of sales. It operates through over 1,000 dealers in 90 countries and more than 7,500 employees, positioning it as a major player in the estimated $35 billion global consumer water services market. In March 2020, BDT Capital Partners agreed to acquire a majority stake in Culligan from Advent International and Centerbridge Partners, valuing the company at $6 billion including debt, with Advent reinvesting for a minority stake; financial terms were not officially disclosed but confirmed by sources familiar with the deal. Under prior ownership by Advent (since 2016), Culligan tripled its revenue through an aggressive M&A strategy, completing 90 acquisitions primarily of small family-owned companies in Europe, and high-single-digit organic growth. Key deals included the $1.1 billion acquisition (including debt) of publicly traded AquaVenture Holdings in 2019 for bottle-free water coolers, alongside expansions into filtered water dispensers. The company simultaneously divested AquaVenture's Seven Seas Water segment. This transaction marked Culligan as the latest in a series of private equity ownership changes, with BDT emphasizing long-term partnership, patient capital, and leveraging its global network of business owners for growth in clean water solutions, health, and sustainability. Management, led by Scott Clawson, was highlighted for building a platform with strong growth and cash flow characteristics.

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Acquisitions by Culligan International

Culligan International has acquired 6 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Culligan International was on November 2nd 2023. Culligan International acquired Primo Water Corporation for $575M.


Latest Acquisitions by Culligan International

Primo Water Corporation
Waterlogic
AquaVenture Holdings
Harvey Water Softeners
Description
Primo Water Corporation is a water solutions provider offering multi-gallon bottled water, dispensers, self-service refill machines, and filtration systems. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the company serves residential and commercial customers in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel. Formerly Cott Corporation, it emphasizes sustainable bottle exchange programs to minimize waste.
Waterlogic is a distributor of point-of-use water purification and dispensing systems across North America. Omaha-headquartered since 1992, it offers bottleless coolers with triple-filtration technology, including high-performance carbon block filters, UV sterilization, and BioCote antimicrobial surfaces. The systems serve offices, hospitals, factories, and schools, connecting directly to mains water supplies. Waterlogic holds WQA and NSF certifications, supports dealer networks in the United States and Canada, and manufactures units adaptable to local water chemistry.
AquaVenture Holdings is a provider of water purification and desalination services through its Quench and Seven Seas Water divisions. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the company delivers office water coolers, bottled water delivery, and large-scale desalination plants in the Caribbean and Latin America. Founded in 2006, AquaVenture employs advanced reverse osmosis technology to produce purified water-as-a-service for commercial, municipal, and hospitality clients, serving over 20 countries.
-
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited KingdomUnited StatesCanada
HQ City
Tampa, FL
Omaha, NE
Tampa, FL
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Deal Date2 Nov 20231 Nov 202223 Dec 201923 Dec 2018
Valuation$575Mundisclosed$880Mundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Culligan International Competitors

Culligan International competitors include listed companies like EVN, Enel Chile, Hera and Southwest Gas Holdings, and private ones like 50Hertz and Slovensky plynarensky priemysel.

Public and private companies comparable to Culligan International
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
50HertzGermanyGermanyPrivate--$6B-
EVNAustriaAustriaPublicly listed$3.5B$1.2B$6B2.1x
Enel ChileChileChilePublicly listed$4.5B$1.3B$5.9B1.4x
HeraItalyItalyPublicly listed$15B$1.6B$6.2B0.8x
Southwest Gas HoldingsUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1.9B$844M$6.3B4.9x
Slovensky plynarensky priemyselSlovakiaBratislavaPrivate$2.1B-$7B3.3x

Culligan International Public Comps

Culligan International is no longer listed, but its public comps include EVN, Enel Chile, Hera, Southwest Gas Holdings, Tokyo Electric Power, Shenergy Group, Portland General Electric, Mercury NZ, Shanghai Electric Power and TXNM Energy.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
EVN$3.5B$1.2B2.1x2.1x6.0x7.0x
Enel Chile$4.5B$1.3B1.4x1.4x4.8x4.3x
Hera$15B$1.6B0.8x0.8x7.1x6.3x
Southwest Gas Holdings$1.9B$844M4.9x4.9x11.3x10.6x
Tokyo Electric Power$41B$525M1.0x1.0x77.5x-
Shenergy Group$4.2B$1.6B2.9x2.9x7.5x8.0x
Portland General Electric$3.6B$1.2B3.0x3.0x9.3x8.8x
Mercury NZ$1.9B$457M3.8x3.6x15.3x11.1x

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Common questions about Culligan International

When was Culligan International founded?Culligan International was founded in 1936.
Where is Culligan International headquartered?Culligan International is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Is Culligan International publicly listed?No, Culligan International was acquired by BDT & MSD Partners in May 2021.
Who acquired Culligan International?Culligan International was acquired by BDT & MSD Partners in May 2021.
How much was Culligan International acquired for?Culligan International was acquired for $6B in May 2021.
What is Culligan International's valuation?Culligan International was last valued at $6B in its undisclosed-stage round in March 2020.
How much funding has Culligan International raised?Culligan International has raised $657M across 1 funding round.
What was Culligan International's last funding round?Culligan International's last funding round was a $657M undisclosed-stage round in March 2020.
Which companies are comparable to Culligan International?Companies comparable to Culligan International include 50Hertz, EVN, Enel Chile, Hera, Southwest Gas Holdings and Slovensky plynarensky priemysel.
How many companies has Culligan International acquired?Culligan International has acquired 6 companies, including Primo Water Corporation, Waterlogic, AquaVenture Holdings, Harvey Water Softeners and Aqua Vital Quell- und Mineralwasser.
What was the largest acquisition by Culligan International?The $880M acquisition of AquaVenture Holdings in December 2019 is the largest acquisition Culligan International has made to date.

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