Longtime equipment salesman and manufacturer Ken Davis, also known as “Ken the Filter Guy,” died July 22 from complications of a stroke. He was 44.
At the time of his passing, Davis was the director of U.S. sales and operations at Darlly Filtration in Chino, Calif. But he joined the industry in the mid-1990s and worked for and owned various manufacturing companies. Early on, he worked for pool and sprinkler products manufacturer Conely Co. In the early 2000s, he served as a sales manager for manufacturer Bullfrog Spas. For a time, he also owned a pool and spa cartridge filter producer called Rec1 Products/Neptune Filtration.
As a professional, Davis was respected for his ingenuity and integrity, said longtime co-worker Brad Schneider. He always thought outside the box to respond to changing trends and needs.
“He always put the best interest of the dealer ahead of any personal agenda,” said the sales manager at Darlly. “If [a product] didn’t make sense for somebody, he would tell them.”
Davis grew up in the Sacramento, Calif., area and studied aircraft maintenance at California State University, Sacramento.
More than the positions he held, those who knew Davis remember him for making quick friends, Schneider said.
“He never met a stranger,” he said. “You could talk to him for 10 minutes and feel like you’d known him for 20 years. He always had a smile and an infectious laugh about him. Everybody brings that up.”
Ken Davis leaves behind wife Connie, as well as daughter Jessica, sons Taylor and Conner, and father Ken Davis Sr.
Jessica Davis, who also works at Darlly Filtration, said, “I am forever grateful for all the love and support my family has received at this time — and honored to be his daughter.”
