WORTHINGTON -- The call of "Hey Culligan man!" will reach a new person in Worthington, now that Nathan Holt has taken over the Culligan business in Worthington from his uncle, Gary Oberloh.
"(It's an) opportunity to have my own business, and just knowing the past 46 years of reputation my uncle built on it, I knew it would stay good and get better," Holt said.
Holt, born and raised in Worthington, graduated from Worthington High School in 1992. He earned a business management degree with accounting and computer emphases from Minnesota West Community and Technical College in 1994.
He credits his former employers with much of his business acumen -- The Stag Clothiers in downtown Worthington, where Holt had his first full-time job, Spomer Motors, where he worked in the shop and service department for about 12 years, and Worthington Power and Equipment.
Though Oberloh owned the business when Holt was a child, the young Holt didn't spend much time there.
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Instead, most of his education about the multifaceted Culligan water business has come more recently from Oberloh and Holt's own three full-time and two part-time employees. All together, the employees have nearly 100 years of experience between them.
"The knowledge they've got is what makes me coming into this a very easy transition," Holt said.
The business officially changed hands March 1, but Holt has worked there soaking up knowledge since January.
"It's a completely different thing for me, a new product," Holt said, while noting that business is business and for the most part, works the same way.
His enthusiasm for the Culligan product and the business is easy to see.
"We sell softeners and rent water coolers. We rent and sell drinking water systems. We deliver salt and the water to those who want or need it, so if they don't want to carry the salt down the steps themselves, there's someone who'll do that for them," Holt said.
Culligan also performs free water analysis for customers, testing water they bring in for hardness, nitrates, sulfates and iron. The water Culligan sells is healthy, safe and has no contaminants that could harm people.
Having hard water can actually cost people money, Holt explained, because more soap, shampoo or shower gel must be used in order to make lather for washing. Softer water also feels better on the skin and rinses soap away more easily.
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The business services all water systems, not just the Culligan brand.
"It's always been a customer service-oriented business, and we're going to keep it that way," Holt said.
Culligan, located at 1300 Second Ave., is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
