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Newsletter 02/2008
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Editorial
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Dear Friends of
Katadyn
Did you know that
10 liters of water are needed to produce one single sheet of A4-size
paper? Water is also an irreplaceable raw material in other production
processes. Unexpected scarcity of water, for example due to a
summer with low rainfall, can have disastrous consequences and
jeopardize entire industries. Just like energy, we must also utilize
water on a sustainable basis. It is therefore not surprising that
global sales of water and wastewater technologies have tripled over the
recent past.
Sales of individual water purification systems and products are also
booming in the Katadyn Group, and its affiliated companies in Europe
and the U.S. are continuing along their road to success. Because many
employees were on their well-deserved vacations over the past few
weeks, we were challenged to maintain our supply readiness as best we
could. We had to employ additional staff over the vacation season in
order to meet the brisk demand, especially in the U.S.
The keen interest in our products across the world was also felt at
this year’s Outdoor Trade Show in Friedrichshafen. The Katadyn Group
appeared there with a fresh face and for the first time presented the
Katadyn, Optimus, and Trek’n Eat brands underneath a single roof. The
bustle at our booth was as lively as never before, and our brands and
products met with enormous interest.
Also our production facility in Wallisellen was very busy some days
ago. Twenty-five apprentices from the German outdoor gear manufacturer
Globetrotter visited us, learning about our products from production to
practical application at the duck pond.
And to conclude, here’s a small tip for everyone traveling around
during these splendid summer months in their mobile homes or their
yachts: Even the purest drinking water will turn bad in a contaminated
water tank! I will tell you later on in this Newsletter how you can
ensure that the quality of your drinking water from your on-board water
system will always remain impeccable.
Trix Ammann
CEO
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Have you heard?
- Plaster on skin fights diarrhea
- Venice: fountain water instead of expensive bottled water
- Water: an irreplaceable raw material also in production processes
Markets & events
- Outdoor Trade Show 2008, Friedrichshafen, Germany
- Katadyn Germany at the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Germany
Markets & customers
- Katadyn Germany takes charge of CARE PLUS® sales
in Germany
- Katadyn signs long-term collaboration agreement with Ueli Steck
- Pharmacy in Zurich promotes the Katadyn Bottle
- Winner of the 16th 24-hour race 2008 relied on Peronin
- Switzerland for the first time takes part in the "Sydney to
Hobart Yacht Race"
- Katadyn links people across borders
- Cooperation with DAV expedition cadre
- "Guts'n Glory" on course with a Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E
Katadyn in-house news
- Katadyn Outdoor Weekend with Swiss national sports
- Company triathlon Zurich with three Katadyn-Peronin teams
- Katadyn Germany introduces its first apprentice
Katadyn exhibition calendar 2008
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Plaster on skin fights
diarrhea
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Summertime is vacation time. One of the most undesirable travel
companions on trips to the tropics are diarrhea disorders. According to
estimates, they afflict about every third traveler to the tropics. Up
to 40 percent of all cases of diarrhea suffered during journeys are
caused by enterotoxin-forming Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria. They
enter the human body through foods or contaminated drinking water,
where they form different toxins causing diarrhea. Researchers at the
U.S. biotech company Iomai have now developed a plaster that you can
stick on your skin which transfers the heat-unstable toxins of ETEC to
the body. Their purpose is to prompt the immune system to produce
antibodies before the journey, which are designed to prevent an
infection with ETEC. However, the vaccine against diarrhea has so far
not been released for sale. Instead, we therefore recommend you to
continue to use our reliable Katadyn water treatment products for
carefree holidays and on trips. Just choose one from our extensive range
of filter products or select Micropur Forte for water disinfection.
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Venice: fountain water
instead of expensive bottled water
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On the occasion of the World Environment Day in early June, the
tourist metropolis Venice had a very special idea. Guests and locals
alike were offered empty 0.5-deciliter PET bottles labeled “Don’t throw
me away, reuse me”. Along with the bottles, people received a city map
showing the 122 fountains with safe drinking water. The goal of the
campaign was to convince tourists and the local population to switch
from expensive bottled water to tap water. This, the initiators of the
project said, would save them money and in particular prevent large
piles of plastic garbage. The Italians are champions when it comes to
drinking bottled water. 180 liters per capita were registered last
year, translating into a total of more than 6.7 billion liters – and
all this “packed” in disposable plastic bottles. Skeptics who do not
trust the public fountains in Venice – or in other cities, either – are
recommended to use the Katadyn Bottle: This convenient drinking bottle
with integrated water filter turns existing water into germ-free, pure
drinking water in no time at all.
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Water: an irreplaceable
raw material also in production processes
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Regardless of whether it is used for producing paper, cars, or
roses: Industry consumes expensive purified drinking water for a large
number of products. The production of 1 kilogram of soybeans, for
example, requires 1,800 liters of water. 60 liters of water are
consumed alone for growing 12 roses. And 10 liters of water are needed
to produce a single sheet of A4-size paper. A lack of water will
jeopardize production. The recognition that water – just like energy –
must be utilized on a sustainable basis is already widespread in
industry. Also the science community are increasingly devoting their
attention to this issue. Water is the luxury good of the future.
State-of-the-art technologies and processes have already slashed water
consumption in some manufacturing processes. BMW, to cite one example,
has reduced its water consumption over the past five years from 1’000
to 640 liters per vehicle produced.
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Outdoor Trade Show 2008,
Friedrichshafen, Germany
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At this year’s Outdoor Trade Show in Friedrichshafen, the Katadyn
Group for the first time presented its Katadyn, Trek’n Eat, and Optimus
brands underneath a single roof, thus sharpening its focus on the
outdoor market. Bold and informative product videos spirited away visitors to a world
full of adventure and showed them how to use our products
outdoors.
The exhibition booth, which had been redesigned from scratch, was
bustling as never before, not least thanks to our newest brand – Optimus. In addition
to caring for our existing customers, we also established a number of
promising new contacts. Just in time for the Outdoor Trade Show, we
launched the convenient Optimus “Weekend Starter Kit” consisting of the
Optimus Crux gas stove, the Optimus Terra Weekend pot set, a Titanium Folding Spork, and two individual packages
of the Trek’n Eat outdoor and expedition food. The set will be rolled
out in December. The internationalization of the German “Trekking
Mahlzeiten” brand launched at the Outdoor Trade Show, which will be
renamed Trek’n
Eat outside the German-speaking markets this autumn, met with very
positive responses. This year’s Outdoor 2008 closed with 12 percent
more visitors than a year ago.
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Katadyn Germany at the
Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Germany
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The Caravan Salon, the Number One exhibition for motor
homes and caravans, will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from August 30
to September 7, 2008. Katadyn Germany GmbH will be present with its own
booth. The range of products offered in the area of tank cleaning and
water treatment is growing every year, and buyers are often uncertain
as to what they should choose. The rule to be observed first and
foremost in this connection is: In a contaminated water tank, even the
best drinking water will be degraded! Once a biofilm has built up on
the tank walls, germs will spread with ease. Therefore, if you plan to
drink the water in your tank, you must make sure that the tank is thoroughly cleaned at least twice a year. Only when
bacteria deposits have been completely removed and the drinking water
system has been sterilized will the water from the tank be safe.
Commercial water treatment agents based solely on silver as an active
agent are all but ineffective in fighting such bacteria deposits. On
the other hand, thanks to its active oxygen, Micropur MT Clean will reliably detach the algae
and bacteria deposits from inside walls of the tank and from the water
lines. After standing idle for an extended time, a musty odor is often
created in the drinking water system. It can easily be eliminated with Micropur MT Fresh, which contains natural citric
acid.
Once you have cleaned the tank and the water lines so that they are
free from deposits, you can fill in fresh tap water. If its quality is
good, it will be enough to preserve the water with a silver-based
product. But if the water quality is questionable, you will first have
to sterilize the water you filled in with a chlorium-based sterilizing
agent. So, in case of doubt, you will be well advised to apply a
combi-product which does both – sterilize and preserve (e.g. Micropur Forte). When buying such products, always
make sure that they contain the right active agents and also that the
quantity of active agent is correct. The producer must specify this on
the label.
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Katadyn Germany takes
charge of CARE PLUS sales in Germany
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Effective October 1, 2008, Katadyn Germany will be your contact for CARE PLUS® product sales in
Germany. CARE PLUS® is a reputed brand for first-aid
sets, suntan lotions and anti-mosquito products, apparel, socks, and
accessories related to personal hygiene on trips. CARE PLUS®
holds a strong position in the outdoor and travel market and thus
blends perfectly with our existing product portfolio. CARE PLUS®
is a brand owned by the Dutch Tropicare company.
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Katadyn signs long-term
collaboration agreement with Ueli Steck
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As part of its product sponsoring, Katadyn is supporting the Swiss
extreme alpinist Ueli Steck with Katadyn drinking water treatment products, Trek’n
Eat expedition foods, and Optimus outdoor stoves, cookware and accessories.
Ueli Steck, who is 31 years old, is one of the world’s top extreme
mountaineers. His renown is built upon his spectacular solo ascents and
first climbs in Switzerland and in the Himalayas. At the end of May
2008, he was presented the Eiger Award 2008. This award distinguishes
persons whose top mountaineering performance brings the value and the
fascination of the mountains closer to the public at large. Katadyn is
proud to support Ueli Steck in his future projects.
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Pharmacy in Zurich,
Switzerland, promotes the Katadyn Bottle
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Just in time for the start of summer, everything at the pharmacy “Apotheke am Kreuzplatz” in Zurich revolved around
the subject of water. Dozens of empty PET bottles drew people’s
attention to the significance of our Bottle Filter on trips. The pharmacy staff offered
clients competent advice on issues related to drinking water treatment
on trips. Their credo: Why not invest your money in souvenirs instead
of spending it on expensive bottled water – with the added benefit of
reducing the mountains of garbage at the same time!
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Winner of the 16th 24-hour
race 2008 relied on Peronin
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The “Veloclub Schötz”, a cycling club, organized its 16th
24-hour race on August 9 and 10. Beside the
excellent organization, also the splendid balmy weather contributed to
the success of the event. You could see nothing but satisfied faces
both on and along the race course. Satisfaction was also what Anita
Serafini from Volketswil-Zurich felt, who repeated her victory of last
year in the Women’s category. After only eight hours, she took the lead
with a lap head start and from then on controlled the race with
superior ease, continuing to improve her lead from hour to hour.
Finally, she won the race with 800.93 kilometers, beating the second
place with 751.49 kilometers. Her partner Christoph Stähli, who also
took part in the race, achieved the outstanding 11th place
in the Men’s category.
We congratulate both on their outstanding performance. As in other
long-distance cycling races, they relied on the liquid food Peronin
– which acts like fuel for your blood.
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Switzerland for the first
time takes part in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
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The Pachamama, which for years has been plying the world’s seas with
a Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E desalinator on board, has
taken yet another hurdle on its way to participating in the Sydney
to Hobart Yacht Race: It passed its stability test with flying
colors. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions in this corner of
the world, this regatta is one of the world’s toughest such events on
the high seas. As is tradition, it will start again this year on
December 26. The route leads from Sydney through the Tasman Sea and the
Bass Strait to the finishing line off the Tasmanian capital, Hobart. It
took last year’s winning team 1 day, 21 hours, and 24 minutes to cover
the 628 nautical miles. But according to Dario Schwörer, skipper of the
Pachamama, the goal of taking part is not to win, but to promote
renewable Swiss technologies as exemplified by the Pachamama.
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Globetrotter apprentices
visit Katadyn in Wallisellen
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In mid-August, we welcomed 25 apprentices from various units of the
German outdoor gear supplier Globetrotter to our Katadyn production site in
Wallisellen. Globetrotter, a specialist for outdoor, trekking, and
camping apparel and gear, currently employs about 950 persons. With its
range of over 25,000 articles from more than 700 producers, it is the
acknowledged leader among outdoor dealerships in Europe. During a tour
of the company, the young Globetrotters from Hamburg and Dresden were
shown how our employees ensure day in, day out that we meet the high
quality standards we have defined for our products and production
processes. Then, braving torrential rainfall and powerful gusts of
wind, we relocated to the duck pond nearby. There, the apprentices
learned how to produce their own drinking water from the water of the
river Glatt and how to prepare a wholesome and instant outdoor lunch.
With stomachs full but drenched to the skin, the group finally trudged
back to the camping site in Zurich-Wollishofen.
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Cooperation with DAV
expedition cadre
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The junior alpinists of the German Alpine Association (Deutscher Alpen Verein,
DAV) have been equipped since 2007 on their mountaineering expeditions
with Trek’n
Eat meals and since very recently also with Optimus stoves. The
German Alpine Association is the competent specialist society for the
practice of mountaineering as a competitive sport. It sets a very sharp
focus on the development of junior talent. Highly qualified trainers
work in small groups on the personal strengths and weaknesses of the
pool of members selected. In this, special attention is paid to the
professional handling of risks in the mountains. The most up-to-date
knowledge from the areas of tactics, safety, mountain rescue, or
avalanches is provided in theory and practice.
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"Guts'n Glory"
on course with a Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E
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Katadyn, Trek’n
Eat, and Guts’n Glory – the perfect team for successful
maneuvers in regatta sailing. Since the 2007 season, Katadyn Germany
has supported the Guts’n Glory crew by providing instant Trek’n Eat
menus. Just in time for the start of the 2008 season, the brand-new
racer of type Roger 46 was equipped with a PowerSurvivor 40E. It allows the crew to rely on
impeccable drinking water supplies in all situations and eliminates the
need to haul along large water reserves. Teamwork, performance,
coordination, and reliability are indispensable if you want to be
successful in sailing sports. These values are very high priorities
both for Katadyn and for Guts’n Glory.
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Katadyn Outdoor Weekend
with Swiss national sports
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Once again, this year’s Katadyn Outdoor Weekend was characterized by
sports and exercise. The first item on the agenda on Friday evening was
“Hornussen,”
a Swiss national sport where two teams face each other in a clear
field. The disk-shaped “Hornuss” – a projectile made of wood or plastic
– is struck with a long, flexible stick and propelled into the field.
The other team attempt to intercept it in mid-air with large wooden
shovels, so-called “Schindeln.” This is not always very easy
considering the speed at which the Hornuss approaches – up to 250
kilometers per hour. If the team attacked fail to intercept the Hornuss
so that it hits the ground, they are penalized by one point. On the two
other days, the Katadyn staff restored their energies sailing and
hiking in order to get fit for tackling our ambitious goals and to
further strengthen communications and the team spirit within our
organization.
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Company triathlon in
Zurich with three Katadyn-Peronin teams
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Yet another company triathlon was held on July 11 as part of the Ironman
Zurich. Our three triathlon teams continued the success they scored
at the company triathlon in Rapperswil in June, and all passed the
finishing line with very good times. At the booth of our partner Tempo Sport in
Thalwil, we provided information on our high-tech food
Peronin. Peronin is a complete food for high performers with added
vitamins and minerals. It must not be confused with energy drinks. Now,
Peronin is also available in convenient 700-gram cans.
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Katadyn Germany introduces
its first apprentice
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19-year-old Marcel Rickerich started his apprenticeship with Katadyn
Germany on August 1, at the end of which he will be a trained
wholesaler and foreign trader. We extend a very warm welcome to him and
wish him all the best in his professional career. Marcel has known
Katadyn since 2007, having been regularly employed as an assistant on
the production floor and in the warehouse. In June 2008, he
successfully passed his university-entry examinations. And Marcel is
also at the forefront when it comes to sports: As a passionate swimmer,
he covers 100 meters in 58.2 seconds.
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Katadyn exhibition calendar 2008
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Visit us at following exhibitions:
- Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, Germany (30 August to 7 September)
- Boat Show in Genova, Italy (4 to 12 October)
- 7th Kölner AlpinTag, Köln, Germany (18 October)
- Boat Show in Barcelona, Spain (8 to 16 November)
- METS in Amsterdam (18 to 20 November)
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Swiss Water Talk
Mrs. Viola
Frey
Corporate Communications
Birkenweg 4
8304 Wallisellen-Zurich
Switzerland
Tel +41 44 839 21 16
Fax +41 44 830 79 42
viola.frey@katadyn.ch
www.katadyn.ch
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