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© 2012 Katadyn Products Inc. |
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 Editorial
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Dear Katadyn Friends
Summertime is at our doorsteps, and as temperatures rise, we eagerly look forward to our summer vacations. People who carefully plan their holidays, who want to enjoy them and return home happy and healthy, will also think about “drinking water on trips.” If you are looking for ideal reading matter in preparation for your journey, I recommend you our Katadyn Water Guide, which you can download from our website in the form of a PDF file.
Speaking of our website: The Katadyn Group has completely revamped its appearance on the web. In addition to a corporate site, which presents the parent company Katadyn Produkte AG, you can now find also information on the separate brand websites of Katadyn, Optimus, Trek’n Eat, and PharmaVoyage (Katadyn France only). An international Online Shop covering all the different brands rounds off the appearance.
The new website has been rolled out just in time for the European Outdoor exhibition, which will be held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from July 16 through 19. We look forward to presenting our product innovations to you there!
The Katadyn Group has also completed the second quarter of 2009 with a positive result. To date, the orders we have received hardly reflect the global economic slump. Nonetheless, we will keep a watchful eye on the signals of the economic crisis and act accordingly. As the market leader in the field of individual water treatment systems, Katadyn is greatly challenged and will invest selectively in the development of innovative solutions. We will continue to rely on Switzerland as a production site for making our water treatment products. It is evident today that outstanding quality is also in high demand in economically difficult times.
Trix Ammann
CEO
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Did you know? |
Regulating biocides in outdoor products
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Regulations on biocides are first and foremost meant to protect the consumers. However, the new EU registration processes are very time-consuming and expensive. Katadyn does not produce any active ingredients ourselves but uses them in its formulations. Since the company purchases only small quantities, it is at the mercy of the business decisions of the manufacturers. To approve one active ingredient, the industry must spend an average of 5 million EUR. And it is possible that a product is not approved even if it is very efficient and safe for the consumer. Therefore, Katadyn is closely monitoring the state of approval on active ingredients used in its products and has prepared alternative formulations in case any of the ingredients should be rejected. Back in October 2008 the European Commission reported that the registration program was running about three years behind schedule and that they were looking for rules to simplify and speed up decision-making. Outdoor enthusiasts cannot expect all outdoor products containing biocides to be conclusively regulated in the EU before 2015. The Katadyn Group has always supported regulations aimed at consumer safety as there are too many products on the market making false claims, especially when it comes to water treatment or impregnation of mosquito nets.
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Marketing & Events |
Katadyn Singapore at the “Singapore International Water Week”
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Singapore as a city state with very limited fresh water resources has clearly taken the lead in Asia over the past few years when it comes to sustainable and efficient water management. During the “Singapore International Water Week” from June 23 through 25, 2009, decision-makers from politics and industry discussed new water treatment technologies and products. Katadyn Singapore had its own booth at the fair, where it presented our disaster relief and civil protection products, which have proven their worth worldwide. Delegates from over 25 countries visited our booth and took part in our product presentations.
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Kreaktiv outdoor cooking event with Optimus stoves
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Optimus stoves allow you not only to prepare instant meals, but also more sophisticated three-course menus. This was demonstrated by Kreaktiv Touristik + Events AG to a department of Holcim AG on the occasion of an outdoor cooking team event. Easy handling and safety are the keys to the success of the Optimus stove models. The Swedish Optimus outdoor stove brand has existed since the year 1899 and has been part of the Katadyn Group since 2007.
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Katadyn will roll out numerous innovations at the 16th European Outdoor trade show
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At this year’s Outdoor exhibition in Friedrichshafen, which will be held from July 16 through 19, the Katadyn Group will surprise its outdoor community with several product innovations. In the field of water filters, Katadyn will launch the MyBottle – the perfect drinking system for trips. Nothing could be easier! The Combi and Mini filters have been redesigned and now boast a new and elegant black styling. Trek’n Eat, the number one in outdoor and expedition foods in Europe, will present as many as four new mouth-watering meals – for all those outdoor enthusiasts who have up to now complained about a lack of variety in their food during trips. By the way: All Trek’n Eat meals now have a shelf life of three years and come with reclosable pouches with a filling line. And what could go better with a delicious outdoor menu than some refreshing beer? Trek’n Eat will launch a world first in the form of a beverage powder with a beer flavor. And if as an extreme sports aficionado you believe that beer is not enough for you, we recommend you to try the new “Orange” flavor of our balanced liquid food Peronin. And last but not least, the popular Optimus cooksets have been totally revised and jazzed up with a fresh green Optimus look.
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Katadyn Germany at the Bike Expo in Munich
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The first BIKE EXPO trade show will be held in Munich from July 23 through 26, 2009. The BIKE EXPO will present trends and innovations in the bike market in the area of “City and Trips.” It is coupled with an extensive outdoor event program on the exhibition grounds. Katadyn Germany will be there to present the MyBottle – a product innovation which no one will want to miss when cycling across the lands!
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Markets & Customers |
Katadyn Combi filters for Malaysia
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Two special units of the Malaysian army have been equipped with green Katadyn Combi filters and functional camouflage-style carrying bags. Numerous armies and relief organizations the world over apply our water filters and desalinators for survival and in rescue missions. The Katadyn Combi destroys bacteria and protozoa while additionally reducing chemicals in the water and its bad taste.
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Emergency Food from Katadyn
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Over the past few months, the Katadyn Group has felt a rise in demand for its Emergency Food packages. Many farsighted citizens today are stocking their personal emergency rations. After all, one of the most important provisions for emergencies is to ensure sufficient food supplies in the event of supply bottlenecks. People must be able to continue their dietary habits especially in times of crisis. The Emergency Food rations, a brand of the Katadyn Group, have a shelf life of ten years and guarantee optimal nutrition in case of emergencies. The packages have been selected and put together on the basis of strict nutritional science knowledge. Their focus is on a balanced composition of vital vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and dietary fiber. Only high-grade dehydrated and freeze-dried specialty foods go into our Emergency Food products.
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New Anti-Mosquito Bracelet of PharmaVoyage – a sales hit
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The Anti-Mosquito Bracelet launched in early May by Katadyn France under the PharmaVoyage brand has developed within a very short time into a sales hit. The bracelet will reliably keep irritating mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other such bugs away from you during your vacation and at home. This is due to the geraniol it contains, a natural active plant substance that is also encountered in most essential oils. The product is available in France only.
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Optimus and the Outdoor Academy of Sweden, September 7 – 14, 2009
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The Outdoor Academy of Sweden (OAS) is a training program organized by the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, in which five large Scandinavian outdoor brands are joined. Optimus is one of them. During five days, sales consulters of 40 European specialist dealerships are trained in the fields of product knowledge and outdoor survival. “Learning by doing” is the motto. In other words, the outdoor stoves of Optimus are put through their paces. We look forward to our next Newsletter, when we will tell you all about the adventures of the people who took part in the program in the Swedish Jämtland region, one of Europe’s last wildernesses.
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The Swiss extreme mountaineer Ueli Steck on an expedition in the Karakorum range
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On 9 July 2009, the extreme mountaineer and solo climber Ueli Steck reached the summit of the Gasherbrum II (alt. 8035 m). This peak with an altitude of over eight thousand meters is one of the six “Shining Mountains,” as the highest summits in the Karakorum range in Pakistan are also called. Ueli Steck climbed Gasherbrum II in preparation for the Makalu expedition in Nepal, which is scheduled for this autumn. Since last year, Katadyn has supported Ueli Steck with Katadyn drinking water treatment products, Trek’n Eat expedition foods, and Optimus outdoor stoves and stove accessories. On the Gasherbrum II ascent, Ueli Steck used 0.5 L Peronin. Peronin is a liquid food to which vitamins and minerals have been added. It has been successfully applied for years by persons engaging in high-altitude mountaineering and other extreme sports.
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Katadyn visits schools In early June, Beda Bischof – our sales rep for Switzerland – visited Class 5C of the Reppisch primary school in Birmensdorf. The twenty schoolchildren expressed keen interest in our water filters and asked thought-provoking questions whenever something was unclear to them. After the theoretical part, each schoolchild was offered the opportunity to filter water with a Katadyn Pocket or a Katadyn Vario filter, instantly applying in a playful way to practice what they had just learned in theory. Beda Bischof’s comment: “I had tremendous fun discussing the subject of water with these kids. It is important to sensitize the population to our most precious resource at an early age.” |
Katadyn in-house News |
Katadyn Group with new web appearance and Online Shop
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The website of the Katadyn Group has been completely revamped and went live in early May. Now, one website each exists for the Katadyn, Optimus, Trek’n Eat, and PharmaVoyage brands (the latter for Katadyn France only). In addition, a separate Katadyn Group site has been created which the presents the parent company Katadyn Produkte AG. An international Online Shop, which is directly linked with the individual brand sites, is designed to promote sales via the internet. The Shop is based on the eCommerce system of Shopatron, a company we have worked together with in the U.S. over the past years with an excellent track record. Shopatron offers dealerships the possibility of filling orders themselves which come in through the producer website. Currently, the Shop is undergoing online testing. Plans are to allow dealerships interested in this new channel to join the Shop system starting in the first quarter of 2010.
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Katadyn Scandinavia liquidated effective July 30, 2009The Swedish Optimus brand has been part of the Katadyn Group since the end of 2007. In the course of last year, the sales administration and the product management activities were moved to the Katadyn headquarters in Switzerland. This transfer has now been completed, and the sales office in Scandinavia will be closed at the end of July 2009. Philipp Neuenschwander, who was in charge of establishing our youngest brand, will leave the company at the end of July, which we greatly regret. The countries and regions will now be split up as follows among our sales staff:
Toni Brandi (Head of Sales): Italy and South America
Phone: +41 44 839 21 06, email: toni.brandi@katadyn.ch
Beda Bischof (Sales Manager): Switzerland and Africa
Phone: +41 44 839 21 65, email: beda.bischof@katadyn.ch
Roger Walch (International Sales Manager): UK, Benelux, Southern Europe, Middle East and Israel
Phone: +41 44 839 21 24, email: roger.walch@katadyn.ch
Staffan Rönn (Katadyn Agent): Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
Phone: +46 70 755 15 21, email: staffan.ronn@katadyn.se
Henning Schlenker (International Sales Manager, Katadyn Germany):
Baltic States, Central and Eastern Europe, South East Europe, Central Asia
Phone: +49 6105 975123 33, mobile: +49 16 24 29 30 45 email: henning.schlenker@katadyn.de |
Support for Katadyn Germany's Sales Backoffice
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Sandra Dressler joined the German Sales Support Team as of 1 July 2009. Sandra is 39 years old and married. In her free time she likes to be outdoors with her two dogs. After seventeen years in the real estate business she is looking forward to the new challenge.
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Katadyn Outdoor Weekend in Surselva
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This year’s Katadyn Outdoor Weekend was once again entirely governed by sports and exercise. The employees of Katadyn restored their energies and powers to achieve our ambitious goals and to strengthen communications and the team spirit within our organization. Following a round of archery and a barbecue on Friday evening, we proceeded on Saturday to the high ropes course and the team Olympics under a bright summer sky. After a lovely hike on Sunday, the Katadyn staff enjoyed a refreshment in the natural pool of Davos Munts, arousing the envy of the other bathing guests with their Katadyn filters, Optimus stoves, and Trek’n Eat meals.
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Katadyn Trade Show Calendar 2009
· OutDoor in Friedrichshafen/Germany (17 to 20 July 2009)
· Bike Expo, Munich/Germany (23 to 26 July 2009)
· Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Salt Lake City/USA (21 to 24 July 2009)
· Kielce Sport-LATO, Kielce/Poland (21 to 23 July 2009)
· Caravan Salon, Düsseldorf/Germany (28 August to 6 September 2009)
· MSPO, Kielce/Poland (31 August to 3 September 2009)
· Defence Systems & Equipment International, London/UK (8 to 11 Sept. 2009)
· Kanumesse, Nürnberg/Germany (17 to 19 September 2009)
· Boat Show in Genua/Italy (3 to 11 October 2009)
· Boat Show in Barcelona/Spain (7 to 15 November 2009) |
Imprint
Swiss Water Talk
Frau Viola Frey
Corporate Communications
Birkenweg 4
8304 Wallisellen-Zurich
Switzerland
Phone +41 44 839 21 16
Fax +41 44 830 79 42
viola.frey@katadyn.ch
www.katadyn.ch |
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