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Newsletter 03/2008
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Editorial
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Dear Friends of
Katadyn
Please first allow
me to give you a brief outlook for the future: In 2012, Katadyn
Produkte AG will move to its new site in Kempthal
near Winterthur.
We signed the purchase contract for some 11,000 square meters of
industrial building land in mid-August. This is a milestone in Katadyn’s history. We are looking forward to the
planning and construction phase and are convinced that the new site
will enable us to set up a modern production facility. It will satisfy
the increase in demand for our products and at the same time fulfill the high requirements for environmentally
friendly production. We will keep Switzerland as our
production site for water treatment products so that you will continue
to benefit from the top-class Swiss quality that you have become
accustomed to.
Business in the
past months remained very brisk. However, as everyone else, we are as
yet unable to assess the impact of the current financial crisis on our
activity. But we assume that our business will not be seriously
affected. We have received another order for Drip Filters from Mexico.
They will be applied in the Chiapas
region together with additional, carefully matched measures designed to
reduce the incidence of diseases and the mortality rate among the native
population. Pure water is still the basis for life.
Now we are
approaching the end of the year in large strides. I look forward to an
exciting final quarter, and you will certainly hear from me again this
year!
Trix Ammann
CEO
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Have you heard?
- Tap water is not
always safe
Marketing &
events
- Outdoor Retailer
Trade Show, Salt Lake City,
USA
- Outdoor sales staff
from all over Europe trek through the
Swedish wilderness with Optimus
- New success in the
North Face of the Eiger for extreme alpinist Ueli Steck
- Mike Horn takes
Katadyn PowerSurvivor 160 on bord
- Swiss sailors take Trek'n Eat along to the Vendée
Globe
- Thomas Sbampato's "Wilderness Adventure" slide
show
Markets &
customers
- Migros
enters the outdoor business
- New Transa outlet in Winterthur
- New Zealand's
air force upgrades its rescue life rafts with Katadyn desalinators
- Katadyn Expedition
filters in service in flood-stricken areas in Asia
- Katadyn North
America helps disadvantaged families in Honduras
and Peru
- Günter Wamser on horseback in the U.S.
- Age is no criterion
for being a Katadyn fan!
Katadyn in-house
news
- Katadyn moves to
new site in 2012
- Katadyn Family Day
Katadyn exhibition
calendar 2008
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Tap water is not always safe
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The August 12, 2008
issue of the Swiss consumer magazine “K-Tipp” points out that water
which has remained standing in domestic water pipes for longer than
four hours should not be used for preparing food or beverages. The
German Consumer Center of Baden-Württemberg
warns that this so-called stagnation water may contain bacteria or
metals. If it does not flow for several hours, days, or even weeks in a
domestic installation, this may result in bacterial growth or the
detachment of heavy metals from the piping walls. Heidi Schworm, the nutritional expert of the Consumer Center,
therefore advises not to use such water for preparing baby foods,
meals, or beverages. Quality problems with stagnation water are a
widespread issue also in Switzerland. For this reason,
the Cantonal Laboratory of Zurich recommends that people should let the
water run for some time before consumption. The rule of thumb is: As
soon as the water coming out of the faucet becomes perceptibly colder,
you may safely assume that it is fresh. If you take a shower or use the
toilet in the morning before preparing coffee or tea, you will already
have used up the stagnant water that has remained in the piping
overnight.
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Outdoor Retailer Trade Show, Salt Lake City, USA
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Katadyn North
America made a powerful new appearance at this year’s Outdoor Retailer Trade Show in Salt Lake City. Dealerships from the U.S. and Canada expressed vivid
interest and enthusiasm for the freshly acquired Optimus brand. Sales of Optimus outdoor stoves and accessories grew by more than 30 percent
in 2008. They are expected to increase further in 2009. Targeted
training enables us to focus the attention of dealers and consumers on
the benefits of Optimus versus other brands. Thus,
the market share of Optimus has continuously
increased over the past months. With a market share of more than 50
percent, Katadyn is North America’s
market leader in the field of water treatment systems and products. This
success is based not least on our close relationships with dealers and
our focus on extensive training of the sales staff in outdoor stores.
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Outdoor sales staff from all over Europe trek through the
Swedish wilderness with Optimus
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The “Outdoor Academy of Sweden” (OAS) is a training program of
the “Scandinavian Outdoor Group.” During five days, the people taking
part – sales staff from specialized outdoor dealerships – enhance their
knowledge of products and outdoor survival techniques. In Jämtland, Sweden, which is also known as “Europe’s last wilderness,” the participants
proved their mettle on a demanding trek during which they relied solely
on tents for sleeping and Optimus stoves for cooking. The material was provided by the participating
producers. Staffan Rönn – our Mr. Optimus
from Katadyn Scandinavia – helped organize the trek and took part in
the Outdoor
Academy with Optimus stoves and cooking accessories. The group
of 33 participants included sales staff from Bever (Netherlands), Transa (Switzerland), Rock City (U.K.), Globetrotter & Alpin
Basis (Germany), and Robinson
(Austria). All
of them completed the survival training with flying colors
and received a diploma from the OAS. The training program was an
unforgettable event for everyone who took part. It taught them how to
move around in the wilderness confidently and with much respect for
Nature and the environment. The valuable, practice-oriented product
training sessions will now help the sales advisors provide competent
support to their customers in selecting the correct products on the
basis of their own first-hand experience.
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New success in the North Face of the Eiger
for extreme alpinist Ueli Steck
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After a long period
of preparation, Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist opened a new sports
climbing route in the North Face of the Eiger
on August 30. The route has difficulties up to 8a. Ueli
Steck climbed all 23 rope lengths “freely”,
i.e. without using hooks and intermediate belaying tools for advancing
or resting. He lead17 rope lengths, including
all difficult parts. The remaining 6 rope lengths he climbed in second
climb without falling. Ueli Steck was supported and belayed by Stephan Siegrist. Together, the two alpinists spent many
hours in the rock wall this summer in order to study the individual
lengths of climbing line and to check out the grip sequences. The
unstable weather and the early snowfall in mid-August were a great
challenge in their project. The two climbers had to muster all their
patience and staying power to complete this sports climbing route in the
North Face of the Eiger, currently the most
difficult and demanding. It is therefore not surprising to hear that Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist dubbed the route “Paciencia”
– the Spanish expression for patience. During the time that Ueli Steck spent on the Eiger, he relied on freeze-dried Trek’n Eat menus and the complete food Peronin. Starting this year, Katadyn has supported Ueli Steck with Katadyn
water treatment products, Trek’n Eat expedition foods, and Optimus outdoor stoves and cooking
accessories.
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Mike Horn takes Katadyn PowerSurvivor
160 on board
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The South African
adventurer Mike
Horn plans
to cover 100,000 kilometers in four years
with his sailing boat “Pangaea.” Pangaea is the ancient Greek
expression for “Whole World” and refers to the state of the earth 250
million years ago, before the individual continents drifted apart. The
goal of this expedition is to cover the seven continents of our globe
and all of its different features such as deserts, oceans, and polar
landscapes without using any man-made power devices. As companions,
Mike Horn wants young adventurers to accompany him to whom he can pass
on his passion for discovering our planet. The Pangaea expedition is
therefore governed by the philosophy “More respect for the environment
and a sustainable future for our planet.” A Katadyn
PowerSurvivor 160E plus a PowerSurvivor 40E
serving as a backup desalinator will also be
on board the Pangaea. In addition, Mike Horn has stocked over 50 kilosgrams of Trek’n Eat products, including 15
kilograms of Peronin Vanilla, for the first lap of his extreme expedition. With so many
calories in his baggage, Mike plans to trek across the entire ice cap
surrounding the South Pole. Read more about this expedition on Mike
Horn’s website.
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Swiss sailors take Trek'n Eat along to
the Vendée Globe
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The “Vendée
Globe”
non-stop single-handed sailing regatta is held every four years, during
which contestants circumnavigate the globe in three months. The
starting and finishing lines of the competition are located in Les
Sables d’Olonne in France. This year’s event
– one of the toughest single-handed sailing regattas in the world –
will start on November 9, 2008. One of the contestants will be the
seasoned Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre with his boat Tenemos. Four years ago, he ranked
fourth in the Vendée Globe competition after
sailing for 92 days, 17 hours, and 13 minutes. The galley of the Tenemos will be stocked with freeze-dried Trek’n Eat specialty menus. And to
cover the daily water requirement on board, the boat will be equipped
with the world’s smallest electrical desalinator,
the Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E.
We wish Dominique Wavre much success sailing
across the oceans of our planet!
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Thomas Sbampato's "Wilderness
Adventure" slide show
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For over twenty
years, the Swiss photojournalist Thomas Sbampato has traveled
the continents of this earth, driven by a powerful passion for
adventure and intense enthusiasm for Nature. In 2005, the BBC in London
distinguished him by presenting him the world’s most prestigious award
for photographers of Nature. In addition to his photo camera, a Katadyn
water filter is also a permanent part of his baggage. Sbampato’s current “Wildnerness
Adventure” show will be launched in late October 2008. It will show spectators
the grand natural scenery and wildlife paradises of Canada and Alaska. Katadyn is supporting Thomas Sbampato on his tour as an advertising sponsor.
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Migros enters the outdoor
business
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In mid-September,
Switzerland’s largest retailer – Migros –
entered the booming outdoor market with its chain of SportXX specialty stores and a snazzy new store
design. With three new shops in Zurich
and Biel,
which focus solely on trekking and outdoor products, Migros is selectively addressing ambitious outdoor
and trekking sports aficionados as well as Nature-loving families. The
shops offer a wide selection of brand products. Katadyn is supplying Migros with its portable
filters and
Micropur tablets for treating water on journeys. Outdoor chefs will also find a
selection of our tasty and quick-to-prepare Trek’n Eat menus in the new Migros outlets.
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New Transa
shop in Winterthur, Zurich,
Switzerland
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Transa, a Swiss specialty outdoor dealership, opened its
sixth shop in Switzerland
in May 2008. In addition to Zurich, Berne, Bale, Lucerne, and St.Gallen, Transa is now
also present in Winterthur. By choosing an old factory building as its
site, which now houses its extremely attractively designed store, Transa is taking a new approach. Governed by the
motto “Winterthur is getting wilder,” customers are offered a true
outdoor adventure feeling in the seven-meter high hall. The product
portfolio of Transa includes Katadyn
filters for
treating water, Optimus outdoor stoves, and Trek’n Eat freeze-dried outdoor and
expedition foods.
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New Zealand's air force upgrades its rescue life rafts with
Katadyn desalinators
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To provide for
emergency landings in the sea, New Zealand’s air force is
upgrading all of its life rafts in its fleet of Lockheed C-130
transporters with Katadyn
Survivors 06.
Numerous specialized army units around the globe rely on this desalinator – the smallest available in the
marketplace – as part of their emergency and survival equipment. In
case of an emergency, the availability of pure fresh water may mean the
difference between life and death. Hand-operated desalinators
ensure the availability of this life-sustaining resource.
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Katadyn Expedition Filters in service in flood-stricken areas in
Asia
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The Japanese development organization JICA (Japan International
Cooperation Agency) has set its focus on long-term prevention measures
during and after conflicts in developing countries. But it also
intervenes at short notice in acute crises and disasters. The president
of JICA is Sadako Ogata, the former High
Commissioner for Refugees and member of the Club of Rome. Katadyn Singapore supplied more than 150 Katadyn
Expedition Filters to the organization this year for use in the flood-stricken
regions of the Philippines,
Vietnam, and Burma. The
Expedition Filter is all but indestructible and supplies up to four liters of pure drinking water per minute.
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Katadyn North America helps disadvantaged families in Honduras
and Peru
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In an extensive
relief program directed by the relief organization "Hands Across
the Americas", Katadyn North America supplied several
thousand ceramic filter cartridges to needy families in Honduras and
Peru this year. The filter
cartridges
are installed on site in locally produced plastic containers in order
to support the local economy in the most sustainable manner possible. These
water containers equipped with filters and faucets are used in small
households in Honduras and Peru, where they are capable of covering the
entire pure water requirement. Katadyn
North America
hopes to intensify its collaboration with Hands Across the Americas in
the future in order to further improve the living conditions in the
poor regions of South America.
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Günter Wamser on horseback in the U.S.
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The German
adventure horse rider Günter
Wamser has been traveling
along the Continental Divide Trail since June 2007, accompanied by his
fellow traveler Sonja, his dog Leni, and four Mustang horses. The trail runs from
the Mexican to the Canadian border. Günter Wamser
and his team are equipped with a Katadyn
Pocket
Ceramic Filter, which is in daily use. This autumn, Günter will
interrupt his trip to tour Germany and present speeches. He offers his
audiences riveting narrations of his trip on horseback through South
America, Central America, and Mexico. The schedule of the presentations is published on Günter’s
website.
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Age is no criterion for being a Katadyn fan!
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We occasionally
need a break to relax and to restore our energies under the open skies.
One of the most gratifying activities imaginable is to spend time
outdoors with our families far from the hustle and bustle of our
everyday lives. Children view the world through different eyes and are
awed by things that we no longer even see. The children shown here were
also wonderstruck during their summer vacations by the Katadyn
Water Filter.
Surely they did not think that using these filters is child’s play!
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Katadyn moves to new site in 2012
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With the purchase
of 11,055 square meters of industrial building land near Winterthur,
Switzerland, Katadyn has reached a major milestone in its history. As
we have grown over the years, we have also increasingly reached the
capacity limits of our facility in Wallisellen.
In order to satisfy the rise in demand for our products in the long
term, we must now urgently increase our production capacity. The
purchase of the building land marks the first step in this direction. The
goal is to begin relocating step by step to the new facility starting
in 2012.
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Katadyn Family Day
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The first Katadyn
Family Day, which was held in mid-September in our production facility
in Wallisellen, was a full success. More than
80 family members and friends of our employees took part in guided
tours of our company. Children, spouses, parents, and friends were
surprised to see how we make our products. Our workers in the filter
assembly shop attracted particularly fascinated attention as they put
together Hikers and Varios. Treated to
sausages and salad, everyone then gathered for relaxed conversations in
the break room. The master of barbecuing was
CEO Trix Ammann personally.
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Katadyn exhibition
calendar 2008
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Visit us at the following exhibitions:
- Boat Show in
Barcelona, Spain (8 to 16 November)
- METS in
Amsterdam, Netherlands (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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