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Newsletter 01/2008
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Editorial
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Dear
Friends of Katadyn
This
year, Katadyn is celebrating its 80th anniversary. This
presents a good occasion to briefly look back upon a success story: In 1928,
chemist Georg A. Krause applied for a patent in Munich for his product “Micropur” and
thus founded Katadyn. In 1954, the company moved to Wallisellen-Zurich.
When Katadyn was on the verge of bankruptcy in the mid-nineties,
everything was reshuffled – and with success! Katadyn shed its core
business – industrial water treatment – and focused on the outdoor and
travel market instead. This allowed the money-losing also-ran to
transform itself into the global Number One in the field of individual
water treatment solutions.
Despite
the ever-fiercer competition in the world’s markets, we look forward to
taking up the challenges we face in the coming years. One reason for
our confidence is the successful integration of Optimus, the Swedish
producer of outdoor stoves and accessories. This step has enabled us to
yet again extend our product portfolio and to additionally strengthen
our position in the outdoor products niche market. Another reason is
the outstanding development of Trekking-Mahlzeiten. In the future, the
Number One in Europe for outdoor and
expedition foods will be named “Trek’n Eat” for sales in
non-German-speaking countries.
Katadyn
has successfully occupied a niche which offers a high potential for
development. Recently, the German Centre for Travel Medicine reported
that one out of four persons felt unwell or ill after spending their
holidays abroad. Gastro-intestinal disorders are the main reason why
holiday-makers returning home have to see a doctor, accounting for over
50 percent of all cases. Home-comers are especially affected by
diarrhoea because what they drank was contaminated by viruses, bacteria
or parasites. As trips to exotic destinations increase, also the need
for safe drinking water rises. In response to this need, we invest
selectively in the further development of innovative solutions in order
to make drinking on trips more convenient and safer than ever before.
I
am looking forward to tackling the second half-year together with our
reorganised sales team and our highly valued distribution partners. Our
production equipment is currently running at full throttle.
Trix
Ammann
CEO
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Have you heard?
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"Trekking-Mahlzeiten" is now "TREK'N EAT"
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Katadyn acquires Optimus of Sweden
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Travelling with your own stove: New Optimus products in 2008
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Drinking water alarm in Egypt:
One out of four bottles contaminated by bacteria
Markets
& events
- USA:
Outdoor-University with high attendance rate
- France:
Katadyn positions itself in the French overseas territories
- Slovakia:
"Katadyn Pocket" distinguished
- Switzerland:
Katadyn at the Ironman with Peronin
Markets
& customers
- Nepal:
Ambitious objective in thin air
- Mexico:
"Drip Filter" fights blindness and diarrhoea
- Vietnam:
Katadyn desalinators instead of tubs
- Argentina:
Italian adventurer wins non-stop race
- USA:
Katadyn client vows lifelong loyalty
Katadyn
in-house news
- New
Katadyn sales organisation in place since 1 April 2008
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Change in the office sales staff
Katadyn exhibition calendar 2008
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"Trekking-Mahlzeiten"
is now "TREK'N EAT"
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Starting
this summer, “Trekking-Mahlzeiten” will be called “Trek’n Eat” outside
the German-speaking countries. In view of the increasing demand for
Trekking-Mahlzeiten products by non-German-speaking clients, we
launched an email competition in early February 2008 to find an
international name for the Trekking-Mahlzeiten brand. Up to the closing
date on 28 February 2008, we received 153 suggestions for a new brand
name. We were delighted and amazed by the wide variety of ideas put
forward, but ultimately only one person could be the winner.
And
this winner was Helene Bergström from our distribution partner ROSWI AB in Sweden.
She proposed the name “Trek’n Eat,” which we found perfect not only
because it conveys the message we want, but also has an original
spelling. The winner will receive a Drinking System Rucksack equipped
with a Katadyn Pocket Filter, the Optimus Nova + Multifuel Expedition
Stove along with an Optimus Terra Cooking Set and Trekking-Mahlzeiten –
or better now: Trek’n Eat – products.
Two
special prizes were also awarded: to Jenni Swadding, also a staff
member from ROSWI AB,
for the slogan “Food for Your Outdoor Life”, and to Morucha Galatas
from Coronel Tapiocca S.A. in Spain, who also suggested
“TRECK & EAT,” but with a different spelling. Both ladies will be
offered a Drinking System Rucksack filled with the Katadyn Bottle, an
Optimus Crux Gas Stove packed in the Optimus Terra Weekend Cooking Set
and Trek’n Eat products.
The
new name “Trek’n Eat” will be presented at the Outdoor Exhibition 2008
in Friedrichshafen.
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Katadyn acquires Optimus in Sweden
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Last
December, Katadyn acquired Optimus International AB, the producer of
outdoor stoves and accessories, from the Swedish company ThinkOut AB.
Optimus
from Sweden
has produced outdoor cookers since 1899. Besides gas, multifuel and
gasoline stoves, the company’s product range also includes additional
cooking dishes and cooking utensils, different fuels and accessories.
The Optimus brand stands for high safety and reliability, ease of use
and innovative design for sophisticated users. Katadyn North America
has successfully distributed Optimus products since 2006. Since 1
December 2007, Katadyn Deutschland GmbH has been responsible for
selling the Optimus products in Germany
and Austria.
The
acquisition of Optimus enables the Katadyn Group to extend its product
portfolio and thereby to further intensify its focus on the outdoor
market. Together with the Katadyn water treatment products and the
freeze-dried speciality foods from Trekking-Mahlzeiten, this generates
synergies for further developing the market. The Optimus brand will be
retained. The product line will be integrated in the newly established
company Katadyn Scandinavia AB with headquarters in Stockholm.
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Travelling
with your own stove: New Optimus products in 2008
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It
used to be that you unfolded a small sheet metal frame, placed a few
dry spirit tablets inside and then – after twenty minutes or so –
obtained a cup of lukewarm water. Today we have the Optimus “Crux Lite”
– a cooker that weighs virtually nothing with its 72 grams. On the
other hand, this small power station generates 3,000 watts, which is
more than most stoves people have at home.
The
“Crux Lite” combines minimum weight and very small packing dimensions
with excellent cooking performance. For transport, the “Crux Lite,”
which can be collapsed into a flat shape, fits in a space-saving way
into the cavity of the gas cartridge – perfectly protected in its
convenient Neoprene bag. The stove and the gas cartridge can be
conveniently stowed away together with the practical “Titan Folding
Spork” eating tool in the “Terra Weekend” cooking utensils.
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Drinking
water alarm in Egypt:
One out of four bottles contaminated by bacteria
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Egypt’s consumer
protection organisation has sounded the alarm: Of a total of 21 bottled
water producers, six failed to pass the health test because of the
excessively high bacteria count in their products. The producers
include Schweppes, el-Nada, Nahl, Auastone, Aquamena and Hayat.
Moreover, the actual formulations marketed by seven producers did not
match the information stated on the product labels: Baraka, el-Manar,
Delta, Hayat, Aquamena, Nahl and Siwa.
Problems
related to the quality of bottled water are known also beyond Egypt.
Other local water bottling plants of internationally known producers
often fail to meet all the strict hygiene requirements. According to
the WHO, over 80 percent of all disorders that afflict travellers are
attributable to contaminated drinking water. Therefore, Katadyn
recommends “Micropur Forte” especially on journeys for fast and
effective water sterilisation. This germ-destroying agent kills harmful
bacteria and viruses within a short time – also those present in
purchased water bottles. As a supplement, seasoned travellers will
appreciate “Micropur Antichlor.” The liquid restores the drinking
water’s natural taste and is also applied for neutralising the taste of
chlorinated tap water in hotels.
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USA: Outdoor-University with high attendance rate
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As
part of the annual Outdoor-University programme, Katadyn USA
invited over 1,000 clients to attend two continuing education courses
on the handling of contaminated drinking water (Katadyn) and outdoor
cooking (Optimus).
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France: Katadyn positions itself in the French overseas territories
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This
year again, Katadyn France
presented the PharmaVoyage products at the Pharmagora exhibition in Paris, which are highly popular in France.
This product line also includes first-aid travel kits plus mosquito
nets and Biovectrol insect sprays, which are particularly popular in
the French overseas territories. The Pharmagora trade show is Europe’s most important pharmacy exhibition
besides the Expopharm fair.
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Slovakia: "Katadyn Pocket"
distinguished
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The
Ministry of Defence of the Slovakian
Republic
distinguished the Katadyn Pocket Filter at the IDEB 2008. An increasing
number of armies around the world rely on Katadyn filters for saving lives.
The IDEB is the largest defence trade show of East
Europe.
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Switzerland: Katadyn at the Ironman with Peronin
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On 1
June, the Ironman 70.3 Switzerland will be held in Rapperswil-Jona.
Katadyn will be present with its own booth and send two teams to the
starting line in the “Companies” category. In the first team, Trix
Ammann will swim 1.9 kilometres, Toni Brandi will ride 90 kilometres by
bike and Adrian Schmassmann will then run 21.1 kilometres. In the
second team, the swimmer will be Beda Bischof, the biker Hermann Jäger
and Viola Frey the final sprinter. A powerful Peronin team will also
start in the “Women’s” category: Bettina Atzgerstorfer and Jacqueline
Uebelhart. Unfortunately, Olivia Spaargaren will be unable to
participate because she is ill. Now we are looking for a third team
member. The total distance of 113 kilometres equals exactly 70.3 miles,
which provides the figure in the name of the Ironman Switzerland.
Anyone
attempting to win a triathlon needs the right energy booster during the
contest. At the Katadyn booth in Rapperswil-Jona, Peronin will for the first
time be offered in a convenient 700 gram can. Peronin must not be
confused with conventional energy drinks and bars. This complete
high-performance ration consists of medium-chain triglycerides, added
vitamins and valuable minerals and is absorbed by the body within six
minutes. Unlike normal foods, it does not have to be first broken down
in the stomach, but is assimilated directly. Peronin is easy to consume
during contests, agrees with the organism and enters the bloodstream
immediately. In addition, it eliminates the risk of feared fatigue
caused by a lack of blood oxygen on extreme missions. This liquid food
is used especially by extreme sportspeople taking part in triathlons,
marathons, ironman events and desert runs as well as by alpinists. It takes
very little time to prepare Peronin: All you have to do is to stir some
water into the powder, then add the remainder of the water and intermix
everything intimately – and there you are! You can find more
information at www.peronin.net.
The
Ironman 70.3 Switzerland is a qualification contest for the Ford
Ironman World Championship 70.3, which is organised by the World
Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and has been held in Florida every November since 2006.
At the contest in Rapperswil-Jona, 100 starting slots will be awarded
for the world championship in Florida.
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Nepal: Ambitious objective in thin air
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The
extreme mountaineer Ueli Steck is currently waiting in the base camp of
the Annapurna for stable weather.
Together with his 24-year-old climbing partner Simon Anthamatten from
the Valais, he left for Nepal
at the end of March – his sights set on the 8,091-metre-high Annapurna south face that Steck attempted to
conquer once before last year. Climbing solo at that time, the
31-year-old native from the Bernese Alps
had to abort the expedition after plunging 300 metres owing to falling
rocks.
Now
Steck is back. He and his climbing partner Anthamatten plan to be the
first humans to scale the direct route of the roughly 3000-metre-high
south face of the Annapurna. The two
Swiss arrived at base camp on 5 May and now hope for a period of stable
weather. In their last email to Katadyn dated 13 May, the two extreme
alpinists were relieved to report: “They started their climb on 14 May,
but were soon forced to turn back because the risk of avalanches was
too high. Back at base camp, Steck commented: “The avalanches thundered
past us as early as at nine in the morning. With the current weather
conditions and the situation in the face, it was impossible to continue
our ascent.” We wish Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten the spell of
stable weather they have so long awaited so that they will be the first
humans to reach the summit along the direct route. We are keeping our
fingers crossed for the two.
Throughout
the Annapurna Expedition 2008, Katadyn will support the two extreme alpinists
with “TREK'N EAT” and the expedition food “Peronin.”
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Mexico: "Drip Filter" fights blindness and diarrhoea
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Katadyn
is supporting the inhabitants of the Chiapas
region in south-eastern Mexico
with “Drip Filters.” The aim is to reduce the number of children who
die from diarrhoea owing to contaminated drinking water or who go blind
because they are afflicted by the feared eye disease Trachom.
Drip
Filters consist of two plastic containers and three ceramic filter
cartridges that can be cleaned. The contaminated water is filled into
the top container and drips under the influence of gravity through the
filter cartridges before finally being collected in the enclosed bottom
container. There, the germ-free water can be drawn through a small
outlet tap.
Four
million people are estimated to live in the remote Chiapas
region in south-eastern Mexico
who hardly have any access to pure drinking water in the isolated
mountain villages. The Mexican pharmaceuticals and food producer Bio
Derivados is determined to do something to reduce the suffering in Chiapas and to
improve the water quality in the area. In Katadyn, the company has
found exactly the right partner.
Link:
http://www.katadyn.com/site-pilot/b2b/ngosrelief-organizations.html
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Vietnam: Katadyn desalinators instead of tubs
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In
response to the disastrous drinking water conditions that Vietnamese soldiers
must bear who are stationed on the island of Truon
Sa, the national newspaper “Thanh Nien” has set up a “Water for Truon
Sa” programme. Before, the soldiers had to rely on rain water, which
they collected in large tubs. This, however, did not cover the supply
needs.
Over
30 international water purification solutions were presented to the
committee. The people in charge of the “Water for Truon Sa” programme
opted for the “PowerSurvivor 160E” from Katadyn. The advantage of this
Katadyn desalinator: Conventional removal of dissolved salts from sea
water requires a very high pressure and therefore a high energy
consumption. The Energy Recovery System developed by Katadyn cuts
energy usage by 50 to 90 percent. This is accomplished by returning the
energy released by desalination through a pressure valve to the
desalination process instead of wasting it. The PowerSurvivor 160E
produces 25.4 litres of fresh water an hour, which is a sufficient
amount for drinking. The unit can be powered by a normal marine
accumulator, solar cells or wind generators.
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Argentina: Italian adventurer wins non-stop
race
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Maurizio
Doro is the winner of the race through the Argentine Catamarca
Desert. The
contestants had to cover a total of 800 kilometres and overcome an
altitude of 4,500 metres before they knew who was the winner. Katadyn
supported Maurizio Doro with water filters and “Trek’n Eat” expedition
foods. Among other things, the extreme sportsman from Arco on Lake Garda is the father and organiser of the
Naturaid event. This is a non-stop, solo mountain bike race through the
Sahara with “on-board” food and
without any authorised escort cars.
Katadyn
congratulates Maurizio Doro on this success. (http://www.mauriziodoro.it)
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USA: Katadyn client vows lifelong loyalty
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Kirk
Hansen needed a spare part for his “Hiker Pro,” which Katadyn USA
promptly supplied without charging any postage. Amazed by the quality
of this customer service, he did not hesitate to thank Katadyn USA,
vowing lifelong loyalty to the brand. In his letter, he says that he
will never use any other water filter product in the future. Note: Our
staff in the field turn our end clients into our best ambassadors.
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New
Katadyn sales organisation in place since 1 April 2008
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As
a result of last year’s acquisition of Optimus International AB by
Katadyn Produkte AG, we have reorganised the sales team.
We
are happy to announce that, as part of the reorganisation, we have
appointed Toni Brandi as new sales manager and member of our board of
management. He has been placed in charge of the entire sales team.
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Effective
1 April 2008, Philipp Neuenschwander took charge of operations in our
youngest subsidiary, Katadyn Scandinavia AB in Stockholm. To date, he has acted as
international sales manager at our headquarters in Wallisellen.
The
geographical reorientation of Philipp Neuenschwander’s sales area has
also produced a change in international customer care:
- Clients
from Benelux and Africa will now be
advised by Toni Brandi.
- On
the other hand, Philipp Neuenschwander will take charge of Scandinavian
clients from Toni Brandi.
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The contact partners of all other clients will remain the same.
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Change
in the office sales staff: Sabina Hartmann comes, Nelda Ebner goes
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Nelda
Ebner, the head of the office sales staff up to now, has left Katadyn.
We wish her all the best and much success for the future and extend a
warm welcome to her successor, Sabina Hartmann.
Sabina
Hartmann is thoroughly familiar with the sports and outdoor industry.
Her last function was at ACE alpine & climbing equipment AG as a
member of the office sales staff. Before that, she had accumulated vast
experience in the outdoor market as a sports manager with the Swiss
Hang Glider Association. A sales coordinator and dispatch specialist by
training, she adores physical exercise in her spare time: climbing, ski
and snowboard tours plus mountain biking. She has excellent knowledge
of Katadyn products from her numerous trips abroad.
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Katadyn exhibition calendar 2008
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Visit us at following exhibitions:
- Ironman in Rapperswil-Jona,
Switzerland (1 June)
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Eurosatory Army Show in Paris,
France
(16 to 20 June)
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OutDoor in Friedrichshafen,
Germany
(17 to 20 July)
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Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt
Lake City, USA
(8 to 11 August)
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Boat Show in Genova, Italy (4 to 12 October)
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Boat Show in Barcelona,
Spain (8
to 16 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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