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NBW Member Feature:
WaterSaver Faucet Co.
Learn more about North Branch Works’ member company, WaterSaver Faucet, and this
long standing family owned manufacturing company here in Chicago.
Water Saver Faucet and Guardian Equipment participated in our spring cleaning
event last year!
WaterSaver Faucet Co. has been in business and in the area for over 70 years.
WaterSaver manufactures specialized faucets and valves for scientific laboratories.
What started out as a small plumbing contracting business started by Sam Kersten Sr. is
now in its third generation of being family owned and operated by Steven Kersten,
current President of WaterSaver.
When WaterSaver first started, it offered a line of faucets for commercial and
institutional use. However, it was very difficult to make any headway since the company
was offering a new, higher quality line of products against much larger and wellestablished competitors. Sam Kersten Jr. realized that, in the laboratory field, there was
an opportunity to sell his products based on their higher quality. He therefore created the
"WaterSaver" line of laboratory faucets and valves.
Sam Kersten Jr. went on to establish another company, Guardian Equipment, to
manufacture emergency eyewash and shower equipment. These products are used in
both laboratories and industrial plants. Guardian was formed in the early 1970s with the
goal of producing the highest quality emergency equipment. Today, Guardian has grown
to become one of the largest manufacturers of emergency eyewashes and showers in the
world.
WaterSaver and Guardian's headquarters and manufacturing plants are in the ChicagoHalsted Planned Manufacturing District (PMD) & Goose Island PMD respectively. They
also have sales locations in Asia and Europe.
TRAINED WORKFORCE IS KEY
WaterSaver Faucet would not be what it is today without one of its greatest assets - its
employees. Combined, WaterSaver Faucet and Guardian Equipment employ over 210
people -- 150 at WaterSaver and 60 at Guardian. Jobs include machining (manual,
automatic and CNC), metal finishing (including polishing, plating and powder coating),
general manufacturing, engineering, sales, accounting and administrative.
A trained and skilled workforce is important to WaterSaver and Guardian because it
enables them to produce the best products in a competitive international market. Some of
the ways that WaterSaver and Guardian ensure this is by incorporating and offering onthe-job-training, seminars, certifications, and partnering with community colleges to
increase the skill levels of the employees. "As manufacturing in the United States has
declined, we find it increasingly difficult to recruit employees that have the skills we
need to operate. We have therefore made a significant commitment to invest in our
human capital. We have implemented extensive programs to provide our employees with
the training they need to perform their jobs. We teach our employees what they need to
know, from reading and interpreting a blueprint, to using measuring instruments, to
programming a computer-controlled machine tool," says Steven Kersten.
In addition to assisting their employees, WaterSaver supports programs within Austin
Polytechnical Academy (a Chicago Public School on the far west side), MCIP
(Manufacturing Careers Internship Program), and TMA (Technology & Manufacturing
Association). Sunny Anderson, Executive Assistant, says, "We want to support these
schools and programs that are working with students to show them that manufacturing
skills and jobs are a viable career option." For example, WaterSaver has partnered with
MCIP to host interns for an eight week program and is supporting TMA’s two week
Summer Training Camp. The company assisted Austin Polytech Academy in opening up
its Manufacturing Technology Center. “Working with organizations like these will help
the next generation of workers who want to go into manufacturing”, Kersten said.
DECISION TO STAY & INVEST IN NORTH BRANCH CORRIDOR
Aside from investing in their employees over the years, WaterSaver Faucet has also
invested in staying in Chicago. With the expansion of residential development in
Chicago’s older industrial corridors, expanding and redeveloping WaterSaver would be
difficult and expensive. Steve Kersten worried that WaterSaver would not be able to stay
in Chicago. But WaterSaver and Guardian decided to stay and expand in the city because
of their employees (key employees have been with the company for decades), ease of
access to public transportation, and central location, to name a few reasons. "We have
been in Chicago for over 70 years; our roots are here and Chicago is a great place to
manufacture a product," says Steve Kersten. North Branch Works has helped
WaterSaver with hiring over the years and their expansion within their existing location
on Erie St. and Guardian on Goose Island.
Steve Kersten credits the PMDs with allowing his business to stay in Chicago. “If the city
wants to attract and retain companies like ours, we need to have a place to go. The PMDs
make it possible for industrial companies to invest and have a secure future in the city,”
said Kersten.
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES A "CORE VALUE"
One of WaterSaver’s goals is to create a sustainable and innovative environment for
future generations to come. Both WaterSaver Faucet and Guardian Equipment buildings
are LEED Gold certified. Some of the ways they continue to use sustainable practices are
by reducing waste through recycling programs, recirculating water system used in
operations, using low VOC emissions products, high efficiency boilers, and many more.
LOOKING FORWARD
With the new UI Labs coming to the area, there is a potential for collaboration to bring
more innovation and talent to WaterSaver Faucet/ Guardian Equipment. UI Labs is a
Chicago-based (Goose Island) research and commercialization collaborative, bringing
universities, industry and government together to define problems, design partnerships
and deliver scalable solutions to tomorrow's most important challenges.
The new UI Labs also has synergies with what could potentially be developed at the
former Finkl Steel site in the Elston & Clybourn corridor PMDs. WaterSaver is aware of
NBW's plans to create a future industrial park for the Finkl site and thinks it's a great
idea. North Branch Works continues to help business like WaterSaver remain in or come
to the city of Chicago to do business. We hope that WaterSaver Faucet continues to
flourish!
Thanks to WaterSaver for their membership and support!
Special thanks to Sunny Anderson and Steve Kersten for answering questions
and providing access to records &
company information.
www.wsflab.com
www.gesafety.com
As local lunch recommendations, WaterSaver recommends Iguana Café, Piccolo Sogno, and Thalia.
Check out the timeline photos below of Water Saver's past to present!
Samuel Kersten Sr.'s small plumbing contracting business in the 1920's.
WaterSaver Faucet's first factory on Jefferson.
This is a photo of one of WaterSaver's first patents!
Drawing of WaterSaver's laboratory faucet.
Since the early 1950s, WaterSaver has specialized exclusively in manufacturing products for the
laboratory use. WaterSaver equipment is in the Stanford University Medical Lab above.
One of the many laboratory faucets manufactured by WaterSaver.
WaterSaver's LEED GOLD certified facility today!
"From modest beginnings, WaterSaver has grown to become the
largest worldwide manufacturer of faucets, valves, safety
equipment and related products for use in science laboratories.
Quality, innovation and service have been our hallmarks. We are
always mindful that we owe our success to the efforts of a
dedicated and skilled workforce and the loyalty of our customers.
For over half a century, we have endeavored to fulfill the
confidence placed in us by those who specify, purchase and use
our products. We are dedicated to continuing that commitment for
generations to come."
- Steven Kersten – President, WaterSaver Faucet