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Newsletter 01/2009
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Editorial
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Dear Katadyn
Friends
March 22
– the International Day of Water – was governed by the blue
element. Around the world, ministers of the environment appealed to
populations to protect drinking water. The International Day of Water
Water Day was founded in 1992 by the United Nations in order to
draw attention to the global significance of water as an important
food. We in Switzerland are privileged, for almost half of the
groundwater can be fed into the drinking water grid without requiring
any treatment. For the remainder, a simple sterilization step is
normally sufficient. But on a worldwide scale, over one billion humans
do not have any access to pure drinking water. And experts are warning
that the gap between the countries suffering from water scarcity and
those with abundant water supplies will become wider in the future. Free
access to water is unfortunately by far not a basic right for all
humans. As the Number One in the field of individual water purification
systems and products, we concern ourselves day in, day out with the
water issue. In the remote Mexican region of Chiapas, for example, an
increasing number of households are being equipped with our Drip
Filters in order to improve the living conditions of the indigenous
population in conjunction with additional, carefully matched measures.
Despite the
continuing economic uncertainty, our start into the New Year was
successful. In particular our Ceramic Filters continue to enjoy very
brisk demand.
Now I hope that the
springtime will soon come so that we can once again spend more time
outdoors. Enjoy the first warm rays of sunshine!
Trix Ammann
CEO
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Did you know?
- Water contains a
wide diversity of microcosmos
Marketing &
Events
- Globeboot: The
Globetrotter Testival Tour through Germany
- Katadyn France
supports the "Millet Expedition Project" as a partner
- Optimus in the US
"Backpacker Magazine Gear Guide 2009"
Markets &
Customers
- Katadyn Bottle
campaign in the Czech Republic
- Ueli Steck's speed
records on the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn
- Satisfied Katadyn
customer of Combi Filter
- With a Katadyn
Combi Filter on a trekking tour in the Ruwenzori, Uganda
- Katadyn products
are the best for the Preparedness Market
- Portimão Global
Ocean Race
- Finisher of the
non-stop "Vendée Globe" regatta with Katadyn desalinator on
board
- Seniors Group
Herrliberg visits Katadyn Switzerland
Katadyn in-house
News
- International Sales
Team strengthened
- Katadyn Germany:
new Field sales area since January 1, 2009
Katadyn Trade Show Calendar 2009
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Water contains a wide diversity of microcosms
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Only 0.8% of the
water on our planet is fit for drinking. It is therefore not surprising
that 80% of all diseases are caused by contaminated drinking water. The
most important culprits are easy to indentify:
Protozoa are single-celled animals
and cause most waterborne diseases. Their size enables them to be
readily removed from the water by a suitable
filter. The
most frequent protozoa infection among people traveling in the tropics
is Amebism, which if not treated will lead to intestinal disorders and
diarrhea.
Bacteria are single-celled organisms
which propagate rapidly in warm environments and especially in water. As
soon as human or animal feces enter drinking water, they turn into a
hazard. The water must then be sterilized by means of chemicals
or the
germs removed by microfilters. Well-known germs include
Salmonella, E. coli, or Cholera.
Viruses are the smallest of all
disease-inducing microorganisms. As they do not have their own
metabolism, they can only propagate in living cells. Their minute size
makes it hard to filter them out of the water by mechanical means. However,
viruses react sensitively to heat and chemical disinfectants. And
because they are often attached to other particles in turbid water,
they can be all but completely removed by the Katadyn
filters. But
in order to really be on the safe side, it is still advisable to
additionally sterilize the filtered water with Micropur.
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Globeboot: The Globetrotter Testival Tour through Germany
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Lots of games and
fun await the whole family at the outdoor
exhibition of Germany’s largest outdoor gear seller Globetrotter. The Testival offers you the
unique opportunity to test products of over 70 exhibitors free of
charge under real-life conditions. In the course of its tour, Globeboot
will stop over in various German cities. Katadyn Deutschland will be
present everywhere with its own booth. We look forward to showing you
our filters and preparing a tasty Globetrotter Lunch on our Optimus
Outdoor stoves in between. To enable you and your family to travel
safely on your outdoor adventures, we will be pleased to also present
the Care Plus product line to you, which is distributed by Katadyn Deutschland.
You can find the exact dates of the Globeboot here.
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Katadyn France supports the “Millet Expedition Project” as a
partner
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The Millet Expedition Project was launched three years
ago by the French
Millet company, which is known for its alpine sports gear. As part of the
project, Millet coaches young and sporty, ambitious adventurers in
planning and carrying out their expeditions. Katadyn France is one of
the partners actively supporting the project. Up to mid-March, 80
expeditions applied for taking part in the project. Together with its
partners, Millet will pick 10 expeditions by the end of March. From
April through October, the expeditions travel around the most diverse
regions of the world in order to gather new experiences and to test
their performance limits. In November, the highlights of the
expeditions will then be presented to the public at large during the “Nuits
d’Expés” –
the Expedition Nights.
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Optimus in the American “Backpacker Magazine Gear Guide
2009"
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Since the Swedish Optimus brand was integrated in the
Katadyn Group at the end of 2007, demand has been on a steady rise. The
feature article of this Guide describes the Optimus
Crux Lite
stove and Terra
Solo Cook set.
These two products are available in the U.S. as a package. The
ultralight hard anodized 0.6-liter aluminum pot has a frypan lid and
comes with a 2.5-ounce (72-gram) Crux Lite stove. The pot has an easy
pour spout and helpful volume gradations on the inside, and the burner
boils a full pot in less than four minutes. Add a folding
“Spork” and
small fuel canister (both fit inside with the stove) to create a
complete kitchen that only weighs 8.1 ounces (238 grams).
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Katadyn Bottle Campaign in the Czech Republic
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In order to draw students’ attention to the diverse applications of
the Katadyn Bottle Filter in outdoor activities, 2000 Bottle Posters
were distributed in the four most important universities of Prague.
This action is the first part of an extensive advertising campaign of
our Czech partner TRANSALPINUS. The campaign is scheduled to reach its
climax in June.
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Ueli Steck’s speed records
on the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn
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With his speed ascent up the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn, Ueli
Steck has now scaled all three major north faces in the Alps in
record time and solo! On December 28, 2008, Ueli Steck climbed the
Pointe Walker through the Colton-McIntyre route, with its 4208 meters
the highest peak of the massif, in a mere 2 hours and 21 minutes. The
record for climbing up this route has so far been at a little under 4
hours. The Grandes Jorasses is a multi-peak mountain in the Mont Blanc
massif of the Alps, located on the border between France and Italy.
Just three weeks later, on January 13, 2009, he set another record
climbing the classical route taken by the Schmid Brothers in 1931 up
the North Face of the Matterhorn. It took him a mere 1 hour and 56
minutes to overcome the 1100 meters of this north face. Thus, Steck has
scaled all three major north faces in the Alps (Eiger, Grandes
Jorasses, and Matterhorn) in record time and solo. Unlike the North
Face of the Eiger, the routes on the Grandes Jorasses and Matterhorn
were absolutely virgin territory for him. Since last year, Katadyn has
supported Ueli Steck with Katadyn drinking water treatment products, expedition
foods from Trek’n Eat, and outdoor stoves and stove
accessories from Optimus.
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Satisfied Katadyn customer
of Combi Filter
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Customer service is a very high priority for Katadyn. The fact that
the world outside appreciates it is repeatedly borne out by letters
that we receive from satisfied Katadyn customers. A few weeks ago, a
customer sent us an email in which she said:
“I have the great pleasure of extending a hearty THANK YOU to you
for your customer friendliness, which is reflected in the price of the
repair and also the many additional services provided by your company.
I have been using the Combi filter for over ten years during my stays in
countries outside Europe, especially India. This has prevented me from
ever being infected by contaminated water. I was also able to save an
Indian family and their neighbors, who are far from wealthy, the
expense of having to buy bottled water for drinking by leaving a
Katadyn filter behind for the community. I did this after having
carefully instructed them on how to use and maintain the filter. That
was more than one and a half years ago. And though these people have
access to relatively clear water, which however is contaminated by
dangerous bacteria, the ceramic component has so far not suffered any major
“shrinkage.” I will check that again in February and if necessary
exchange my filter against the other one before returning to
Switzerland.
I thank you and wish all the employees of KATADYN Produkte AG a
successful year and much health and happiness, of which everyone always
needs a bit.”
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With a Katadyn Combi
Filter on a trekking tour in the Ruwenzori, Uganda
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Hardly anyone has a more intimate knowledge of the “drinking water on trips” issue than Andreas
Klotz, an active trips expert. In January, he accompanied a team of
photographers and authors on a trekking expedition in the Ruwenzori mountains in
Uganda, where the world’s last wild mountain gorillas roam the
forests. The goal of the expedition is to inform the public at large
about the gorillas and to create an awareness of protecting this
species. You will find more about gorilla trekking in the Ruwenzori
here.
Andreas Klotz advises people not to haul loads of bottled water with
them on such an expedition. The daily requirement of one person exposed
to hard physical stress is four to six liters of drinking water. When
it is very hot, it is even more. This travel expert believes that a
portable water filter is the perfect solution on such extended trekking
tours in order to ensure a permanent supply of safe drinking water. The
group opted for a Katadyn Combi Filter and was impressed by its easy
handling. A 1.5-liter water bottle was pumped full within almost no
time. Depending on the water quality, the ceramic filter of the Combi
will be sufficient for treating up to 50,000 liters, and an active
carbon filling for 200 liters.
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Katadyn products are the
best for the Preparedness Market
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There’s a strong trend in the U.S. for consumers to purchase Katadyn
water systems for emergency preparation. Katadyn ceramic filter sales
are at their highest level in the past eight years. Ever since
Hurricane Katrina destroyed large parts of New Orleans and the American
Gulf coast in 2005, consumers in the U.S. have thought more about
having products on hand to protect themselves and their families in
case of an emergency. Katadyn ceramic filters are the best choice as they
provide up to 50,000 liters of water or more. They transform all types
of water into safe drinking water within a very short time.
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Portimão Global Ocean Race
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The winners of the first and second laps of this spectacular
regatta across the world’s oceans are relying on a Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E. This smallest of our
electrical desalinators supplies fresh water for the ship’s sailing
pros in all situations and may also be manually operated in case of an
emergency. The German contestants Boris Hermann and Felix Oehme with
their yacht “Beluga Racer” are well on course also on the third
and final lap, which will take them from Wellington, New Zealand, to
Ilhabela, Brazil. Experience this thrilling race in real time here.
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Finisher of the non-stop
“Vendée Globe” regatta with Katadyn desalinators on board
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The Vendée Globe is one of the most grueling
single-handed sailing regattas in the world. It started in the French
coastal town of Les Sables d’Olonne on November 9, 2008. On February
26, 2009 (109 days, 0 hours, and 36 minutes later), the “Toe in the
Water” of the Brit Steve White reentered the port as the eighth
boat after covering 52,221 kilometers. We congratulate Steve White on
this outstanding accomplishment! Our marine partner in the United
Kingdom, Mactra
Equipment & Fittings Ltd, supported Steve White by equipping
him with a Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E, the smallest electrical
desalinator in the world.
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Seniors Group Herrliberg
visits Katadyn in Wallisellen
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On March 18, we had the pleasure of touring our production
facilities in Wallisellen with the Seniors Group Herrliberg (near
Zurich). The 48 seniors were familiarized with the various production
processes for making our products and were deeply impressed by the
competence and motivation of our staff and their identification with
our organization.
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International sales team
strengthened
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Henning Schlenker joined Katadyn Deutschland as International Sales
Manager at the start of March. He has taken charge of all the markets
in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and
Bulgaria. In addition, he will support the boat industry, the military,
relief organizations, and the industrial segment in Germany. Henning
Schlenker is 38 years old and married with two children aged 5 and 8.
He studied geography and sociology in Freiburg before joining Décathlon
as a dealership manager. Later on, he helped build and shape the sales
and marketing networks of Sympatex and Maiersports GmbH in Central and
Eastern Europe.
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Katadyn Deutschland: new
field sales areas since January 1, 2009:
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Northern and Eastern Germany – Dreipunkt dealership, André Budzien
Central Germany – Georg Haas
Southern Germany – Erich Schönhofer dealership
Austria – Michael Will dealership
The field sales staff are currently on the road attending dealership
events and training retailers. Up to 30 retailers are undergoing
training. Should you be interested, please contact us.
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Visit us at the following exhibitions:
- Globeboot: various dates in Germany (March through May 2009)
- OutDoor in Friedrichshafen/Germany (July 17 - 20, 2009)
- Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, Salt Lake City/USA (July 21 -
24, 2009)
- Defence Systems & Equipment International, London/UK (September
8 - 11, 2009)
- Boat Show in Genua/Italy (October 3 - 11, 2009)
- Boat Show in Barcelona/Span (November 7 - 15, 2009)
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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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