A well known company in Culver is shutting down and it comes as a shock to many in the community.
EartH2O is officially closing its doors and letting go of around 40 employees.
The company was sold last July to Sierra Springs under Primo Water Corporation out of Florida.
Less than a year later, the bottled water company is closing.
“We never in our wildest dreams thought they would move out of that gorgeous building and lose this Opal Springs water source, which isn’t going to be found anywhere else,” said operators of H2OtoGo, Opal Springs Water Company Daryl and Ardena Lonien.
Their company is right across the street from EartH2O.
“We just pack it in three and five-gallon bottles and ship it to homes and offices in Central Oregon,” Daryl Lonien said.
It was one of two companies in Culver that bottled water straight from the natural spring, only 8 miles from town.
Now, it’s the only company.
“Earth2O has probably been here since the first of the 80’s and they have been a stable company here in Culver and particularly for employment here in Culver,” said Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Joe Krenowicz. “They are in the process of closing down, as to what date they are finally shutting down, the date hasn’t been determined yet.
Krenowicz says around 40 workers are now looking for new employment.
“There’s probably a dozen folks that I know here that have been here for more than 20 years,” Krenowicz said.
Even with EartH2O as water competitors, Daryl and Ardena think the company closing is a big deal to the small town of Culver.
“They used to have more than 80 employees, that was a big hit to the community I believe, that is 10 times more employees than we ever had,” Daryl Lonien said.
The water rights run through the Deschutes Valley Water District and are piped to EartH2O and Opal Springs Water Company
The spring is known as one of the best water resources in the nation.
“It’s very rare to have water that has never had chlorine in it that tastes this good and is so abundant that comes out of a spring that is 108,000 gallons a minute, 850 feet deep, 53.6-degree temperature, year-round,” Daryl Lonien said.
