A Chicagoan through and through, John Watson has a rather distinguished career in the plumbing industry. And although he at one point considered leaving the business, the challenges that water efficiency presented to the commercial building industry and the growing interest in changing practices compelled him to join Sloan and become an industry expert on water savings.
Joining the Sloan family in 2000, John began his work leading new product and technologies development efforts for Sloan, which would eventually become the backdrop for many of the products that would make up Sloan’s Water Efficiency division. As John progressed, he took the helm of Technical Services at Sloan whereby water efficiency became part of technical development, and ensured products both conserved water and maintained performance.
Working each day fielding questions regarding how products perform, and developing new ones to meet desired results, John was inadvertently involved with every aspect of Sloan’s water efficiency efforts until he eventually took over the Water Efficiency division. Working with highly motivate individuals, John has helped develop some of the most innovative technologies found on the market today. From high efficiency products and waterless systems to simple handle adjustments, his dedication toward developing new and better ways to save makes every day a joy. And knowing that his, and all of Sloan’s, efforts are truly impacting people’s lives by saving them water and money gives John immense pride.
In an industry that is reluctant to change something if it isn’t broken, the challenges of transforming practices have been numerous. Believing that you only get out of something that which you put into it, John has always tried to achieve more. This is reflected in John’s personal goal of reducing water usage of any given product or system by at least 20%. In addition to the work he’s done in water efficiency, John is also the company’s link to industry codes and standards. Having a great passion for sustaining good principals and not sacrificing quality, John also focuses his efforts on ensuring that the company and all of its products are consistently up to code and that new standards are being followed to ensure the best quality in all divisions.
His commitment to sustainability at Sloan has been complemented by his involvement with the green movement at large. A well known authority on the topic as it relates to plumbing, John has written a series of articles on trends, legislative impact and the future of design that has inspired a younger generation. In fact, because of his writings young engineers throughout the United States are changing water usage practices. Something that John himself is intimately involved with on a daily basis and is proud to see progressing.
Ever an involved leader, John is humbled by the fact that he has helped so many individuals around the world. He has even brought these teaching and leadership skills to his personal life by coaching his daughter’s sports teams. Although they bring different challenges, it is through training and strong leadership that John still meets each difficulty with solid determination. In John’s view, there are certain similarities between the business world and the sporting world; and he uses similar skills to succeed in both.
Born and raised on a Dairy Farm in Delavan, Wisconsin John Wilson grew up destined to be an engineer. His dad, who was also blessed with a mechanical mind, impressed upon John at an early age the importance of problem solving. While helping his family around the farm, machines would often need repairs or breakdown. When this happened John and his dad would take a look at the problem, and his father would simply say, “fix it.” At the age of 12 this was usually easier said than done, but with a little guidance along the way John grew to understand machines of all types and even new ways of improving them. This would lead him to pursue a life devoted to engineering, finding solutions and increasing efficiency.
Beginning his career with John Crane, which specialized in seals, John focused his attention on design as it related to customer application. In 1985 he moved from the customer application side of engineering to product development when he joined Sloan. Considering it a more challenging and rewarding type of engineering, John fires up every morning around 6:30, converting “words into parts and designs” as he puts it. Even today, walking down the assembly line there are hundreds of products still being produced that he has helped develop in some way. Additionally, he has over 20 unique patents to his name.
During the last 10 years John’s attention has turned to problems with water efficiency. With changes in regulations and the realization that a lot of money can be saved with more efficient products, clients have been coming to John in the pursuit of perfection. This led to a number of advancements, but John’s most significant has been the development of the UPPERCUT flush valve, the first commercially offered dual-flush handle. High Efficiency fixtures can be expensive, and although the savings make up for the cost quickly, institutions like schools and non-profit organizations often have budget constraints. John’s UPPERCUT, which is a quick retrofit that does not require the entire valve to be replaced, brought the ability to save vast amounts of money to institutions with limited budgets. And since it did not add costs to the production process and gave the user a desirable result, it became an effective way for institutions of all kinds to save water and money without having to invest in expensive products.
A person who always enjoys a good challenge, John values working with such a talented and close group of individuals, knowing that without their help his success in meeting these difficulties would not have been so easy. Taking this love of challenges out of the office, John is an avid hiker who makes trips to elevations reaching above 14,000 feet. Picking out new mountains each year for the past 20 years, he enjoys a brisk lunch atop each summit.