Kevin Johnson, has announced he will be hanging up his softener spanners at the end of June.

After 40 years in the industry, Monarch Water’s Managing Director, Kevin Johnson, has announced he will be hanging up his softener spanners at the end of June.

Johnson’s father, David, installed his first water softener in 1964 and this started the journey that would evolve Monarch into the number one brand in the merchant channel.

Johnson took over the business in 1990 when Monarch was based in a converted outbuilding at his father’s premises in Stradbroke, before moving several times over the following years due to the expansion of the company. Monarch now occupies a two-acre site in Diss (which is ten miles from its original location) plus an offsite storage facility of 11,000 square feet.

Johnson said: “I don’t really know where to start as I’ve had so many good times at Monarch and, of course, there have been some bad times as well. I distinctly remember worrying about the 300 softeners we had to sell a year so I could put food on the table for the family. I’d get shot if I said how many we actually sell now, but you can multiply it countless times over.

"Monarch has been built on family values, and the amazing growth and success of the company is down to the hard work and dedication of the staff."

Monarch was acquired by Culligan in 2018 and this has allowed the business to continue to grow with the support of a multi-national water treatment giant.