1955 turned out to be a good year for Water conditioners, but a bad one for Studebakers and Packards. So when a gentleman from Reynolds Water conditioning in Detroit showed up at the Studebaker car dealership owned by Robert T. Heffernan in Hillsdale, MI, and wanted to buy it, Mr. Heffernan talked him out of it. Studebaker was getting out of the car business and the two men decided they could sell water softeners easier than they could sell cars. They ordered 25 water softeners and began installing them for $5.00 and renting them for $3.50 per month out of the car dealership in downtown Hillsdale.
They took the back seat out of an old used Packard and presto — they had their first service truck. Today the business is owned by Mr. Heffernan’s grandson, William Heffernan. You can still rent or buy water conditioners, but naturally the price has changed and so have the systems, because water conditioners aren’t so simple anymore – they’re water treatment systems. The original Miracle Water was bought by Ecodyne Corp. of St. Paul, MN, the largest manufacturer of domestic water treatment equipment in the US. The sophisticated name it now has – Ecowater Systems – reflects the concern people have for the environment and safe drinking water. “The environment and water pollution are top concerns in today’s world,” says Bill, “and we have the equipment that can purify drinking water.” For years, the business was known for soft water treatment, but in order to meet consumers’ needs, Heffernan Soft Water expanded their product line to include a much broader range of water treatment products such as drinking water appliances and distilling systems. As always, they emphasize customer satisfaction, and their slogan, “Your Total Water Care People” reflects this. “The equipment we sell is excellent and requires minimal service. Our service department is second to none,” says Bill. Their 1958 advertisement still holds true today…
“Cleaner, healthier, happier living for you and your family!”
PRODUCTS
3275 W Carleton Road,
Hillsdale, MI 49242-9458
Phone: 517-437-2628
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.heffernansoftwater.com
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:30am – 5pm
Saturday: 8:30am – 1pm