Issue 27 | Cooler Innovation by FoodBev Media Ltd

COOLER innovation

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foodbev com A world of food and drink

One hundred years of hydration Oasis celebrates its centenary

FOCUS

MARKET PROFILE

Water coolers in the home Middle East

SPECIAL REPORT

Coolers in the horeca sector

漏 cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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Issue 27 - June 路 July 2010

Inside this issue 6 6-16 17-22 23-24 26-30

59 62 65 69

COVER

46 STORY

A word about the issues in the industry.

Oasis: the long drink

Cooler business For regular industry news updates, visit www.foodbev.com/cooler

As Oasis celebrates its centenary, we talk to the Managing Director of Oasis Europe about its past, present and future.

Business Innovations Events Drinking water

Business insight Mapping profitability with route optimisation.

SPECIAL

Watershorts

33 REPORT

Other water industry news.

Cooler views Mike Hurst answers your cooler-related questions.

EBWA matters News from the European Bottled Watercooler Association.

Serving suggestion A look at water in the hospitality industry and the coolers that cater for it.

EPDWA matters News from the European Point of Use Drinking Water Association.

FOCUS

House points

Cooler work

We’re designing for the residential market; but how do we style our machines and marketing accordingly?

A day in the life of the cooler industry employer and employee.

Marketplace cooler innovation products and services guide.

Light at the end MARKET

Fishing for new water markets.

57 PROFILE © Vit Kovalcik | Dreamstime.com

The editor’s view

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Israel and the Middle East Regional overview of water consumption and water cooler penetration.

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CONTENTS 3

The editor’s view

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Hello and welcome

espite last year’s weather forecast being hopelessly off the mark in many regions, the meteorological offices are once again predicting BBQ weather and record-breaking temperatures for many parts of the Northern Hemisphere. If what the weathermen say is true, then establishments such as offices, restaurants and schools will be on hydration alert. They’ll need coolers that are reliable, they’ll need water that’s pure and chilled and, more importantly, they’ll need more of it.

Serving water alongside alcohol and coffee is the norm for many European and Australasian establishments who are also obliged by law to provide it free of charge when customers are eating. But providing tap water in a bar, café or restaurant has never been law in the UK until April of this year.

It’s a chance for distributors in the Southern Hemisphere to watch from a cool distance how the environment shapes consumer buying and whether the promotion techniques employed by their friends in the North are hitting the mark.

Summer is also boomtime for eating out, and our Special Report looks at the hotel, restaurants and catering (horeca) sector, where water’s becoming a source of increasing interest.

Hot weather spells boomtime for dining out and drinking water

COOLER innovation

Following campaigns like Water On Tap and Tap Into Water, and concerns about unsafe levels of alcohol consumption, the Home Office legislated that licensed premises must offer water, at no cost. Hospitality establishments can choose to serve it tepid from the tap - or, with the help of the cooler industry, they can make a glass of purified, chilled water an enhancement of customer service and therefore an item of added value. It’s a chance for manufacturers worldwide to turn up the heat, and our Special Report will be looking at what criteria are required for hospitality-grade coolers. Our Focus Feature looks at catering closer to home as we discuss the residential market and home cooler designs. We have also brought on board consumer behaviour expert Phillip Graves, who explains the emotional purchase drive, with tips on how we could and should be gearing our

Rachel Delahaye

marketing. In the face of rising temperatures, the techniques could be spread across the board to trigger not just home owners but office and business managers and decision makers. We hope you enjoy this issue and continue to follow out updates on: www.foodbev.com/cooler To post your thoughts and opinions on any of the reports and features on the website, register in an instant for free online.

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EDITORIAL 5

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International cooler industry news

Business Waterlogic Germany acquires Frangart Wassertechnik

aterlogic Germany has announced the acquisition of competitor and key player in the mains-fed market, Frangart Wassertechnik.

Frangart, one of the first companies in Germany to place mains-fed dispensers, was founded in 1994, and to date the company has 3,000 dispensers in the German market, with a focus on sensitive sanitisation requirements and high-risk areas such as hospitals, schools and care homes.

leadership in the long term and therefore secure our growth within the industry. The products and services of Frangart have great synergy with our portfolio. It is our strategy to become a leader in all market segments and this partnership plays an important role.”

Olaf Wilhelm, Managing Director of Waterlogic Germany and Chief Operating Officer of Waterlogic International, said: “The acquisition of Frangart is a further step to strengthen our market

Mr Wilhelm will replace Dieter Frangart as Managing Director, who will remain as a consultant to the company. Frangart will be introduced within the Waterlogic group as an independent unit.

Mr Wilhelm and Dieter Frangart

PHS Waterlogic joins with The One Foundation

HS Waterlogic has partnered with The One Foundation to launch the One water cooler, supplying business and commercial sites that want to dispense charity with their chilled water. When PHS Waterlogic customers take a Totalcare service package on a One-branded water cooler, they will be generating a donation to help fund PlayPump water systems in Africa.

The PlayPump is a children’s roundabout specially crafted to pump water from deep underground. As children spin on the roundabout, fresh, clean water is pumped from a borehole into a storage tank for use by the community. “PHS Waterlogic are delighted to work with the One Foundation and raise funds for PlayPump water systems,” said David Matthews, MD at PHS Waterlogic. “Communities

in Africa will have clean, safe drinking water just like we provide for our customers.” Duncan Goose, founder of Global Ethics and The One Foundation, said: “In PHS Waterlogic and David’s team, we’ve found such a committed and motivated bunch of people that I’m sure together we’re going to change thousands of lives by keeping people hydrated here in the UK, and at schools in Africa too.”

6 NEWS

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Ebac relocates to new facilities

fter 30 years in their Bishop Auckland headquarters Ebac is moving its manufacturing to facilities in nearby Newton Aycliffe. Ebac’s industry manufacturing dehumidifiers and water coolers - has been part of Bishop Auckland since the early 1970s. However, the company’s continued growth has meant that the County Durham premises can no longer accommodate it. There were rumours that Ebac was going to look abroad in order to cut costs, but sites have been set on the former Schott Glass factory on the nearby Aycliffe Industrial Estate. At 180,000 square foot the new

facilities are not much bigger than Ebac’s previous site, however, the layout - and the fact that all aspects of the business will be under one roof - mean Ebac will be able to synergise the business and improve efficiency. Chairman John Elliott said: “I want to keep Ebac manufacturing in South Durham for the next 50 years. Our focus is on bringing in new customers, working with our existing ones and being efficient. We can do that from right here in the North-East.”

Pelican supply chain partner to Pentair

elican Technical Solutions has been appointed a supply chain partner to Pentair Food Service with their Everpure and SHURflo brands for the beverage industry in the UK. Managing Director of Pelican, Steve Slark said: “Pentair is a leading global provider of component and system solutions. Our expertise with pumps and filtration will benefit both companies and our customers. We will supply Pentair product from stock to our national installation and service partners to offer a complete integrated solution to the customer.” Pelican will supply the whole range of Pentair products to support the post mix, vending and catering sectors.

Jane Cashmore, Gilly Maher and Eloise Charles

Tana Water takes it further

ains-fed cooler manufacturer Tana Water UK has signalled its plans for further growth, with the appointment of three senior staff members for its sales, service and HR departments. The company is an approved supplier of mains-fed water coolers to pan-government procurement service Buying Solutions Health. Gilly Maher, an original member of the UK water team, has been promoted to the role of UK Sales Manager, with responsibility for field sales, customer contract renewals, telesales and telemarketing. Jane Cashmore has taken on the role of Customer Service Manager, with responsibility for coordinating Tana’s factorytrained field service engineers. Jane was promoted from the position of Customer Service Representative. HR manager Eloise Charles has been recruited to manage new appointments and personal development of existing staff at the firm. She has already hired six new staff at the UK headquarters, with

additional appointments planned for later in 2010. Managing Director of Tana Water UK, Nick Heane said: “In spite of the difficult economic conditions, Tana Water has continued to see growth in its core markets as more businesses realise the substantial cost savings, reduced environmental impact and convenience of plumbing water coolers into the mains and filtering at the point of use. “Our customers are always telling us that we were selected because they love our products and we provide a great service. I want to build on that reputation and continue to provide a premier service to our customers by investing in the best people in the business.”

8 NEWS

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Aquis and Activewhere join forces

oute opimisation software companies Aquis Systems and Activewhere have collaborated in order to bring a better service to their customers. Aquis clients will be able to upgrade easily and at no cost to Activewhere, with a safe data migration procedure checked and approved by both Aquis and Activewhere consultants. Aquis Systems Managing Director, Mike Brown, said: “By integrating the best features of the Aquis and Activewhere product ranges we can provide a world-class software solution for the water cooler industry.” Activewhere Managing Director, Francisco dos Santos commented: “Activewhere and Aquis

Systems have created a joint venture adding a huge value into the water cooler market, offering at the same time Aquis knowledge and experience . . . with a full range of innovated software and services solutions, tested in 19 countries for more than ten years.”

WaterCoolersDirect wins Barclays Bank contract

aterCoolersDirect.com (WCD) has been awarded a three-year contract to supply coolers to Barclays’ regional corporate offices in the UK. As a ‘preferred supplier’, WCD will implement the installation of mains-fed coolers at all of the corporate offices and some of Barclays’ flagship branches up and down the country. According to WCD, green credentials played an important part in securing the contract. To meet government guidelines in reducing the number of plastic bottles in the waste stream, as well as decreasing CO2 emissions through reduced transport deliveries, mains-fed water coolers were selected as a ‘greener’ alternative.

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NEWS 9

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Fine China for Crystal Mountain

his summer Crystal Mountain is celebrating 11 years of manufacturing in China. The factory is located in Shenzhen, one of southern China’s busiest manufacturing areas, and has employed Western-style employee policies and relations since the beginning of the tenure. A spokesperson for Crystal Mountain said that these policies have led to “loyalty and a general atmosphere that brings the best out of everyone working there. “We pride ourselves on superior hygiene and strict quality control in all departments, starting with our suppliers and ending with our shipping practices. We have insisted on state of the art facilities, which is certified under ISO 9008 and meets and exceeds all

the strict guidelines for supplier warehouse and facility hygiene set by BWCA and EBWA. It has always been a goal to have our factory be a showpiece one that people from Europe or North America would feel comfortable visiting, and where it would be clear to any observer that our standards were exceptional - better even than our original plant in Canada!” Diane Koyich, International Liaison for Crystal Mountain

IBWA reacts to bottled water ban

BWA has made a statement regarding the ban of bottled water in plastic containers in the town of Concorn, Massachusetts, as follows: Concord, Massachusetts, has passed a measure that would ban bottled water in plastic containers, effective 1 January, 2011. This action was taken during a town meeting on 30 April, 2010. Bottled water is a safe, healthy, convenient food product. With the current high rates of diabetes, obesity and heart disease, any actions that discourage or prevent consumers from drinking water - whether tap or bottled - are not in the public interest. Bottled water is one of thousands of food, medicinal, beauty and cleaning products packaged in plastic. Any efforts to reduce the

environmental impact of consumer packaging must focus comprehensively on all product containers and not single out any one product. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, bottled water makes up 1/3 of 1% of the US waste stream. Plastic bottled water containers are the single most recycled item with a rate of 30.9%. According to the Concord Journal newspaper, town officials and the town’s counsel have stated publicly that the town does not have the power to enact such a ban. IBWA is reviewing all possible remedies, including a legal challenge.

has just returned from several months in China and said: “We celebrated our ten year anniversary last year, and our loyal staff told me that they look forward to another

ten! They were so pleased to be part of our growing business, but especially of the commitment to quality that marks our continued presence in Shenzhen.”

Culligan sells water business to Primo

ater treatment and filtration company Culligan International Company has announced the sale of its vended water business, run by Culligan Store Solutions (CSS), to Primo Water Corporation. CSS customers include larger retailers throughout the USA and Canada such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Target, where end-users can exchange their empty re-usable water bottles with full ones at around 4,500 major retail points. CEO of Culligan, Mark Seals said: “We are proud of our Culligan Store Solutions business, which is strong and growing. “We are confident that Primo will continue to provide our vended water

customers with the level of service and innovation they have come to expect. “The sale allows Culligan to sharpen our focus on expanding our water treatment and filtration offerings through our worldwide dealer channel and to enhance our global presence in the industrial water treatment business.” The sale price is reportedly $105 million and completion is expected later this year.

10 NEWS

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2009 bottled water market steady

Consumers like green

he International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), recently released 2009 bottled water statistics that suggest the bottled water market remained stable. While the overall consumption of bottled water dropped by 2.5%, the rate of decline was less than the decline of the total US refreshment beverage market, which dropped 2.7%, with data showing the bottled water category’s overall share held steady at approximately 29.2%. Tom Lauria, Vice President of Communications for IBWA commented: “During these tough economic times, consumers have trimmed discretionary spending, but bottled water sales decreased less than most other major categories. Subsequently, we now enjoy steady market share as consumers choose bottled water over other packaged beverages.

“Some industry watchers have also wondered how much, if any, increased activism on the alleged environmental impact of bottled water is a possible reason for the drop. However, there has been a notable decrease in sales of nearly all packaged beverages, including steep drops in many packaged beverage products that activists never discuss or protest. “Meanwhile, there’s plenty of evidence that this recession is taking its toll on all forms of consumer spending. Bottled water is wellestablished and popular with consumers who rely on its convenience, healthfulness and refreshing taste.”

ccording to new research from Datamonitor, quick-fix conscientious consumers spend on green packaging.

The business analyst found that while 57% of consumers think it’s important to buy ethical or socially responsible products, only 42% reported altering their habits to do so - the same proportion also declaring the packaging was a key factor in their buying decisions. Katrina Diamonon, Datamonitor Consumer Markets Analyst, said: “The more tangible nature of packaging allows consumers to actually see and feel the difference they’re making. Sustainable packaging is a claim that can be physically substantiated rather than just supported by a stamp or logo, which can draw considerable scepticism.

“Buying products with reduced packaging has obvious ethical implications, so this is becoming an increasingly popular way for consumers to translate their good intentions into action a marketing technique that brands will need to continue to tap into if they wish to establish ethical credentials. “It’s clear that, although consumers place a great deal of importance on protecting the environment, when it comes to actually changing their behaviour, the most common changes are those which require minimal effort or planning. Seeking recyclable and sustainable packaging is a relatively simple measure consumers can take to fight climate change.”

Nestlé Portugal’s rejuvenation

estlé Waters Direct Portugal (NWDi) has freshened up its corporate image in line with the directives of brand communication in Europe. The change will take place over a year, through the release of various media communications. The reinvention is being kicked off with a viral marketing campaign, devised by Ogilvy

Portugal, with the tag line Viva a Vida Intensamente (live the life intensively), in which a bored office worker is seduced by the bubbling in the Nestlé water cooler and becomes absorbed into a refreshing parallel world, where colleagues dance and drum on their 5 gallon water cooler bottles. The identity shift coincides with the launch of the Junior Max home cooler, endorsed

by Portugal’s best-known celebrity chef, Chakall. Chakall is recognised as a bit of a maverick - he wears a turban instead of a toque, speaks with a strong Argentinean accent and is known to have a ‘unique’ sense of humour. Chakall’s passionate and vibrant personality supports the ‘youthful’ rebrand of NWDi.

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Office Watercoolers buys Delivered Water Co

German Environment Agency down on BPA

t the end of April, 2010, Office Watercoolers Ltd, part of the South Staffordshire PLC Group (UK), announced its purchase of West Midlands cooler distribution company Delivered Water Co Ltd. According to Managing Director of Office Watercoolers, Ken Skelton, the acquisition of Delivered Water Co Ltd will help strengthen route efficiencies within the Warwickshire area.

Crystal Springs acquires Chester Mountain Bottled Water

rystal Springs has acquired the home and office bottled water delivery business of Chester Mountain Distributors Inc and affiliates, which have been serving Long Island and the greater New York City area since 1998. As the significant resources of these two companies are combined, Crystal Springs will assume management of the bottled water delivery for all Chester Mountain customers. The addition of new water delivery service routes will enable Crystal Springs to

enhance its service offerings, which also include office coffee service and water filtration. Crystal Springs is a division of DS Waters of America Inc, the leading home and office bottled water company in the US.

he German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt or UBA) has just announced its recommendation that the use of bisphenol-A (BPA) be limited in certain products to protect public health. This statement further stokes the BPA controversy, and while some research has shown that the chemical, widely used in plastics and food containers, does not leach at toxic levels, there has been ongoing concern that it disrupts endocrine hormones, causing reproductive, neurological, and behavioral problems. Jochen Flasbarth, President of UBA, commented: “There is still a lack of data but what is already known about bisphenol-A should be sufficient to take decisions on the application of the precautionary principle and limit the use of special products containing bisphenol-A.”

In a statement, the UBA announced: “The Agency advises manufacturers, importers, and users of bisphenol-A to use alternative substances that pose less risk to human health and the environment in all areas of use that significantly contribute to exposure. This way, an important contribution can be made to product responsibility in the case of a substance for which precautionary protection of humans and the environment is advisable.” The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to make a final decision on whether low level exposure to BPA is a threat to public health.

PHS Waterlogic’s online view

HS Waterlogic has launched its new-style website, offering a convenient and simple way to browse water coolers online. www.phswaterlogic.co.uk is an online portal providing information on the full range of coolers, fountains, high volume water systems and boilers. “The PHS Waterlogic website provides a convenient and simple way to browse online and understand why we are the intelligent choice,” explained Cath Morgan, Marketing Manager at PHS Waterlogic. “Customers can also make an enquiry, email or call us and one of our advisors will be at hand to offer further information and advice.”

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EVA’s new logo

he European Vending Association (EVA) presented its new logo during a press conference given at Venditalia.

Catherine Piana, the EVA’s Director General presented the Association’s new graphic identity - a new logo that reflects all the main actors of the industry in a single symbol. Communications agency, Peak Communication, came up with the design, following an in-depth study carried out to determine the common values of the industry. Interviews were conducted with external and internal stakeholders of the vending industry. The results defined vending as convenient, accessible, innovative, and as a quality and retail-minded experience. Each part of the design of the new logo has a distinct meaning. Its conception started with the product and the association in the middle, surrounded by the Vs. Each V represents the different segments of the

industry represented, such as ingredient suppliers or payment systems manufacturers, but also the EU institutions and other external partners of the industry with whom the EVA deals with in its lobbying activities. The idea was to create a dialogue and interconnectivity between all of these segments. The star symbolises the EU domain on the one side, but is also designed to reflect a message of quality. The colours chosen indicate that the EVA represents an extended range of products and services; and the blue typography connects the association to the EU domain.

Eden Springs takes Powwow coolers

ollowing the collapse of cooler company Powwow Water in March, its bottled water cooler fleet has been taken over by Eden Springs. Despite recent publicity about the change in ownership of the coolers, however, Eden Springs is concerned that companies taking over Powwow accounts are removing the coolers without first consulting with them. The European Point of Use Drinking Water Association (EPWDA)

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is urging its members to acknowledge the change of ownership, and stresses that removal of any equipment without prior arrangement will be seen by Eden Springs as theft. In a statement from Eden Springs UK, managing director Jean-Marc Bolinger indicated all offenders would be prosecuted.

NEWS 15

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IBWA’s recovery position

he International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has endorsed an innovative framework for a Material Recovery Programme that can serve as the blueprint for local communities to increase recycling through the support and participation of all stakeholders. Joseph K Doss, IBWA President and CEO, said: “The Material Recovery Programme framework will assist in developing new, comprehensive solutions to help manage solid waste in communities throughout the US by having all consumer product companies work together with state and local governments to improve recycling and waste collection efforts.” IBWA’s Material Recovery Programme framework supports state-authorised public and private corporations that act to encourage recycling ethics, such as establishing specific recycling goals in

communities to increase recycling access and rates, generating revenue for grants from annual consumer product company producer responsibility fees and local and state government contributions, and funding local government recycling infrastructure improvements and consumer education programmes. In a statement on its site IBWA comments that locally run, comprehensive recycling programmes are the best method of costeffectively diverting solid waste from landfills and increasing recycling of consumer products and packaging.

Portola’s new online portal

ortola Europe has announced the launch of their new web site www.portola.eu.com.

In the coming months new languages and features are to be introduced, including an interactive page where designers and marketers will be able to choose a bottle and container combination from an extensive library of containers and closures. This allows for a mix and match of relevant closure colours and container shapes taken from a directory of stock containers available with an instant assembly and print option.

A new online feature planned will also allow instant contact with regional representatives (when they are online) for improved customer service - faster response time and technical assistance.

Hygienic Solutions awarded Protocol 3 Certificate

t the beginning of May 2010, Dutch manufacturer of CoolerClean, Hygienic Solutions BV, was awarded its third Protocol 3 Certificate after a Challenge Test carried out at Laboratorio Dr. Oliver Rodes in Spain. This marked the first Protocol 3 Certificate on a Direct Chill, mains-fed water cooler. The sanitisation test was carried out on the Mistral Mini Evo water cooler, which does not allow brushing on the inside, meaning that the CoolerClean System had to prove its merits all on its own, based only on a contact time and an effective protocol. The Protocol 3 Challenge Test entails that a proprietary string of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa must be eliminated, and kept eliminated for 14 days after sanitisation. The CoolerClean System has now proved its effectiveness on three separate water cooler types: Ebac’s classic cooler, an Oasis bottled

cooler and Mistral’s Mini Evo direct chill cooler. For each specific water cooler type, a protocol effective for that type of water cooler (can be written). In a press release, Hygienic Solutions said: “We are happy that effectiveness tests such as the Protocol 3 Challenge Test finally allow a comparison between the various products available on the market today. All marketing efforts aside, only independent effectiveness tests carried out at accredited laboratories are truly able to show which products are effective, and do exactly what it says on the label.”

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Electronic coolers from Canaletas

analetas has introduced to market the 9ID range of water coolers. The curved coolers are made entirely in A-304 stainless steel and contain a direct cooling system, designed for a hygienic water-cooling recovery rate. The colour-coded electronic push buttons are separate from the faucets, which are covered to avoid human contact and contamination. An electronic security block system with an LED-triggered display is in place to prevent drip-tray overflows, and the models come with a variety of functions. The complete model offers more than ten water

combinations, including hot, room temperature, cold and sparkling cold. There is also a hot water security push button and a CO2 level indicator. To avoid backache, the 9ID range is taller than the standard water cooler, and some come with a large 2.5kg CO2 bottle for lessfrequent bottle changes. All coolers come with the option

of accommodating one or both of the following purifying filter systems: a carbon block filter and the disinfecting UV filter with an end-of-life light change indicator. A Canvap sanitisation system can be applied to the unit. It is based on a chemical-free eight minute internal steaming process inside the cooler (it reaches 85˚C in 15 seconds), one of the few methods for mains-fed coolers certified by EBWA.

Vivreau’s Mini solution

ivreau’s Mini-Bottler is the reduced-size version of the V3 Table Water Bottling System. The V3 was designed as a back-of-house system to provide large volumes of chilled still and sparkling, purified drinking water for large corporate and hospitality clients. The MiniBottler version will provide the same service but for clients who don’t require the same volumes

of water. Capable of dispensing up to 80 litres of chilled still or sparkling water per hour, it is being marketed for the smaller business, corporate or hospitality, with the emphasis on minimising costs and carbon footprint. Designed as a front-of-house system the Mini-Bottler comes with a frosted blue facia and LED. It is also available as an under counter unit.

Vivreau’s Mini-Bottler with LED display © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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PRODUCT NEWS 17

Innovations Discovering Asset’s Atlantis

t the Venditalia show in May 2010, Asset Italia unveiled a new cooler dedicated to the hotel, restaurant and catering (horeca) sector. The Atlantis water dispenser family is now available as tabletop or undercounter units, at 60, 120 and 180 litres, dispensing two types of water simultaneously, designed to save time and energy and meet busy restaurant volume demands in an attractive, compact unit. With Ice Bank technology, stainless steel and topquality Italian parts (eg, a stainless steel sparkling water tap) and a touch-

screen display panel, the Atlantis is designed to be robust for back-of-house use and stylish enough for frontof-house visibility.

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Siapi’s big mouth innovation

iapi has developed the EAWM range of linear blow molding machines with 1-2-3-4 cavities for containers with a mouth diameter up to 180mm and with a 12 litre capacity. In addition, the innovation also boasts an automatic handle insertion system. This patented system, designed for 5 gallon PET containers and for the Wide Mouth container range makes it possible to configure the blow molding system with the insertion of the handle directly in the mold. The HandleMatic System will soon be used with 4-cavity blow molding machines for containers with up to 3 litre capacity.

18 PRODUCT NEWS

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Innovations

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Tube cutting, collet-locking: one tool

Holding the cup

new low cost range of cup dispensers is available through Abbeychart. Available in two versions and in either white or black casings, they are suitable for 7oz or 9oz as well as paper cone cups. The two mounting styles are a screw bracket, which can be fixed to the side of a cabinet or machine, and a magnetic bracket. Once fixed the dispenser slides into either bracket.

bbeychart has launched a low cost tube cutter and colletlocking tool in one. It has a sharp tube cutter able to tackle tube sizes to 12mm, and the colletlocking tool handles 1/4 inch (6mm) tube. A simple safety lock prevents the blade from being damaged or causing an accident.

Crystal Mountain’s SublimO

Art of glass

vailable in Hot & Cold and Cold & Ambient models, the compact SublimO is designed to incorporate state-of-the-art technology with a small footprint for domestic and small office, executive suite and salon use. The compressor refrigeration system is specially designed to work in a small compartment, and the cooling system provides cold water service for a large or small clientele - without depending on an electrical thermostat system. The models take 10 litre bottles, and the isolation of the ambient water reservoir maintains the ambient water option at room temperature. The SublimO is a partnership of bottled and mainsfed manufacturer Crystal Mountain and YESH, who designed the cabinet, which subsequently won an IF Product Design Award. Crystal Mountain’s input was technological and functional

and the SublimO incorporates many of the company’s patented systems, such as the Dryguard entry system that eliminates water overflow from the reservoir when there is a crack in the bottle, and a reservoir system that can be removed and replaced without exposing the inside of the reservoir to the technician’s hands, protecting it from contamination. Other features include the illuminated drip tray, a spillway leading from the inside of the cooler to the drip tray to remove water splashed internally when changing the bottle, high faucet levels, concealed to improve hygiene, and components robust enough to withstand industrial dishwashing, ozone or any other cleaning method. All parts are reusable. Crystal Mountain manufactures the unit and has exclusive rights.

ohn Artis Limited, supplier of glassware to the out-of-home market, has launched the 2010 catalogue offering different options for serving water at the table. The catalogue includes Indro, a refillable glass water bottle with wired cap, a newly introduced Thermic glass water bottle, and a wide selection of water jugs and carafes. The Thermic glass water bottle is manufactured with double walls that thermally insulate, keeping the water colder for longer and preventing condensation forming on the outside of the bottle.

Evopure’s new sparkle

istral’s Evopure cooler has been improved and re-launched to offer an easy change of the one-way CO2 cartridge. The change can be done without any tools in just a few seconds, minimising on-site technical work and making the provision of sparkling water user-friendly and so efficient the customer can change the cartridge. The Evopure also comprises Filtropure Triple Action, a built-in 100-cup dispenser, compact dimensions, a production of 100 litres per hour; available in blue, black or grey.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

PRODUCT NEWS 19

Innovations

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Everpure’s Exubera

verpure has put to market its award-winning filtration system for restaurants, the Exubera Pro Premium Carafe Water System. Marketing Manager of Everpure, Mark Selander said: “Increasing consumer demand for green business operations has prompted many restauranteurs to rethink how they store and serve water. The system is a complete filtration and dispensing system that allows restaurant operators to create their own premium water and provide customers with an environmentally-friendly alternative to prepackaged water.” The Exubera Pro System allows the serving of chilled,

chilled carbonated and ambient premium water. The solution includes a sixstep process, beginning with testing of the operation’s water followed by an indepth analysis, resulting in a fully customised, complete filtration system, taking ordinary tap water and turning it into a premium product. The Exubera also comes with on-going customer service and installation assistance, regular maintenance, cartridge changes and employee training.

Tana’s true colours

ana Water UK is offering a full range of panel colours for its mains-fed all-in-one water filter, chiller and kettle. The T6 water dispenser claims to remove chlorine, rust, sand, silt and reduce limescale. Released around the time of the UK general election, Tana Water UK Managing Director, Nick Heane said: “With the government still deciding whether it’s blue/yellow, red/yellow, or minority blue and with Manchester and Chelsea

giving such decisive results in the Premier League, it’s nice to know that you can easily change colours with the T6. The only colour we don’t have is Brown!”

Single-serve descaler sachets

Abbeychart details the spares

ioguard BIO 040 Descaler Powder is a food-safe product designed to simplify the removal of scale deposits from water and drinks dispenser boilers, pipes and components. It is biodegradable, using naturally occurring citric acids. Now available through Abbeychart in 50g singleserve sachets, the packets are simply emptied into a boiler

containing hot water up to 70°C and left to soak for 5-15 minutes. When the ‘fizzing’ effect stops, the system needs only to be flushed through with warm water before it’s ready for use again. User-friendly packaging designed for application convenience, the powder also comes in larger packs for high volume systems and workshop use.

bbeychart, supplier of components for the vending industry, will introduce at Caffè Culture show a new free catalogue containing details of hundreds of standard spare parts for most makes of espresso machines, plus filters, cleaning products and

consumables. It’s an addition to their serviceindustry distribution portfolio, which includes the Ascaso range of over 29,000 spare parts for most makes of espresso machines, coffee grinders, ice machines, dishwashers and refrigeration equipment.

20 PRODUCT NEWS

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Innovations

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Vivreau taps into Brita

ains-fed manufacturer Vivreau has teamed up with filtration company Brita to launch the V20 tap.

Brita Professional will now be offering their clients the opportunity to install Vivreau’s Table Water Bottling systems together with Vivreau’s re-usable designer glass bottles to decant Brita-filtered water at the table. Stephen Charles, Managing Director of Vivreau, said: “The combination of Vivreau’s flare for advance technology and design with Brita’s reputation for descaling filtration will make the V20 a no-brainer for

clients in the hospitality and corporate sectors looking for performance and reliability, coupled with eye-catching aesthetics.” The single unit dispenses purified, chilled, sparkling and boiling water from a single unit, with the selling point that it frees up floor and countertop space and gets around the bottle store issue. The V20 system uses Ice Bank refrigeration technology capable of delivering high volumes

of chilled water at low temperatures. It also has a boiler that will dispense 3-4 cups per minute at 95/97˚C continuously. The V20 is available as a counter top unit or freestanding unit with silver/stainless steel base cabinet. Features include: electronic push button controls, hot water safety button, removable stainless steel dispense nozzle, drip tray with plumbed to waste option, anti-flood detection, power saving option to reduce electricity consumption.

New products from Pelican

New Wave, bottled

elican Technical Solutions has introduced a new product brochure detailing its wide range of spares, fittings and consumables for the beverage, vending and catering industry. Big brands and Pelican’s own solutions are available, including water filters, pumps, valves, fans and blowers, hoses and tubing, hand trucks and DM Fit–push fittings, a fully approved alternative. Many other items are included, with a full price list.

ew Wave Enviro has announced the launch of new BPA-free reusable 3 and 5 gallon bottles. According to New Wave Enviro, these are the first large water bottles on the market that are BPA-free, reusable, glass-like and shatter-proof. The bottles will primarily be used in water coolers and New Wave Enviro’s 2.2 gallon stainless steel water dispensers.

Bottled water pump dispenser

bbeychart has introduced its own bottled water dispenser, which is a lower cost option to the internationally renowned Flojet unit. The dispenser is a compact pumping system that delivers water from a variety of plastic bottles under pressure to almost any appliance needing an easy supply of clear purified water, such as a water cooler or icemaker. The units have the security of automatic on/off operation with auto shut-off when a bottle is empty or

an appliance is full, while a built-in check valve prevents backflow into the bottle. Inserting the suction wand into a bottle activates a float switch and starts the pump and then shuts it off to prevent spilling when a bottle is changed or when the water valve is closed. The units automatically

adjust flow and pressure to fill a refrigerator’s icemaker or chilled water dispenser. The Abbey Bottled Water System is supplied with a suction wand and hose assembly, pump module with 6ft cord and a UK or Euro plug, a 20ft discharge tube and a universal seal cap,

fitting 3, 5 and 6 gallon water bottles, with easy changeover. The unit is food grade approved with international certification pending.

22 PRODUCT NEWS

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Event review

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Vendex South 2010 When: 11 May 2010 Where: Twickenham Stadium, London The year’s first Vendex was a triumph of innovation and inspiration. cooler innovation’s Joanna Shilton reports. For one day the impressive Twickenham Stadium was home to an extensive array of equipment, supplies and new ingredients, plus everything the vending industry needs from cups to financial services. Water cooler industry exhibitors who were there, showcasing products for high volume vending

and steaming applications, included 3M Water Filtration, with the new 3M AP2-G water filters, and Allpure Filters with their full range of Omnipure filters, and various other product solutions. AA First had their range of mains-fed and bottled water coolers on show, including the new ArcticChill 88 high capacity Direct Chill Water Cooler. Ebac’s Sales Manager, Claire Lloyd said: “Vendex was a great opportunity to meet our vending customers and to show our new products. The Hot & Cold FMax mains-fed proved to be of particular interest to visitors.” Huhtamaki and RPC TedecoGizeh were on hand to educate

visitors about their cup ranges with ecological solutions as well as insulated and disposable cups. PHS Waterlogic was also present, exhibiting The Chiller and the new Waterlogic 4, while Westomatic Vending Services had the Azure mains-fed water dispenser on display. The cross over between industries is apparent with chilling performance, the importance of water quality and hygiene standards rising in all areas of business.

There was an enthusiastic feel to the show, with a lot of visitors both familiar and new to the industry showing an obvious interest in the innovative solutions of the exhibitors and their products. This gave a positive vibe to the goings on after what can still be described as being a challenging start to the year in the business. The next Vendex (North) will be held at Old Trafford on November 16, 2010.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

EVENT REVIEW 23

Events

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IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition When: 19–24 September 2010 Where: Montréal, Canada Info: www.iwa2010montreal.org 4,500 water professionals will gather to discuss the science and application of water management, from water, climate and energy to cities of the future, managing

When: 15-25 July, 2010 Where: Jane Bell Lane, QV, Melbourne, Australia Info: www.dexigner.com

utilities and their assets, securing new and traditional water resources for the future, water, ecosystems and catchments, and water and health.

The Creating Liveable Cities Exhibition is the result of a twelve-month collaboration between Melbourne Water and State of Design, which

When: 29-30 June 2010 Where: The Israel Trade Fairs & Conventions Centre, Tel Aviv, Israel Info: www.mashovgroup.net water technologies. Companies, researchers and professionals will be displaying their newest developments, alongside professional conferences, seminars and symposiums.

InterBev 2010 When: September 22-24, 2010 Where: Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando, Florida, USA Info: www.interbev.com Attending the biennial event will be processors and distributors of all types of beverages, including: soft drinks, bottled water, dairy based beverages, sports drinks, 100% juice and juice drinks, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, distilled spirits,

Melbourne

CleanTech 2010

The 14th annual international event for Clean Technologies will be looking at environmental quality, infrastructures and green building, renewable energy and

Creating Liveable Cities Exhibition

started with a workshop of one hundred designers and water experts in October 2009. Melbourne Water is keen to foster new thinking about water management in the city. Given the environmental impact of a product is 80% determined during the design phase, it made sense for Melbourne Water to open up their strategy thinking to designers.

Vending Paris 2010 When: 27 to 29 October 2010 Where: Pavilion 4, Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, Paris, France Info: www.vendingparis.com This year’s Vending Paris will take on a whole new dimension, with events and themes in tune with the latest market trends: quality-focused innovation, sustainable development, automatic canteens and so on, with talks and one-to-one interviews with prominent industry figures.

neutraceuticals and powdered drinks. There will be opportunities to learn best practices, hear from industry leaders, see industry innovations firsthand and network. © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

24 EVENts

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Drinking water issues

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Cranfield’s water-tight research

esearchers at the UK’s Cranfield University are involved in an ambitious project to produce a system that ensures, no matter what, water can be delivered to taps 24-hours a day, seven days a week at the correct pressure. The two-year project is funded by research funders The Leverhulme Trust with the aim to investigate operations within water networks and come up with a system that can overcome disruptions and withstand failure. Dr Paul Jeffery and Dr Alireza Yazdani from Cranfield’s School of Applied Sciences are combining mathematics and risk analysis, and using a variety of computer-based analytical tools to look at water network layouts and vulnerability. Dr Yazdani said: “Water services can be disrupted as a result of the ageing infrastructure being exposed to various hazards - from

NEWS

typical failures with low severity, to catastrophic events such as flooding, natural disasters and targeted attacks. Rather like a network of roads where there are multiple routes between points A and B, a water supply network’s physical pattern of pipes, pumps, treatment works and junctions determines its ability to maintain services when one or more pathways are unusable. While there has been similar research to look at the robustness of power grids, there hasn’t been much around water networks, yet these are classified as critical infrastructure. So protecting them and ensuring their efficiency is extremely important.”

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Drinking water

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US president’s ‘Cancer Panel’ recommends home-filtered water

n its official annual report, ‘The President’s Cancer Panel’ is recommending that people use home filtering devices to decrease exposure to cancer-causing agents.

The report, entitled Reducing Environmental Cancer Risks: What We Can Do Now, states: “Individuals and families have many opportunities to reduce or eliminate chemical exposures. For example, filtering home tap water or well water can decrease exposure to numerous known or suspected carcinogens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.” “This reaffirms what independent testing shows,” said Peter J Censky, Executive Director of the Water Quality Association. “Home water treatment is a proven final barrier against many harmful chemicals.”

In addition to cancer-causing agents, water quality experts are examining other emerging contaminants, such as those found in personal care products and pesticides. Many of these are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with normal hormonal function. The President’s Cancer Panel is a three-person body that reports to the US president on the development and execution of the National Cancer Programme. Members serve three-year terms, and at least two of the three panel members must be distinguished scientists or physicians.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

NEWS 27

Drinking water issues Water use critical

he amount of water used to produce food and goods imported by developed countries is worsening water shortages in the developing world, a report says. The report, focusing on the UK, says two-thirds of water used to make UK imports is used outside its borders - and given population growth and climate change, it’s an unsustainable arrangement, says Engineering The Future, an alliance of professional engineering bodies. Forecasts suggest that in 20 years’ time, when the world’s population is predicted to reach over 8 billion, the demands for food and energy will double. And the need

for fresh water will rise by 30%. But when developing countries are already using their home-grown water resources in agriculture and manufacture for the rest of the world, it leaves them in an increasingly vulnerable situation. Professor Roger Falconer, Director of the HydroEnvironmental Research Centre at Cardiff University and a member of the report’s steering committee, told the BBC: “We must take account of how our water footprint

is impacting on the rest of the world. If we are to prevent the ‘perfect storm’, urgent action is necessary.” Professor Peter Guthrie, Head of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University, who chaired the steering group, said: “If the water crisis becomes critical, it will pose a serious threat to the UK’s future development because of the impact it would have on our access to vital resources.”

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Drinking fountains drying up A survey conducted by the Children’s Food Campaign has revealed that drinking fountains in public parks are drying up. Only 11% of green spaces were found to provide fountains, a third of which were broken; in only eight of the 140 parks surveyed across the UK did every fountain function. The concern, echoed by scientists a the British Medical Association, is that children, particularly susceptible to dehydration, will turn to fizzy drinks if a fresh water supply isn’t provided.

Filter Lock Seeking Strategic Partner and/or Licensee of Patented Filter Lock Features: • Simple and affordable filter protection. • Lock permits only authorised personnel from removing filter cartridge after installation. • Locking technology can be incorporated into virtually any filter system while maintaining current certifications (i.e., NSF, etc). • U.S. patent number 7,658,840; European Patent Pending.

Benefits: • Protects business model in the event of a criminal or terrorist attack via public water filters. • Allows greater flexibility in water cooler design and installation. • Provides customer with the most secure filters in the marketplace. • Proprietary technology provides an opportunity to take market share from competitors. For more information contact Zenith International Ltd 30 Old Kings Highway South, Suite 113 • Darien, CT 06820 USA Tel: 203-202-2068 • email: rcolbert@zenithinternational.com © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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Drinking water Click here to subscribe

Workers caught short on hydration

eep It Light! is a new consumer campaign launched in light of new research that has uncovered habitual dehydration among 96% of the UK’s office workers. Designed to educate the nation and encourage healthy hydration habits, the campaign is urging people to frequently check the colour of their urine, setting the nation a goal to ‘Keep It Light’. Five-times Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave is supporting the campaign. He commented: “Improving hydration habits is an easy way to improve performance in everyday life. It’s the same message for athletes, taxi drivers, office workers and busy mums.” Keep It Light! was launched in response to the results from a workplace hydration survey. Funded by Juice Doctor on behalf of the campaign, the survey

polled over 1,000 UK office workers about hydrationrelated issues, such as their office drinking habits and how they identify and treat dehydration. The results revealed that 75% responded to a headache by taking pills over drinking water, and while 60% believed they drank enough water less than 4% were actually drinking the recommended seven or more glass a day. Just a 2% drop in hydration can lead to a massive 20% drop in concentration. The Keep It Light! campaign warns that habitually dehydrated workers could be wasting up to one day a week in loss of concentration. The Keep It Light! website includes a downloadable personal ‘Y’urindicator’ chart from Juice Doctor, which is designed as a pee-tone colour chart to help identify the stages of hydration, as well as other free materials to post up in washrooms, rest areas and offices. For the full story visit www.foodbev.com

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NEWS 29

Drinking water issues

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Canada’s bottled controversy

study presented at the general meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in San Diego suggested that over 70% of bottled water samples from Canada contained bacterial rates that far exceed recommended limits in the US. The Montreal-based C-crest Laboratories Inc conducted the research after a company employee complained of a foul taste and illness after drinking some bottled water. The US bacterial limit is no more than 500 colonyforming units of bacteria per millilitre of water. The Canadian test samples - taken from well-known brands, two months after bottling showed results of more

than 80,000 heterotrophic units. Further research is being carried out to determine the make-up of the bacteria found. Researchers are still carrying out a second phase of the study that will determine the DNA of the bacteria involved. The Executive Director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association, Elizabeth Griswold told CBC News: “My understanding is that

heterotrophic plate count (bacterial level) is not pathogenic and does not pose a health risk.” In an online opinion piece in the National Post, John B Challinor II, Director of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Waters Canada, Guelph, Ontario, wrote: Readers should know that Health Canada reacted specifically to the lab’s findings by stating that: “Like most foods, bottled water may contain naturally occurring bacteria which typically have little or no health significance. In numerous studies, heterotropic bacteria isolated

from water have been shown to be of no human health consequence.” He continued: Further, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a paper on the subject in 2003. In its review, WHO concluded that there was “no significant risk to consumers of drinking water containing a wide variety of these bacteria.” HPC bacteria can sometimes be found in trace amounts in some bottled drinking waters and municipal water systems, even after disinfection. This bacteria is also commonly found in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Student pedals water to Guatemala

on Leary, a 24 year old student from the Sheffield University Department of Mechanical Engineering, has transformed lives with his dissertation project. Required to ‘make something useful out of rubbish’, Leary innovated a water pump powered by an old bicycle - and now the invention is in production, working in the rural communities of Guatemala. Learly spent four months in the country, improving on his design and working

with NGO Maya Pedal, who design and build a variety of functional bicycle machines using abandoned bikes sent over from the US and Canada. Their machines, which are human-powered sustainable energy sources, range from the bicilavadora (bicycle washing machine) to the bicimolino (corn grinder).

Bangladesh’s poisoning

Jon’s irrigation pump uses a normal bike plugged into a frame with an old electrical pump converted to a friction drive attached to the back wheel. According to a summary of his paper by Sheffield University, “the back tyre of the bike makes direct contact with the former armature of the motor, which is covered with rubber from an old tyre to give better grip. The machine was tested to a range of heights and on flat ground the pump can achieve

a 40 litres per minute flow rate - equal to about three normal showers. At 26 metres, a flow rate of 5 litres per minute can be achieved.”

Pollutants in the public domain

n Bangladesh a study has revealed that water sources below the surface may be responsible for slow-cooking contamination. The study, published in The Lancet says that up to 77 million people in Bangladesh are at risk, being exposed to toxic levels of arsenic. The statement comes from research carried out by a team of researchers who followed 12,000 people over the past decade. The team looked at arsenic in wells and calculated mortality rates - one in five deaths are thought to be related to arsenic in well water.

Micropollutants Clearinghouse Project has been established in order to provide publically-accessible details of scientific, legal, regulatory and institutional aspects of micropollutants in fresh water systems. The Micropollutants Clearinghouse online www.micropollutants.org - should should appeal to the public, academic and industry researchers, legislators and legislatures, government agencies and those involved in industries and decisions relating to micropollutants in fresh water systems.

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Page 35

Catering’s essential criteria

Page 36 Form and function

Page 40 Future challenges

Page 43 Working models

t’s the industry that never sleeps, which is why any piece of equipment caught up in Hotels, Restaurants and Catering (horeca) needs to be able to take the pace. Shutting down isn’t on the menu, and when customers and caterers are calling for water all times of the day, a good, robust cooler is indispensible.

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SPECIAL REPORT 33

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The panel

Alpine Coolers Thomas Radford (TR), General Manager

Aqueduct Kieran McKenna (KM), Managing Director

Blupura Luca Costantini (LC), Managing Director

Cosmetal Federica Diotallevi (FD), Marketing

Crystal Mountain Diane Koyich (DK), International Liaison

Mistral - Thomas Liccioni (TL), Business Development Director

Pentair Foodservice & Hospitality - Eleni Yianas (EY), Director of Marketing

Tana Water UK Nick Heane (NH), Managing Director

Vivreau Stephen Charles (SC), Managing Director

Waterlogic Marco Fuso (MF), Marketing Manager

Zerica - Antonio Zerilli (AZ), Commercial & Marketing Manager

“Coffee is only as good as the Ian Anderson Musician

water it is made with”

If there’s one thing the horeca sector is lacking, it’s time. cooler innovation speaks with the manufacturers who make the coolers that won’t keep the industry waiting - or wanting.

34 SPECIAL REPORT

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

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What is the hospitality purchaser looking for in a cooler? DK: Robust, high volume, possibly small footprint if hidden or being used in a kitchen, under a sink or behind a bar. Must be attractive if visible to customers in some way often modern, sleek if floorstanding, or coffee maker-ish if set onto a bar. Stainless steel or stainless-looking is often requested. MF: Customers are increasingly asking for tap water, hence water that is dispensed needs to be safe, hygienic and have great taste. The dispenser will be used to its limits and will be required to dispense large volumes of fresh drinking water; it should be able to fill bottles, carafes and jugs whether hot, cold, ambient or sparkling. AZ: They are looking for a chiller, so it has to chill without compromise and units must be certified to be sure they have a reliable product. We at Zerica have a full traceable production and we have the full story

Aquaduct - Flexi

John Dyson Food and Technical Advisor for the British Hospitality Association

The working cooler

“With a water cooler in horeca you’re looking for consistency and supply, the quality of the water and the ability of the equipment to keep it cool. In other words high service quality. There’s nothing worse than a water cooler sitting there empty - especially as it takes up room. Purchasers will go for what works, so they’ll tend to go for tried and tested coolers rather than experiment. Most people are sceptical about changing supplier at the moment.”

of each system till it is packed and shipped. TR: Hospitality purchasers are searching for cost effective ways to increase the value of their service in an effort to set themselves apart from competition. NH: Hospitality purchasers usually request a stylish machine with sufficient capacity for their guests. Because the units get a lot of

use, they also require robust machines that are easy to clean and maintain on a daily basis, as well as a watertight service agreement, to ensure they never run out of filters, UV lamps or cups. If you’re running a busy hotel, you need everything to function smoothly and reliably. LC: Functionality, reliability and design. Functionality because the cooler needs to perform even under the most difficult situations; reliability as a banquet cannot be ruined due to the lack of cold water; design since water comes at a charge, and customers are willing to pay more for their water when it comes from a modern professional machine. The Fontemagna range in stainless steel has all three. TL: The main reason would be the ability to serve fresh and purified water from the tap. Depending on the situation it can replace or be

in addition to bottled water and it is generally considered as a free complimentary beverage. FD: Hospitality purchasers look for a valid alternative to bottled water. Cosmetal’s Niagara water coolers represent the most effective, hygienic and economical solution for the catering sector. They improve efficiency of service, instantly dispensing large amounts of still and sparkling, chilled and roomtemperature water. What are the essential capabilities and capacities required? DK: This varies, but high chilling recovery if reservoirs are emptied is usually cited. What cooler companies say their high capacity models actually chill per hour and what they really chill can also vary. These specs should be checked before installation. MF: In order to deliver during peak hours the water dispenser should have a cold tank capacity of at least 4 litres. Additionally the water dispenser should be user-friendly; staff shouldn’t waste any time figuring out the different options so as to serve customers as quick as possible. FD: Hospitality water coolers are aimed at facilitating bottled water management and improving efficiency. They need to be equipped with a technology that allows large amounts of still and sparkling water to be dispensed. SC: The horeca sector requires systems that can dispense large volumes of water in short periods of time and

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

SPECIAL REPORT 35

Serving suggestion I

t’s served to your table in a bottle - but it’s not bottled water. Designed by cooler industry expertise, table bottling systems are filling restaurant requirements. by a host of clever and innovative design features added for the ease of serviceability and maintenance,” said SC. Apart from restaurants, the V3 system was selected by eco-hotel Hotel Rafael to enhance their bottle-free green message.

Vivreau Mini Bottler

“Bottled water is a great revenue stream for hoteliers, but waste and environmental impact associated with plastic bottles is in direct opposition to their current sustainability initiatives,” said EY. “We’re seeing an increase in demand for hotel operators to bottle their own water on-site using re-usable, sanitary glass bottles.” Vivreau’s latest bottling system dispenses unlimited quantities of chilled still and sparkling water. It achieves a 15% increase in chilled water throughput compared to the Vivreau Mk2 system, yet the improved design of its internal motors provides a 40% energy saving compared to its predecessor. The figures are even more impressive when compared to a competitor’s unit. “The improved energy and performance are matched

EY: Everpure has launched a sustainable bottled water programme called Aquias. It is a turnkey programme that starts with a complete water analysis of a facility’s potable tap water, water treatment recommendation using the foodservice industry’s number one brand of water filtration equipment - Everpure, an Exubera Pro dispenser that chills and dispenses both carbonated and noncarbonated water, high end and high quality Aquias branded glass water bottles that are sealable and warewasher safe, and a comprehensive training programme for servers, managers and banquet sales staff.

reliably. Since sustainability is often a key consideration for clients another factor is energy efficiency.

because nobody likes to wait. Increasing the filling speed requires an efficient cooling technology.

TR: For horeca coolers to set themselves apart, appearance, performance and sanitisation are essential for this industry.

AZ: We have a full range of systems for cold, ambient and sparkling water to the great power of 800 litres all at once.

LC: Portion control is so important; it makes the service quicker and less costly, leaving the waiter free to do other things whilst the cooler fills the bottles to the desired level with its programmed irrigation cut-off. TL: When you need to fill a cup the performance is not an issue but when you need to fill 50 1 litre jugs in a row it is another story. For the customer the filling speed (flow rate) is essential

NH: Ease of use! We’ve all been in those hotel breakfast queues where people try to figure out how the coffee machine works, sometimes with amusing results. So having an intuitive user panel with buttons for hot, cold and ambient water is a requirement for the horeca sector.

Form and function Have you launched any new products for the sector? KM: Yes our coolers are all new and have had huge

Shown to your table

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Everpure Exubera © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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industry. Last upgrade of the product dates back to last spring when we introduced several important novelties: new dispensing head, extensive use of stainless also on the standard model to safeguard hygiene and advanced electronic control featuring energy saving and self diagnostic system.

interest in the horeca sector - not only for water but for wine, milk and fruit juice. DK: Not specifically, but often they like our Iceberg undersink chillers with filters. Several of our regular models are also sold to this sector - our robust small countertop Avalanche for bottled or mains-fed use, and our high capacity, solid Cascade purpose-built mains-fed spring to mind. Restaurants and lounges like our completely real stainless steel Summit. MF: For the horeca sector we are promoting the Waterlogic 4 with high capacity purification technology. It has a cold tank capacity of 4.5 litres. The dispenser is not only able to dispense large quantities of cold water but is also visually attractive - a lot has been invested into design; it has a userfriendly icon-driven screen and sleek design. FD: Cosmetal’s product line has evolved in terms of technology, hygiene, aesthetics and ergonomics, resulting in the Niagara range, which is a point of reference for the entire

AZ: Refresh G Plus LCD that gives to traditional machines the helpful electronic system for self-filling and full maintenance information. TR: Alpine is launching two new products in July designed especially for the horeca industry. The Aurora series mains-fed cooler performs at commercial grade level

with beautiful aesthetics and is available with either UV or Ozone self-sanitisation features; the Galaxy series mains-fed tabletop is also designed for horeca and can be installed in individual rooms. This unit is compact, beautiful and includes ‘in-tank’ UV sanitisation. NH: We’ve developed the T6 mains-fed countertop dispenser, delivering chilled, boiling and ambient water from one compact unit. With style in mind, we also offer this in more than a dozen colours, so that hotels can co-ordinate the dispenser with their decor. And last year we launched our floorstanding T5 Fizz cold water unit with a still water and fizzy water option.

Accommodating the eco

ell chosen energy-efficient products may save money and gain eco-credits on the side, but being green is now about marketing as much as it is about a business doing its bit to save the planet. Eco-awareness is an adaptable brand. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel group has just announced that it is ditching plastic bottles and will instead be using plant based, biodegradable, fully recyclable bottles. In addition to the growing establishment of eco-hotels and the publicised ‘going green’ declarations of other major chains like Marriott, news like this means we need to start asking the question: how long will it be before the provision of water is no longer just a palette cleanser, but a point of green sale? Susan Patel from Ecogreen Hotel information site

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told cooler innovation: “We are observing the practices that are being implemented by leading hotels in the industry. More and more hotels are installing simple solutions like faucet aerators, lowflow showerheads, low-flow toilets. Externally, hotels are beginning to look into gray water usage for landscaping and minimising unnecessary usage. We foresee mains-fed chilled water being utilised more in the near future as hotels, restaurants and catering become educated on the benefits.”

The filling speed is essential because nobody likes to wait SC: Vivreau has just launched the Mini-Bottler - aimed at clients who want the same benefits offered by the V3 but who don’t require the same volumes of water. Capable of dispensing up to 80 litres of chilled still or sparkling water per hour, it’s designed as a front-of-house system with spectacular good looks, and an under counter unit. We have also launched our new designer bottle, which is as important as the system itself! LC: Blupura’s range of Fontemagna models are designed to fulfil the need of cold water in situations requiring high volume and

Vivreau V3

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high reliability, such as hotels, restaurants, canteens, schools and hospitals. TL: Last year we launched our horeca cooler from our design range, the model R2000 with CO2. It provides very cold and highly carbonated water.

Light bite

n horeca, time is of the essence. Anouk Averous (AA) of Dieau-Edafim gives us some quickfire answers. What are the essential capabilities and capacities required?

What does the future hold for horeca?

What designs are you currently working on?

AA: Filling 20 to 100 fresh pitchers by hour.

AA: Growth, since new needs and request are raising.

AZ: We always follow the customer’s suggestion, giving our products the influence of increasing technology both in features and design.

Have you launched any new products for the sector?

What are the challenges for manufacturers?

AA: Working on it to be ready beginning of 2011.

AA: Know-how capabilities to fit the future needs.

What’s exciting about designing for horeca?

What designs / functions are you working on?

AA: Requests are changing and need the supplier to fit with space and environment.

AA: Hygiene improvements, green policy.

KM: We have plans to design a full range of machines, some of which will have specific catering applications for BIB - mainly in milk, wine and fruit juice, but also in

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

What is the hospitality purchaser looking for in a cooler? AA: Design, capacity, hygiene and price.

SPECIAL REPORT 39

Serving suggestion hot and cold systems. That would give both us and our distributors one machine type but multiple add-on

options. Indeed our Danish partners are now selling water and organic fruit juices in our BIB systems.

Horeca in the box?

an BIB really bag a place in horeca? Kieran McKenna says it can.

Indeed we have had interest from hotel chains in our countertop unit for use in hotel bedrooms. Just think of the convenience of 10 litres of single use, tamper evident water, dispensed at will from an attractive dispenser . . . better value than the $85 Hong Kong Dollars for a small bottle of Fiji Water I had to pay on one occasion! And in catering there is huge opportunity for some of the larger organisations to get three income streams from any building that they have staff in - cooler rental, cups, water: they just buy the coolers and rent them (or sell them) to their customers, and with our specificallydesigned trolley and storage/recycling cabinet go around the building and put four boxes of water inside every cooler. With staff costs on site, it makes

for a very good return on investment. In addition, hospitality purchasers want a water delivery system that works with the day to day function of their canteen or restaurant, or in the case of hotels and conference venues, an easily administered ‘solution’. For example, speaking with the Food & Beverage Purchasing Director of a major worldwide hotel chain - he saw the Aqueduct ‘Purity by Design’ systems on the stand at last year’s Copenhagen Food Fair, and he “just got it”. He said that he enters all his hotels around Europe by the back ‘catering’ door - and the first thing he is met with is a “wall of empty and full bottles littering my stores . . . and used as door stops as I walk around the hotel!”

Flexi counter top in a Hotel buffet area

TL: We are always looking for design improvements, and technological innovations that are marketable. EY: We continuously work on new product and programme development projects that deliver value to operators and that focus on their top three concerns: reduce operational costs, drive incremental revenue and growth, align with sustainability objectives. SC: That would be telling! You know Vivreau - we’ve always got something new in the pipeline and I look forward to sharing our latest innovations with you very soon. TR: Alpine has been working tirelessly on cooler sanitisation with UV and Ozone technology together with the manifestation of aesthetically pleasing equipment that can be used throughout horeca. New designs include sleek European profile with high end push button electronics. NH: We continue to develop all of our units in response to customer feedback. When a horeca customer tells us that they’d like a mains-fed water cooler that offers still and carbonated water, we are able to take that request to the research and development team and deliver a mains-fed cooler with fizzy water to meet that demand. We will continue to listen to our customers and carry on innovating and developing the best mainsfed dispensers to cater to their needs. LC: We started with the Fontemagna range, offering 150 litres per hour. We are

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now introducing the Wave range to cater for lower volume consumption of water, offering 80, 50 and 25 litres per hour, all as tabletop coolers with the Blupura touch of Italian design.

Horeca’s cooler future What does the future hold for horeca and the cooler business? KM: More innovation I hope as it has been lacking to date. I see our biggest potential growth being in the hotel and catering side of things and have no doubt that large catering companies will latch on to the profitability of BIB. DK: Continued growth in the sector as consumers in restaurants move away from small pack purchases for the table. Also, the trend towards drinking more water whilst drinking alcohol is good for coolers/chillers. AZ: The continuous and fast changes to all markets and greater research for a greener planet make me think that the use of bottles will decrease. MF: The horeca market is one of the fastest growing markets, hence it plays an increasingly important part for Waterlogic International, especially in countries such as France or Italy. Hotels and restaurants are looking to differentiate themselves, and that includes the water that they are serving. FD: With increasing environmental awareness and the need to reduce management costs, in general, horeca water coolers seem to have a great future. SC: I’m confident the sector will continue to

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wayside but those who keep ahead of the curve will prosper. That’s why Vivreau continues to listen carefully to its clients and invest considerable resources in research and development.

Cosmetal Niagara Top

grow but competition will also intensify. Companies that don’t continue to innovate and meet the exacting standards of the sector will fall by the

TR: As horeca drives into the future, Alpine is already there with our network of installation and service together with the most diversified product portfolio in the industry. Alpine’s purpose is to provide innovative products, valuable services and creative solutions while demonstrating integrity, bringing value through our innovative designs.

NH: Personally, I find it really unappetising to fill my kettle from the bathroom sink when I stay in hotels. You wouldn’t dream of doing that at home. We would like to see a T6 in every hotel room. Having a dedicated device that dispenses freshly filtered chilled water and boiling water for tea and coffee, would really add a bit of luxury guests would appreciate. LC: Coolers have become the real alternative to bottled water, simplifying service and transmitting a green, environmentally-friendly consciousness. Design will become ever more important

as the cooler takes its place amongst the decor of a space. TL: Even if this sector has suffered from the crisis, and is a niche market, the demand will increase in the future.

Blupura Fontemagna Wave

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SPECIAL REPORT 41

Serving suggestion

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Why horeca’s out of the office

ans Krohn from AA First tells us why horeca coolers have to be different - and how they are.

Horeca customers differ from the average water cooler customer in two important aspects: i) apart from perhaps in-house catering and education establishments, hotels and commercial catering generally does not free vend, and will charge for the water supplied; ii) they require large volumes of water and must be able to supply peak demands. Traditional water coolers simply do not have the capacity that horeca customers require. Large

EY: As economic conditions improve for the sector, more capital investment will be allocated to upgrading to new equipment in hotels and restaurants. Operators will look to purchase equipment that will maximise and deliver the most value for their investment. And, they are looking for value factors that can be translated to their customers and guests. What are the challenges facing manufacturers? KM: Tight margins. Shortterm selling boxes as against service. And any further downturn in the economies across Europe will have a serious effect on the horeca market faster than on any other sector. EY: Operators are asking for more sustainable

options that improve their operations. Manufacturers need to bring more innovative, energy efficient and water efficient solutions to hotels and restaurants that lead to overall reduction in their operating costs.

quality needed for high use in public areas.

Operators are asking for more sustainable options that improve their operations

MF: The challenge is still to produce dependable machines while taking into consideration the design of the dispenser and keeping costs down, especially with Chinese dispensers catching up on reliability and design.

DK: To get the required high capacity for restaurants or sittings larger than 50 tables, or for sittings that sit down all at once. Some of our budget competitors struggle with providing the

AZ: In the Asian market horeca chillers are standard; they are installed directly in areas where people can use them without asking waiters. This means a deep presence in the market.

FD: Water cooler manufacturers need to be able to understand the market needs and deliver products in line with expectations. Competition among manufacturers is a positive factor that contributes to improving the end product.

capacity chillers like our Fontemagna 150 are designed for this important niche market. But budget is always a concern for the caterer and there are alternatives for the smaller horeca business - like the lower capacity ArcticChill 88, more productive than an office cooler but at a fraction of the price of a high capacity horecadesigned cooler. And of course, some operators are now decanting water into Grolsch-type flip top bottles, often overprinted with their own logo.

SC: The biggest challenge will be to satisfy the very high standards of clients while maintaining margins. TR: Alpine’s competition is facing numerous challenges with market competition, product design, manufacturing costs, etc. NH: The key challenge is ensuring your products are as sustainable as possible. Incorporating components that can be reclaimed, recycled or refurbished is always going to be a top priority. LC: The right combination of functionality, performance and design with minimum environmental impact: this is the goal. TL: The challenge is always to bring the right innovation.

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Working models

Tana Water

Zerica

Model: T6

Model: Refresh G Plus

Dispense: cold, chilled, boiling and ambient, mains-fed

Material: stainless steel

Features: wide variety of colours to suit interior design themes Capacity: cold - 40 cups/hour; hot - 80 cups/hour

Features: able to operate at temperatures up to 43˚C Technology: accumulator tank with ice chamber; refrigeration coils fully sealed and exterior to the tank

Technology: 0.6 micron double block activated carbon filter, UV lamp 11 Watts, easychange filter, selfprogrammable © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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SPECIAL REPORT 43

Serving suggestion

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Working models

Crystal Mountain

Waterlogic

Model: Summit

Model: Waterlogic 4

Dispense: cook and/or hot & cold models

Dispense: cold, sparkling, ambient, hot

Materials: stainless steel Features: DryGuard system; stainless steel faucet insert area, hot water on/off switch, sleek design Capacity: hot - 4.5 litres; cold - 3.5 litres

Features: BioCote protection, leak detection, in-built thermal overload protector, mood lighting option, sleep mode, drip tray sensor Capacity: hot tank - 1.2 litres; cold tank - 4.5 litres Technology: High Capacity Cold Purification (HC2P) technology; recyclable plastic hot tank; Shurflo MDL R/O Boosting Pump, UV dosage

Cosmetal Model: Niagara Material: stainless steel Features: digital programming board, optional filters, dose counter, self-diagnostic system to detect filter end-life Capacity: chilled, sparkling and ambient up to 180 litres/hour in Niagra 180 WG model

Mistral

Technology: double-coil ice bank cooling system - summer and winter programmes for energy saving, stand-by energy saving mode

Features: two cold water outlets with sanitary protection operated by three position buttons - stop, continuous or sequential

Model: RDC 160V Material: stainless steel covering

Capacity: 300 litres/hour cold, 80 litres/hour with delta T 10° Technology: ice bank system, separated refrigeration circuit and water circuits, R134 A gas without CFCs © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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Working models

Dieau Edafim

Blupura Model: RS

Model: Fontemagna Steel

Dispense: intermittent, continuous and stop electric pushbuttons

Dispense: 80 litres/hour of still cold and sparkling cold water

Material: stainless steel structure Features: cook, cold and hot water, and sparkling water option Capacity: 60 litres/hour to 200 litres/hour Technology: high performance ice bank system, direct chill stainless steel cooling system, Edapure filtration system

Features: Ecologic, exclusive glass easy-touse touch screen Cooling capacity: 150 litres/hour (between 5°c and 10°c) Technology: HC refrigerant gases with zero impact on global warming and an energy saving of 15%; double coil ice-bank in stainless steel; 400 Watts

Alpine Coolers Model: Aurora Dispense: hot and cold, mains-fed Design: commercial grade, styled for visitiblity - front-of-house Location: perfect for hotel lobbies, conference rooms, large volume environments

Newly launched Asset Alantis 180

Technology: in-tank UV sanitisation and Ozone self-sanitisation options

see Innovations for details © cooler innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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SPECIAL REPORT 45

Oasis: the long drink

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The Oasis Polish production line in action

ete Benua comes from Columbus, Ohio, located in the mid-west of the US, about halfway between New York and Chicago. With an Honours degree in Economics and Philosophy and an MBA in Marketing from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, he flowed somewhat naturally into the water business. “I completed my MBA studies knowing I had the opportunity of a management position with Oasis. I was always fascinated by the concept of bringing technology and flair to the most basic and positive human need, which is a safe and healthy drink of water. I based my marketing MBA on

Pete Benua

a research project involving consumers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards their mains-fed water and their interest in bottled cooler and filtration systems.” His first job with Oasis was a 19 litre bottled delivery route with customer Crystal Springs in Atlanta, Georgia. That was in 1985. 25 years on he’s Managing Director of Oasis Europe, co-ordinating a pan-European team. It’s no mean feat. “While it is important to understand an organisation’s structure and hierarchy, it’s vital to also understand we are working together to achieve commonly understood goals. We work ‘with’ each other not ‘for’ each other.”

cooler innovation interview In its centenary year, we talked to Pete about Oasis, then and now - and his role in its ongoing success. Where did Oasis begin? Oasis International traces its roots back to the D.A Ebinger Sanitary Company, a manufacturer of kitchen and industrial sinks and wash stations, as well as drinking fountains. Ebinger evolved into the EBCO Manufacturing Company in the 1930s and grew its business by branching into refrigerated pressurised water fountains and bottled water coolers. Over the next ten years, the company began branding these products under the Oasis name, and by the 1960s its distribution network had grown to more than 50 countries. The popularity of EBCO’s entire

product lines - especially bottled water coolers continued to gain strength throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In recognition of the well-established Oasis brand, the company was renamed the Oasis Corporation in 1996, and last year became Oasis International.

Kalix

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How did Oasis branch out into Europe? The 1980s was the beginning of the bottled water cooler revolution in the States. By 1990, bottled coolers had become Oasis International’s largest and most exciting product line. The company’s Director of International Sales, Richard Harmon, saw an opportunity to expand the concept of coolers and 19 litre bottle delivery in Europe. Together, we embarked on building a presence in Europe. As a result, in 1992, we opened a manufacturing facility in Ireland dedicated to the production and distribution of products specifically designed for the European market place. We used our knowledge of the industry to assist many individuals in starting their own 19 litre bottled water companies. We were instrumental in founding the EBWA and the high quality cooler sanitisation standards that exist today.

toward the future, not relying on past accomplishments. It is a true honour to work with a company with such a rich history of industry innovation. Does Oasis have a philosophy? Our customers come first. Without them we would not be in business. We supply high quality, innovative products made in a responsible manner that meet the customers’ needs. Can you explain your customer-manufacturer relationship? Our customers recognise the value a trading relationship with Oasis provides them. Our customer philosophy has enabled Oasis Europe alone to supply over two

How has the company grown? Globally, Oasis International employs over 300 individuals. Its corporate headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio. Oasis Europe is based in Ballina, Ireland. We have dedicated production facilities in Gliwice, Poland and Monterrey, Mexico. Oasis International’s primary product lines are bottled and mains-fed coolers, refrigerated pressurised drinking fountains and dehumidifiers. It’s Oasis’ 100th birthday this year. What does that mean to you personally, and as a company? We achieved the landmark of 100 years by always looking

We take our customers very seriously and support them in every way possible million Oasis units since 1992. Oasis products proudly serve a large percentage of the Forbes top 500 companies globally. Installations range from the Silverstone F1 racecourse paddock to the Louvre in Paris to Singapore’s Changi Airport to the newly opened architectural masterpiece Burj Kalifi Building in Dubai. We have always taken our customers very seriously and have supported them in every way possible, through thick and thin. We believe the key to customer support is to have strong sales individuals with market and technical experience living in the markets we serve. In the last few years, we have expanded our coverage with Oasisemployed salespeople. Today, our coverage is:

quality technicians who travel to our customers’ locations to support them. How do you support your customers? I served as President of Oasis in the states from 19962002 and have been the Managing Director of Oasis Europe since 2002; I have the benefit of experience in both marketplaces. There is so much to be learned by physically being in as many marketplaces as possible. When we bring a new product to market we try to incorporate the features we learn from our global experience that will benefit our customers. We believe it is vital to support our customer base with high quality products made by Oasis. Most of Oasis’s products for Europe are supplied from our

UK: UK, Ireland and Scandinavia France: Western Europe and North Africa St. Petersburg: Russia, CIS countries and SE Europe Dubai: Middle East Ghana: West Africa India: Northern and Southern India Brazil: South America Hong Kong: Southeast Asia Oasis products have been installed in the Burj Kalifi Building in Dubai

This supplements our coverage in Latin America and the States. We also have knowledgeable product and

Aquabar

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COVER STORY 47

Oasis: the long drink facility in Poland, which is strategically located in the heart of the new Europe, insuring quick delivery turnaround. Available inventory and quick order fulfillment is critical to our success with our customers. We review inventory levels, production schedules and anticipated order entry with our general manager several times per week. How do you tackle the issue of environmental responsibility? We built our Polish facility in 2000 and run it to the highest standards, including ISO 9001 certification for quality production and customer satisfaction and ISO 14001 for environmentally responsible practices. We are the first manufacturer in our industry to achieve the environmental 14001 certification as we have achieved Best Practice status. Oasis continues to be at the forefront in factoring the environment into its products and operations: • We developed the RR removable reservoir to dramatically reduce the cost and environmental impact of cooler sanitisation. • We developed ‘inside-out’ chilling probe technology. Its efficiency substantially reduces the amount of electricity required to run a cooler. A vast majority of our product range conforms to Energy Star Ratings. • The location of our facility in Poland dramatically reduces our European customers’ carbon footprint in terms of the distance a product

travels to get to their facility. • We have a new range of Green pressurised water fountains. We have introduced Water and Energy Conservation units, available in more than 80 of our coolers and fountains, and with the addition of a one-piece flow bubbler and a more energy-efficient compressor we have reduced wastewater and energy consumption by over 40% in these units. • We have also introduced the biodegradable Green

Odyssey with fridge

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Filter. We believe it is the only truly biodegradable filter system - with all reusable plastic parts - in the industry today. Business hasn’t always been plain-sailing. Can you explain why Oasis ran into financial difficulties? In retrospect, everything is about keeping a business in balance. We became a victim of our phenomenal success in the bottled cooler industry from the 1980s until the mid-2000s. We overbuilt our production and cost structure and did not anticipate the rapid shift of bottled coolers being sold at the retail level to home consumers in the States. We went through a difficult streamlining process to become the lean, adaptable company we are today. Industries change more quickly each year and we are now able to adapt to our customer needs with value-oriented innovations delivered to the market place with a sense of urgency.

Onyx bottled countertop cooler

Patriarch Partners has shown an unwavering commitment to the success of Oasis since it acquired the company in 2005. Patriarch’s support has been crucial to enabling us to take a no-nonsense approach to successfully running the business with an eye to the future.

The Oasis innovation timeline

1910s -1930s First electric refrigerated water coolers and the drinking ‘bubbler’

1940s 1950s 1970s 1980s • First integrated water cooler components in a compact unit • First electric dehumidifier

First ‘Hot ‘n’ Cold’ models for tea and instant soup and coffee

First removable side panels for ease of bottled cooler servicing

First countertop bottled water cooler

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What type of R&D is required to develop and launch new products? A water cooler is a complicated product to design and manufacture. There is frigid and sometimes piping hot water, combined with electricity and a hermetically-sealed gas/vapour phase change refrigeration system, all combined into a product that is fed by a bottled or pressurised mains water system. Any number of things could go wrong during the manufacture or use of the cooler, which must be anticipated and addressed before the product can go to market. When developing a new product we refer to decades of experience in developing our refrigeration and heating systems. Cost control, energy efficiency and cooling performance are the standard. Each refrigeration/water system is extensively tested in two environmentally-controlled

Oasis logos, old and new

rooms of a UL & CE certified lab. The room runs 24/7, during which performance data on the system is gathered - amps, watts, temperatures and pressures - and then analysed to determine agency compliance and customer requirements. In addition to providing a long quality service life, we design our products to be user friendly and easy to service and sanitise. We rely on European-based outside design firms to ensure the aesthetics of our coolers are pleasing and long lasting. Have you ever had a personal input into design and innovation?

1990s • First plastic cabinet bottled water cooler for ease of cleaning and refurbishment

I remember, in the late 1980s, I was working in Los Angeles. I saw trucks loaded with metal side panels from bottled coolers on their way for sanding and repainting as part of ongoing cooler fleet maintenance. I thought how much easier it would be if the cabinet refurbishment could be done more simply, and along with design engineers developed the first plastic cabinetry for bottled coolers. We developed the no-spill waterguard, the removable reservoir cooling system and the fully integrated mainsfed cooler after that. What new designs are emerging from Oasis? In the last six months, we introduced the Onyx

countertop cooler in both bottled and mainsfed versions. We are now launching a version of our successful Kalix mainsfed cooler that offers carbonation in addition to hot and cold water. We call it the Kalix co2oler. In July we will have available the new Aquabar 2 high capacity reservoir mains-fed cooler. All of our mains-fed and pressurised fountains work with our environmentally friendly Green Filter system, which was named by cooler innovation as one of its New Products of the Year in 2009. We always have new technology and products under development. Many result from customer suggestions and initiatives. Product development to meet 21st century needs is a must: we have many projects on our plate today for new products with innovative technology that will be coming to the market very soon. Despite being 100 years old, we don’t stand still!

2000s

• First ‘Waterguard’ No-Spill bottle loading device

• Manufacturing facility in Mexico opened to service North, Central and South American markets

• First removable reservoir ‘RR’ bottled water cooler

• Manufacturing facility in Poland opened to service Central and Eastern Europe

• First fully integrated mains-fed filtration water cooler

• First ‘Pressure Vessel’ direct chill ‘Kalix’ mains-fed filtration cooler

• Manufacturing facility in Ireland opened to service the European market

• First integrated mains-fed bottle filler ‘Aqua Pointe’

2010s Much more to come!

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COVER STORY 49

House points

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We look at the water cooler’s design on the residential market and why, when it comes to the sell, we’re not yet home and dry.

Doing the homework Fred Cairns Palmer (FCP), Managing Director, WaterCoolersDirect Federica Diotallevi (FD), Marketing Director, Cosmetal John Elliott (JE), Chairman, Ebac David Ilmook Moon (DIM), President, Clover Dyane Koyich (DK), International Liaison, Crystal Mountain

Our panel discussed the design ethics that open doors to the residential market.

Indeed, the average European house does not have room for a towering cooler, let alone the famous American-style fridge.

Why does there have to be a different ‘market’ for residential sales, why should there be teams dedicated to home design when the office model is tried and tested? Well, to be part of the family a home cooler needs to fit in - in more ways than one.

“A cooler in the home should be slim-line to save space and provide chilled water conveniently,” said JE. “The SlimCool has a footprint of just 200mm diameter.”

Space exploration

“The requirements vary according to the water cooler model,” said FD. “Tabletop and undercounter coolers satisfy different needs and have very different characteristics.

“In North America, “A tabletop must they frequently are be compact and one and the same attractive, combining design,” said DK. efficiency and style; “But in Europe, and an undercounter where homes and model is an ideal kitchens tend solution for areas in to be smaller, a which space is limited smaller footprint or or for those who prefer countertop version to leave worktops is often important. clear, thus it needs And the European to be very simple, accent on style minute, functional can never be Crystal Mountain’s SublimO and robust.” ignored.”

Antonio Zerilli (AZ), Commercial & Marketing Manager, Zerica

Easy life As with the majority of appliances in the home, we like to experience the benefits without feeling their presence - which happens when something goes wrong or it begins to impinge on our time. So how does a home cooler have to behave to make buying it a viable decision? “A home cooler must be as small as possible, noiseless, simple to use and easy to maintain,” said AZ. As with everything, user-friendly simplicity and easy-care come down to good design. And good design comes from thoughtfulness. “During the meal, it’s likely that it will need to fill carafes or jugs, so it is necessary to have a high and large dispensing area,” said FD. “Offices,

restaurants and the catering sector in general cater for different loads of people but home water coolers must be optimised for use by an average family, considering the occasional presence of guests.” Designers need to ascertain not only what the cooler needs to do, but equally importantly take into consideration what it really should not. And nothing is going to ruin a lifestyle sell like a compromise in safety. So, suggested DIM, coolers should have a safety function on hot water levers, so it’s safe for children to use. “And the cleaning process should not be complicated, so that it maintains good hygiene quality,” he added. “The SlimCool’s patented cassette WaterTrail offers a

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FOCUS 51

House points

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convenient, quick and easy method of sanitising the cooler that’s so easy a child could do it,” said JE. “It is available as a bottled water cooler or with a filter option which adds further options to consumers. With the added benefit of an Illuminated Adjustable Drip-Tray the user can fill any size cup/sports bottle/ jug using one hand.”

Home style While equipment has to do what it promises to do, home coolers also need cosmetic appeal. The workplace is somewhere where appliances need to function; in the home, function needs to work alongside style. “The look of a cooler should be a good addition to its surroundings with home furniture and electronics,” said DIM. “It used to be simply the status of owning a modern new appliance that made cold and hot water readily available, especially for drink mixes, tea, soups etc,” said DK. “The market is moving

Cosmetal Nives

WaterCoolersDirect Winix Fresco

more and more towards style and elegance.” “It needs to be elegant and stylish with the flexibility to fit into any room in the house in terms of looks and portability and installation,” said JE. “The SlimCool has changeable side panels that can fit into any room or stand out, for example to encourage children to drink more water if located in a playroom.” And now, with a variety of materials and dimensions and colours, from Akrocool’s dinky Koolbabe to Tana’s T6 co-ordinates - the cooler can’t be accused of being an ugly addition to the home. “The cooler is fast becoming thought of as the sixth household appliance,” said FCP. “Consumers want a product that looks good alongside their other ‘white’ (fast becoming silver) goods! They want a contemporary, tabletop cooler that delivers on

price, looks and ease of use, in any environment. Small footprint and compact, our customers are asking for a cooler that works well in rooms of all styles, and that complements any interior.”

“Function needs to work alongside style.” Green house effect On that face of it the environmental debate is one that looks dangerous to the home cooler market - consumers are being encouraged to cut down on purchasing and cut back on energy, packaging and materials. However, the small-serve plastic bottle debate is raging ferociously; perhaps

now is the time to push the home cooler message? “The cooler itself is an eco-friendly product as it reduces the environmental impact of plastics,” said FD. “It cuts the production and consumption of plastic water bottles, limiting their polluting effects.” “The use of a domestic cooler connected to mains water is surely a good starting point to help the planet,” said AZ. “If we think about all the work that goes into a plastic bottle of course it is a compulsory act if we want to do something!” But more than attack the small-serve bottled water industry in a move to provide an ‘alternative’ in the home cooler, home coolers can build up credits by having progreen designs of their own. “The Fresco comes with excellent ‘green’

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credentials also helping to reduce CO2 emissions, plus a compelling payback on investment when it comes to plastic bottles, carbon footprint and recycling,” said FCP. “Online we provide consumers with a handy online calculator where they can see exactly how much money they can save on buying and fetching water bottles from the supermarket.” For models that require bottles, there are of course a variety of delivery options and the increasingly popular supermarket home-drop services. But the alternative is, of course, the plumbedin model. It may appear daunting on the spec sheet with all that pipework but its tap-fed, bottle -free function could offer the ultimate green sell to those consumers who’ll go the extra green mile. “Ebac has created the SlimCool Filter for the home market which doesn’t require bottled water,” said JE. “In place of the traditional bottles the SlimCool Filter has a tank which includes a Brita Maxtra cartridge to filter tap water.” However, as DK reminds us, every model has its ‘green-wash’ and its truth.

Clover B14

“Many bottled companies have made lowering their carbon footprint a priority,” she said in support of the bottled option, “and tap water has its own high footprint due to leaky mains pipes and the associated repair, filter construction, delivery to consumer and disposal at end-of-life.” And then, of course, there’s the question of just how green the average consumer is. “If the cost gets too high to make it ‘green’, in today’s economic climate it becomes less important,” said DK. “And to really make much difference in carbon footprint or energy use and still have a good chilling or heating facility can be challenging for a budget price. Both mains-fed and bottled coolers have environmental costs.” Either way, being able to address some of the environmental issues does not mean the home cooler industry, bottled or mainsfed, can rest easy on its successes. Continued advances and improvements in green engineering will be as relevant on the kitchen counter as it is in any industry. “Saving energy and reducing waste water weigh with environment-friendly society,” said DIM. “It is crucial for makers to come up with efficient heating elements as well as efficient filtration systems.”

Zerica’s Premium Top model

Ebac SlimCool

What are your most popular home coolers? AZ: Our model Premium Top: the word ‘premium’ is to underline many exclusive features specially designed for the home consumer. FCP: Our popular new cooler is the Fresco, offering instant access to chilled, inexpensive filtered water. FD: Two years ago Cosmetal designed Nives to provide efficient and cheaper drinking water in the home. We have just launched the discreet under-sink H2OMY. JE: Consumers love the Ebac SlimCool for its ease of use, design and simplicity. It is elegant and stylish and offers the flexibility to fit into any room in the house. DIM: Clover B14 has been receiving big compliments from customers for its beautiful look. DK: Sublim0, for its elegant style, small footprint and small bottles and Summit: the real stainless steel matches today’s kitchens.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

FOCUS 53

House points

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Domestic business While we talk enthusiastically about coolers in a residential environment, the home truth is the market share is not as big as we’d like it to be. We talked to Culligan and Natural Choice Waters - two cooler giants who aren’t convinced there’ll ever be a cooler in every kitchen.

Chris Hobbs, Sales Manager, Culligan

it, for a fraction of the cost and hassle of a cooler.

What is your domestic share?

With what strategies can the home cooler gain popularity?

Currently 5% of our sales. Why doesn’t the home cooler have a bigger bite? The residential model is not yet viable. It is hard to overcome the logistical obstacles and if this market is to take off it will firstly require small dedicated entrepreneurs to build compact distribution routes to localised markets - we see most residential sales to immigrant communities who are ‘used’ to the concept and have a healthy mistrust of municipal water supplies, and we expect this sector to continue to grow. What are the challenges? Apart from delivery issues, bottle deposit issues and the small size of European kitchens, really the water cooler industry would be trying to fulfil a gap in the market that is not really there. Coolers work in offices as sinks may be far away and unhygienic, and also the water is not chilled. In a house everyone has a clean tap and a fridge, or a filtration jug that fits in

Issues above aside, I believe in order to be successful on a large scale in this sector marketing to parents under the health guise of getting their children to drink is essential. The rental model needs to be abandoned as residential customers prefer to own coolers, and a cheap, quiet and good looking desktop cooler compact enough to fit under high level cupboards (similar to an Ebac Eddy) needs to be further developed and marketed, and delivered water needs to be able to compete at around the 15p per litre mark in order to shrug off competition from supermarket multipacks. The cooler industry could possibly lobby for an environmental tax on nonreturnable plastic bottles to drive this 15p per litre price up. But we should be careful as our activity may only make economies of scale achievable for supermarkets looking to take large bottles of water onto their shelves, or home delivery vans, which would only undermine the office delivery industry in the long run as supermarkets

can offer same day deliveries within time slots which is something a water cooler company cannot compete with logistically.

giving away the built-in water dispenser, ice-maker and filter option on the front end to catch the filter sale on the back end. Very smart move.

George Knoll, Managing Director, Natural Choice Water

Now think about tight kitchen space - as everyone does after buying blenders, toasters, coffeemakers, bread makers, microwaves, panini machines, etc - and you find that counter space is in short supply. How many more gadgets can we put on the counter, or under the sink, or into a custom cabinet (which is definitely not a mass market opportunity)?

You’re not optimistic about the holy grail of the home market in the US. Why? I don’t want to be a party spoiler, but here in the US the market for a ‘home cooler’ is really tough, especially if you’re talking about a compressor-type refrigeration system. And thermo-electric systems are so weak in terms of cooling capacity that it’s also likely to be a non-starter. And it’s not just the lack of a simpler, effective cooling technology, there are many other reasons . . . The US is the land of large refrigerators. And in every refrigerator today they are

I have shared my thoughts with many industry players but they remain focused on it like a laser beam because getting rid of bottles is a hot topic at present, and there’s an insatiable appetite for new ideas around drinking water; after all, the ‘home market’ is the dream of every mass market manufacturer and retailer.

Kitchen confidential New research from survey giant Mintel has indicated that the UK market for small kitchen appliances is set to rise. The kitchen gadget market fell by 2% in 2009 when it was worth an estimated £546 million. But Mintel said “things are set to heat up” as previous credit-crunched postponement of replacement appliances creates a mini boom in the market and consumers refresh the look of their kitchens. Over the next five years, volume and value increases of 15% and 5% respectively are expected. By 2014, market value will hit £572 million. Richard Caines, Senior Retail Analyst at Mintel said: “Changing fashions in kitchen design and décor provide the opportunity for more frequent replacement of appliances, especially when consumer confidence returns.”

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

FOCUS 55

House points

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Going to market When it comes to marketing to the residential consumer, it’s about tapping into their mind, says consumer behaviourist and author of The Secret of Selling and Consumer.ology, Philip Graves. Since most customers don’t have water coolers in the home the challenge is to convince people that owning the product will be beneficial. This leads to two marketing requirements: building awareness and selling the product’s benefits. You may well be thinking, “So what? I knew that. We’ve got a list of features and benefits for our products as long as your arm.” The problem is that the emotional (unconscious) brain drives the processes of the rational one. In practice, consumers don’t need the vast majority of products they buy, they want them, and that’s a very different issue. It’s been demonstrated time and again in psychological experiments that if you manipulate something that is processed outside of conscious awareness

(such as temperature, light, sound, colour) it changes what people do. So how do you make someone want something? How do you create desire? 1. Play to fundamental evolutionary drives: areas of our brains are still wired in much the same way that they were thousands of years ago; we still have families, seek status, are curious, want social acceptance, and so on. There’s a reason so many adverts feature blissfully happy families congregating around a product - the unconscious message is that your drive to have a happy family will be bolstered by buying this product. 2. All of the elements around the functional aspect of the product have been shown to be influential: beautiful design creates desire (the iPod wasn’t the best technical digital music player when it was launched . . . ), the quality and design of packaging, the products sold next to yours, the lighting, even the smell. So the upshot for marketing in an emerging category is to create awareness, drive emotion and explain the product benefits. In a sense the model of the consumer mind that manufacturers should be working to is: “Notice this; want it; get a free set of reasons to help you justify your desire.” Success will be dependent

Philip Graves

on getting all three elements right.

Marketing message Reward scheme: Consumers find if they are exercising self-control - eg, being on a diet - they will spend money to reward themselves. CI tip: Work on the idea that those being healthor environmentallyconscientious should ‘keep up the good work’ with chilled purified water from a home cooler. Testing testing: Sampling and trials put the product in people’s hands, which has been shown to change how people value something. CI tip: Shopping centre demonstrations, trade shows and events where people can ‘have a go’ with the cooler will increase trust in the product and desire for it. By association: If a customer is being led to believe that a product is luxury or ‘feelgood’ then all of the elements associated with the product need to reflect that. CI tip: Be sure all the

marketing elements you can control reflect the fundamental message you want to send. If you are pursuing a lifestyle theme the product’s design should share design cues with other desirable home lifestyle products; for health, the product name and imagery around it should continue this theme. About context: A product marketed alongside respected or luxury products will be subject to the ‘halo effect’ - the consumer will think favourably of it because they have been primed by their established associations with the elements around it. CI tip: Have your ad placed next to an article on design or just after an ad for a well-known designer brand. Look for promotional opportunities that put the product in a right context. If it’s about lifestyle and excellence will your local prestige car dealership install one prominently? Is your healthy water cooler the one people see in their local gym?

56 FOCUS

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Israel and the Middle East Click here to subscribe

On the surface it’s an environment of harsh landscapes and extreme heat; but for the bottled water and water cooler industry, it’s always been seen as a fertile opportunity. cooler innovation looks at Israel and the Middle East.

Water: supply and demand The majority of the Middle East is facing water shortages. It is thought that Sanaa, capital of Yemen, may be the first large city to run out of water, due to population boom and heavy agricultural use; even southern Iraq, despite being home to one of the largest wetlands areas in the world, is now dependent on water imported from Iran due to damns, set up in draughtdesperate neighbouring countries. And in Iran itself, once-plentiful Lake Urmia is

under threat, caused in turn by the damming of feeding tributaries. As a result, water plays a major role in politics and policy throughout the region - from election gearing to ‘virtual’ water credits and, of course, money.

Water: the liquid commodity It’s no surprise then, that unlike some of its sources, the Middle East region bottled water industry isn’t drying up. According to a recent BBC report, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the third biggest consumer of bottled water worldwide and

Israel’s water dispense figures from Strauss-Water Tap water - 30% Bottled mineral water - 25% Filtered water dispensers - around 20% Under-sink purification devices - around 10% Dispensers for mineral water in jugs - around 10% Brita and similar - 5%

Philip Hampsheir, BBC Middle East Report reporter and presenter told cooler innovation: “In raw money terms I understand the UAE is something like third (behind Italy and Mexico), though there is debate about its position in terms of litres per person. There are no good figures I've seen on this. Italians may drink more expensive waters with their dinner perhaps, but personally I find it hard to believe they drink more litres per person of bottled water than several countries in the Gulf. It just doesn't stand up to the visuals you see on the streets.” “In the UAE the bottled water business grew 11% in volume in 2009 over 2008,” said Gavin Rebello, Assistant Manager at Masafi International. “All major brands grew and the small ones either were eliminated or lost or remained unchanged.” Like most industries during this uncertain period, growth, if any, has been single digit

across much of the rest of the Middle East (Bahrain and Kuwait remained between 5-6%) and a drop from the growth percentage of the previous year. But there are exceptions. “Oman and Qatar followed a different trend and reversed a single digit retail growth from 2008 to a strong 11% and 33% growth in 2009,” said Rebello. Oman accommodates the National Mineral Water Company (marketing the Tanuf and El Jabal El Akhdar brands), and is recognised as having an abundant source of mineral water. According to a 2006 report by the US-based Pacific Institute, despite safe tap water the consumption of bottled water in Oman is on the rise, having increased by more than 50% in the seven years previous. And at the right price water is expected to flow out of Oman into the bottles of foreign companies and pipelines. To say there’s mileage in the Middle East for the water and cooler markets would not be overly bold. Wealthier inhabitants of the region have been drinking premium water brands from

Bulk bottled water market in the Middle East (volume in million litres) Country

2006

2007

2008

2009

UAE

1392.37

1232.25

1334.94

1412

Oman

82.6

87.56

103.8

Qatar

197.75

206

257.5

278.1

Kuwait

58.41

63.5

67.8

Bahrain

130.2

136.71

151.75

163

KSA

1760

1903.9

2060

2215.4

Lebanon

110

143

155

Israel

240

250

263

227

Source: Zenith International

has the highest per capita consumption in the Middle East, set to increase by 50% over the next three years.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

MARKET PROFILE 57

Israel and the Middle East Click here to subscribe primarily our range of pressure cooler products. Many have been designed for this region with its unique requirements in mind.”

overseas, with Fiji Water launching itself successfully into UAE in 2008. And more recently Nestlé, which has 17 factories in the region, began production at its new plant in Dubai. Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Middle East, Yves Manghardt, is reported to have commented that production capacity is large enough for expansion in the coming years.

of course faces economical, ethical and cultural opposition.

And watermarked money is a two-way street. It has been reported that Alaska Resource Management LLC plans to ship bulk water bought from the city of Sitka across the Pacific Ocean for sale in the Middle East, which

“Oasis has been servicing the needs and requirements of customers in the Middle East/GCC Region for some 50 years,” said Willie McCaskill, Director of Sales for Oasis International. “We supply into the region

Water: a cooler industry Despite the troubles, the Middle East and Israel have a healthy number of bottled water companies and water cooler imports - and the demand for both is anticipated to grow as health and safety messages filter through and populations soar.

According to Eden Springs, in 2007 Israelis drank an average of 96 litres of mineral water per capita, triple the figure for a decade previous. Business information company Dun & Bradstreet revealed in 2008 the Israeli mineral water market was turning over NIS 900 million a year. But at the start of 2009 a contamination issue involving the two leading brands led to loss of confidence. “This resulted mainly in consumers switching to other drinking water solutions,” said Michal Gur-Shavit, Vice President of Marketing with Strauss-Water, “particularly water filtration and purifying devices. “Tami4 (above) spearheaded a revolution in drinking habits in Israel. Within a few years the water market in Israel has shifted from a market consisting mainly of mineral

water consumers to a market in which filtration devices are increasingly dominant and gaining significant market share, similar to those of bottled water, and are on the way to becoming the leading solution in water consumption in Israel.” Much of the Middle East drinks bottled mineral water as a matter of course - it’s considered cleaner and better for wellbeing; and, while many areas are facing drinking water issues, from depleted aquifers and dried wells to siphoned mains supplies and untreated water, it’s unlikely the bottled water cooler will have to share its podium with the mains-fed just yet. Although Israel has an industry microclimate of its own. “The Israeli market is facing a change,” said Gur-Shavit, “as major, branded players are planning their entry, which will lead to the acceleration of the current process, enhancement of its legitimisation and a switch to mains-fed solutions.”

Masafi’s point of difference Oasis’s big bottle The bottled water division of the National Food Product Company, Oasis Water Company, has boosted its production capacity in the Middle East, using ABB robots to become the second biggest 5 gallon water producer in the world. Oasis has an estimated 60% share in the UAE’s 5 gallon bottled water market, and is

the UAE’s largest FMCG company in the beverage and dairy products segment. ABB currently has around 43 industrial robots installed across the Gulf region. The UAE has the largest share with 29 robots, followed by Oman with six robots.

Source: TradeArabia News Service, Aug 13, 2009

While much of the Middle East water cooler market is fed with 5 gallon bottles, Masafi Mineral Water is supplied in 4 gallon bottles, which, according to Masafi, are also the only one-use bottles in use. After they’re emptied they are recycled by the client or disposed of, which Masafi says is more hygienic than the return, rewash and reuse system.

58 MARKET PROFILE

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Driving force

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Can you deliver efficiency at the press of a button? cooler innovation talked route optimisation with Graham Currie - IT Director at Ebac, Mike Brown - Managing Director at Aquis Systems and Francisco dos Santos - Managing Director of Activewhere. Water delivery. It might not sound the most complicated of operations; but without efficient mapping the simple business of driving from A to B could waste time and money, even with an A-Z. It’s a balancing act of dutybound drop-offs and cost expenditure - fuel, labour and environmental; and happy logistics spells satisfaction for distributor, deliverer and customer. Determining the best formula possible is ‘route optimisation’. “Route optimisation can be critical to the success or failure of a water delivery business,” said Graham. “Ensuring that the water delivery route is the most efficient possible has a direct impact on the business’ bottom line. Ebac Water Logisitics (EWL) groups delivers into geographic clusters and calculates the most efficient sequence to deliver to customers on a daily basis, reducing driver miles and fuel.” “Distribution is the most costly and heavy department,” said Francisco.

Ebac software

“If we can increase the number of bottles or services per stop, if we can drop the number of stops without a true delivery, if we can increase the quantity of customers served in a day at the same time and with the same vehicle by just condensing all the customers in specific areas for the same day - and, ultimately, if we can visit only the customers that really need water - the entire distribution concept will be optimised, including customer satisfaction.” Economic sense tells us that grouping deliveries by timeframe and postcode would be the solution. But who has the time to go through the orders, and who has the sort of mathematical brain than can determine absolute efficiency, dependent on a number of factors? “While it may be possible for a skilled depot manager to optimise routes manually, this can be a very time consuming exercise,” said Mike. “Additionally, to maintain maximum efficiency the exercise would need to be reviewed, if not repeated, each and every day in order to take account of ad-hoc deliveries and changes to the client base.” The solution? Like everything it’s technical, with a capital IT. “Subject to other operational criteria, a software-based solution should be able to react and

re-optimise dynamically in order to maintain maximum efficiency,” Mike added.

optimisation? Well designed software can overcome all of these challenges,” said Mike.

Software solutions

“Route optimisation faces several challenges,“ said Francisco, “from geographic distances, customers’ tight specifications, traffic, drivers following their own rules and all kind of daily problems. That’s why we believe that it’s imperative to address some of the main problems, like: 1) customers’ needs 2) smaller distribution zones, using tools like our predicting system, allowing the planner to choose which customers to visit 3) using a PDA (personal digital assistant) to update the information online, allowing all kind of controls during the entire process.

With self-updating street maps and GPS we might ask why a simple dose of common sense might not provide the rudimentary answers. But what route optimisation software gives us is more than a point in the right direction.

Software can automatically detect improvements

“The same challenges exist for both manual and automated route optimisation. What percentage of drops can be accurately forecast? How dense and efficient is the overall delivery area? Is maintaining the driverclient relationship important when it impacts on route

“Our goal as a software and services provider is to create a tool that allows our customers to use their own experiences to adapt and optimise their processes on a daily basis. If a trend is recognisable using the daily and monthly data, and if the business rules are defined, the software can automatically detect improvements, selecting

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

INSIGHT 59

Driving force customers to be visited, avoiding wasted visits, changing customers’ frequencies, combining several services and deliveries in the same visit or even alerting the sales department to adjust their prospecting areas, based on distribution optimisations.” And due to additional factors such as contract specifications and

consumption rates, it’s no surprise key players - even manufacturers - within the water cooler industry are building programmes to suit their own routes, and selling it on. “EWL is a logistics management system that has been developed specifically for the watercooler industry. Built on

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Ebac’s extensive knowledge of the market, and tailormade to meet the day to day needs of operating a water business, the fully integrated software simplifies the entire administration process of customer orders to improve efficiencies and reduce errors,” said Graham. “Furthermore EWL offers an optimised delivery management solution with synchronised electronic data capture and real

time visibility throughout operations.”

Mapping the future While gadgets are getting smarter, the customer’s list of requirements is getting bigger. So where does electronic route optimisation go from here? “The main focus in the software industry is definitely switching towards handheld software rather

Road Test

evin Zwolinski, Managing Director of logistics consultancy Click-On Logistics tells us why we can’t afford to fall behind on route optimisation. The concepts and use of route optimisation have advanced rapidly in recent years as a result of technology developments and enhanced offers from software vendors.

operators and add the latest technology in route planning and optimisation, and now you have the ultimate set of tools at your disposal.

This development has happened in response to increasing complexity in supply chains, ever more dependent upon timecritical deliveries. Customer expectations continued to increase, with penalties applying to the operators if they missed their delivery window, or if they failed to achieve contracted key performance indicators (KPI). At the end of such a supply chain sat a transport planner trying to unpick the equivalent of a dozen Rubik’s cubes at the same time, against the clock.

The real value of the latest technologies is in the integration capability of the various planning elements that need to take place upstream, ahead of the route planning activity. This extends from product master data, to rapid order processing capability, warehouse management, load planning, vehicle scheduling and then route planning. It doesn’t stop there - on-board vehicle telematics systems to monitor vehicle and driver performance and, importantly, route adherence, and then electronic proof of delivery which can trigger immediate performance statistics.

The role of an experienced planner is beyond question, they are worth their weight in gold; but take one of these experienced

According to the nature of the markets served, many of these variables need to be updated and reviewed on a daily basis by route, which puts a huge

Kevin Zwolinski

strain on operations planning. This can only be achieved effectively by using relevant technology platforms of which route optimisation software is pivotal. Companies using these integrated technologies are experiencing benefits of 10% or more in the reduction of routes and vehicles required, and a vast increase in the accuracy of deliveries. The direct and indirect benefits are wide and various: • Fewer vehicles on the road, less carbon emissions • Lower costs • Improved customer experience by using road traffic information to anticipate and

communicate potential performance problems such as road works or floods, where a partial re-route may be required • More effective asset management and planning, especially for peak periods and for promotions • Improved vehicle fill accuracy - the cost of ‘overfilling’ a load allocated to a vehicle can be onerous and result in poor customer service • The working time directive can impose additional restrictions on feasible routes to comply with driver hours • The ability to test ‘what if’ scenarios for alternative methods of delivery operations in a risk free environment (all of the latest software tools offer this planning option) In summary, if these tools are not used by your service providers, you should be asking why. More info at: www.clickonlogistics.com

60 INSIGHT

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

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If well used, the customer’s own data can optimise their business than back office software,” said Graham. “The field engineers and delivery drivers are the backbone of any cooler business, and it’s getting more important to give them the best tools possible. We receive many positive comments about our handheld software, especially the online vehicle tracking element; but the

comments we enjoy the most are the ones from the actual engineers and drivers themselves, on the ease of use of the software.” “I would say that the future in the software business is in automation; optimising processes is the only way to improve and innovate,” said Francisco. “If well used, the customer’s data can optimise their own business to its core. Software is not a cost, but an investment with clear operational and financial benefits.” “The future looks very exciting both for software and IT in general,” said Mike. “The new joint venture between Aquis and

Activewhere software

Activewhere provides water cooler companies with some very exciting new options.” Route optimisation faces a mammoth task - analysing and synchronising data, with ever-changing variables.

But it does more than make sense of presenttime orders, it has the potential to tackle logistic problems further down the road, meaning any-time alterations and variants in the supply chain will not pose a future headache.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

INSIGHT 61

Watershorts

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A round up of ‘lighter’ news

Water cooler bottle art traces plastic history

ater coolers are often installed. But how many are installations in the art world? Four water cooler bottles have found their way into the art world in an exhibition to celebrate World Oceans Month at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The Plastic Century exhibit is a collaborative project exploring the relationship between people, oceans and plastic. And water cooler bottles is where it all comes together.

Cousteau, approximately 60 million tonnes of plastics were made. By 1960 it was 600 million tonnes and 6 billion in 2010 (almost 1 tonne for every human being).

The bottles filled with waste plastic were designed by artists Sarah Kornfeld, Stuart Candy, Jake Dunagan, and oceanographer Wallace J Nichols to represent a specific snapshot in time from 1910 to 2030. Each cooler contains an amount of plastic that is indexed to the cumulative total produced on the planet so far.

In a statement from the artists, they said: “Plastic Century is a hybrid science, art and futures project, created to make visible a phenomenon so widespread that it has become virtually invisible. The production of plastics has increased exponentially over the last century. Plastic is now literally everywhere.”

Starting in 1910, the birth year of famous deepsea diver Jacques-Yves

Plastics production is predicted to reach 12.5 billion tonnes by 2030.

Cosmetal’s Giro d’Italia

Windscreen infection risk

uring Giro d’Italia, the world’s second most prominent professional road bicycle race, water cooler manufacturer Cosmetal gave their sponsorship support. The event, held in May over three weeks in and around Italy, stopped in Cosmetal’s nieghbouring coastal town, Porto Recanati. Cosmetal supplied water to the 2,000 and more journalists, delegates, judges and organisers who gathered in Quartiere Tappa, the itinerant Headquarters set up to manage the racing. Avant bottled water coolers refreshed people working in the pressroom, the conference room and in the various offices in charge of supervising and administering the event; and the Niagara, a professional mains-fed cooler, was installed in the buffet and hospitality area.

ccording the UK’s Health Protection Agency (HPA), windscreen wiper water may be the cause of up to 20% of Legionnaires disease in England and Wales. HPA’s Dr Isabel Oliver explained that stagnant, warm water is a breeding ground for the bacterium, and windscreen wash without added screenwash, when inhaled, can cause pneumonia.

be infected. They found that those most at risk were those who drove or travelled in a van, those who drove through industrial areas, and those who spent a lot of time in the car or who often had the car window open.

The finding came after researchers spotted that professional drivers are five times more likely to

In a pilot study carried out by the HPA, traces of Legionella were found in one in five cars that did not have

62 NEWS

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Moon’s water secret

Taiwan’s bottled building

he main exhibition hall of the Taipei International Floral Exposition is due to open in November.

Using cutting-edge technologies for green, lowcarbon construction, the building with transparent walls and chandelier-like ceiling lights has been named EcoARK, and it claims to be the world’s first large structure fashioned from recycled plastic bottles - 1.5 million of them. The plastic bottles are processed into a hardened

construction material, called Polli-bricks, a trademark of Miniwiz, that meld together in a Lego-style design, apparently strong enough to weather most natural disasters including earthquakes. EcoARK cost only 120 million New Taiwan dollars ($3.8 million) to build, which is about a third of the cost of a glass and steel structure of the same size.

Recent missions have revealed frozen water lying under the dust in craters on the moon’s surface, and it is thought that there is enough, locked into the rocks to cover its entire surface to a depth of one metre.

greater than previous results.” The research, funded by NASA and the Carnegie Institution, is published in the on-line early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Francis McCubbin of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, who led the study, said: “For over 40 years we thought the moon was dry. We found that the minimum water content ranged from 64 parts per billion to five parts per million - at least two orders of magnitude

new study has shown the moon may have 100 times more water than previously believed.

Sim City

I screenwash, but in no cars that did. Dr Isabel Oliver said: “It does not spread from person to person but is present in water environments and is breathed in when it gets into the air in fine particles or mist.”

The CityOne simulation game, with a Sim-like playing platform, will be able to help users - be they urban planners or students - to construct their own cities and create infrastructure and networks, with the added feature of seeing how their designs effect the environment. Factors that need to be address and controlled in city-management include

Source: Fiat

BM has announced plans to create an online game that can educate and entertain.

water, banking, energy and retail. The game will be free and is intended for gaming fun, but also to help professionals and

academics assess the environmental risks of city planning before they commit themselves to real-time construction.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

NEWS 63

Next issue . . .

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A preview of what’s to come in cooler innovation, issue 28 Special report: Packaging & labelling We get wrapped up in the physical material and marketing of the cooler and its components, from labels and glue to logos and product descriptions.

COOLER innovation

Would you like to contribute to cooler innovation?

Focus: Water cooler technology Water comes out of a cooler, but what goes in? We look at reservoir, direct chill and RO, and the touches of technology genius that make coolers safe, hygienic, efficient and functional.

Business insight: Building a business An idea for a business is just the beginning. But what comes next? Business plans, forecasts, acquisitions and exit strategies. cooler innovation looks at the small print behind the grand plan.

Market Profile: Asia, Australia and Pacific We look at another region in the world of water,

Event preview: EBWA cooler innovation talks tabletop exhibitions in the lead-up to EBWA’s big event in bohemian Prague, this October. • If you have any expertise in the above features and would like to share your knowledge, thoughts and suggestions, then please email the editor.

Important dates for Issue 28 Editorial deadline: 3 August Please send your news for inclusion before this date. If you are contributing to a main feature please speak with the editor as soon as possible. Advertising closing date: 13 August Please direct your interest to Joanna.shilton@foodbev.com Contact the editor: Rachel Delahaye rd@foodbev.com Tel: 44 (0)1225 327861

If you have something that fits the following categories, send us the information and we’ll do our best to include it in the next issue.

News and business We cover mergers, acquisitions, new appointments, new premises, expansion, certification, awards.

Innovations Product launches, new inventions, patent approvals, collaborations, catalogue updates.

Day in the life If you would like us to document a day in your life in the cooler industry, drop us a line.

Day in the job Over the next few issues we will be looking at specific jobs in the water cooler industry, from sanitisers to publicists to decision-makers. If you, or someone in your company, would like to talk about their job then please write to the editor.

Letters Any concerns or opinions about news, legislations and events that affect the water cooler industry, then please send your letters to the editor. We will endeavour to print as many as we can. Please note that letters that are deemed offensive or self-promoting will not be published.

64 PREVIEW

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Cooler views

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Watermark Consultancy’s Mike Hurst talks us through the questions that have landed on his desk in the last couple of months. You will see that the queries I’ve received range from those of serious implication to the apparently trivial - but all have been triggered by customer concerns. A concerned customer is one you might lose if you do not deal with the concern properly. Never be dismissive. Many of these concerns have been triggered by the ‘Health and Safety’ risk assessment culture that has pervaded the UK, where transference of responsibility to the supplier and getting paper reassurances has become the norm. The UK’s Department of Health has just issued an alert on the bacteriological hazards of using flexible piping to connect vending machines to the mains. We are now being asked to provide risk assessments that the piping we use will be suitable. Can you help, please? The warning is concerned with flexible pipes with a reinforced metal mesh exterior and a plastic lining made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Pipes of this nature, used to connect taps to the mains under sinks, have been found to be readily colonised by biofilm-loving organisms such as Pseudomonas and Legionella. I am reassured by my colleagues at the European Vending Association that because of these concerns (which date from 2006) these pipes are rarely used. I have never seen such pipes used for regular mains-fed coolers, but have seen them used on drinking fountains and icemakers. The reasons why some EPDM pipes were a problem was a combination of a material that was biofilm-friendly plus defects in the manufacturing process that left pits ideal for microbial colonisation, which of course also made sanitisation difficult. If you are asked about risks from the pipework you use do point out that any pipework used in the UK that is WRAS Approved will have been tested to prove it will not encourage

extensive microbial growth and that there is no risk. If you are using EPDM piping then I suggest that you stop. A major client has demanded we give reassurance on what precautions we take to control Legionnaires disease risks in our cooler installations. Any suggestions? One needs to know about Legionella to understand any risks. The organism has some very significant growth characteristics that affect risk.

The organism has some very significant growth characteristics that affect risk You must also understand that the risk of the organism entering your installations at some sites is not unlikely. It may be that as much as 5% of UK tap water systems carry low levels of Legionella. In the Netherlands with its unchlorinated water I am told it is rather higher. • Legionella is incapable of growth below 20-21°C. It needs warm water to grow. • There is evidence to show Legionella (of the same species)

growing at temperatures approaching their optimum of 37°C are more dangerous than those growing at temperatures at the lower end of their range. • Legionella is only capable of causing an infection if inhaled as an aerosol. Coolers do not generate aerosols. • There is actually no evidence to suggest that Legionella is harmful if consumed. • The organism grows best in the presence of organic matter, i.e., those supplies with extensive sediment and biofilms. • It is easily killed by chlorine and other oxidising disinfectants such as ozone and peroxide. Chlorine residual in the feed pipes to your cooler will keep it down. So what precautions can you take? 1. Use approved plumbers or installers to do your installations. AWCN, BWCA and EPDWA all have training courses for installers that deal with Legionella issues. 2. Trained installers will avoid long runs of pipework to individual coolers, which will prevent water sitting in pipes for long periods and losing their chlorine residual. 3. They will also avoid warm areas for their pipe runs so that Legionella, even if present, cannot grow. Danger areas are over light fittings, by radiators, hot water pipes and confined areas where vending machines pump out a lot of heat. 4. Regular sanitisation of coolers and reviews of installations avoid biofilm build-ups. 5. Use WRAS Approved piping that will not encourage bacterial growth.

Mike Hurst 6. Avoid tanked supplies. 7. Also point out that cooler hot tank temperatures will kill Legionella. A lady has claimed that she caught cystitis from water from one of our coolers. Can you help, please? Diplomacy needed! Cystitis is a bladder infection to which ladies are more prone because of their plumbing arrangements; it is caused by intestinal bacteria entering the urinary system from the exterior, often caused by inadequate personal hygiene. It cannot reach the bladder any other way, so drinking the causative organisms cannot be involved. Indeed, frequent drinking will help alleviate cystitis. A new client with a brand new building is reporting a bitter taste in water from our coolers. At the first filter change we noticed the filters were a bluegreen colour. Are these both linked? Almost certainly. There is a dissolved copper problem; and in fact, there may even be toxicity issues. Usually, after commissioning, a new copper piping system will give off higher than normal copper levels, but that soon settles down as the copper forms a protective layer. The use of aggressive water treatments by building owners overwary of Legionella problems can actually result in copper corrosion and even a health

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

EXPERT OPINION 65

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risk! Careless braising of joints can also create local problems with copper as the protective film is disrupted. I have also found that use of electric coil descaling systems can trigger copper problems. Whilst your filters are clearly taking out some copper, a filter designed to remove copper would help. I am told that these are not widely available but I have had one supplier tell me that they could formulate a filter that would take out copper if there were a demand. Point out to your client that the copper issue is due to their plumbing and that their water treatment may well be to blame. But first ensure that all is well with your installation standards! A client has asked for assurance that our product is gluten-free. What on earth can we tell them without being rude?

I have looked at the photographs and if they are supposed to have been recently sanitised as you say then your supplier is clearly not providing the service you have been paying for. I suggest that you

Wiping filters is not an acceptable alternative to filter change take this up with them and at the same time start looking around for a cooler company who will clean your coolers properly. There are many out there. However I suspect (and have heard) that some companies in these tough financial times have been

increasing the target number of coolers for their staff to sanitise in a day - which can result in a decline in service. Continual downward pressure on prices has brought this about. Accept that if you want your coolers properly serviced then you might have to review the prices you pay. But that doesn’t excuse the cooler company.

We have just been offered a bargain 1 micron filter which appears too good to be true. How can we find out if the filter is satisfactory? Price is not always a guide to a filter’s capabilities but you are very wise to be wary. I am aware of a number of filters (often unmarked or rebranded) that claim to be of 1 micron nominal performance. This might just mean the filter is claimed to take out some 1 micron particles. Be very wary indeed of such filters. Ask your supplier for independently assessed test results of filtration performance, specific to the model concerned. These will also need to state that the materials are suitable for use with water. EPDWA is more specific. Filters accepted by its auditors must have a documented, proven 1 micron performance with 95%+ removal of 1 micron particles. This will give excellent protection against Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts. For absolute protection against the cysts of these organisms cyst rated filters to NSF standard 53 are required.

We have been told that wiping a ceramic filter will prolong its life and we may not need to change them so often. I have heard rumours of this claim and the simple answer is: wiping of filters is not an acceptable alternative to filter change. Ceramic filters can quickly block with biofilm on the outside, and it is true that wiping will quickly resolve such blockages and enable the filter to live its full life of six months. A number of manufacturers are beginning to make claims that their filters can go longer than six months between changes without independent proof to support their claims. Not wishing to get in the way of advances like this, EPDWA is working on a general test method that all manufacturers can use to prove their claims. The reason for the six month life is bacterial growth in the filter.

Our government is considering introducing a maximum limit for the 22C TVC count for bottled water at the point of consumption. What effect would such an imposition have?

Very tempting to be rude here! I would suggest you politely point out that your water does not come into contact with gluten (from wheat) but that, just in case, you have checked with your label glue supplier that there is no gluten in the glue used on your labels, which might migrate into the water. That extra step will show that you took the concern seriously.

My company has more than 100 coolers leased from a major cooler company. We are becoming increasingly concerned at the quality of the servicing they are receiving. We have attached photographs. We would appreciate your comment on the condition of these coolers.

Are your coolers gluten-free?

Put simply it will kill your bottled water industry. The EU sets TVC standards to be tested within 12 hours of bottling because in water the few harmless surviving bacteria at bottling will begin to grow slowly after capping and will be well in excess of the 100/ml standards set at bottling when the bottle is opened or put on a cooler. You need someone to talk practicalities to your government and hope they listen to sense. If the worst case arises, then fitting UV lamps, silver systems or ozonation to your coolers could help compliance with what would be an unreasonable law. Good luck.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

EXPERT OPINION 67

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EBWA matters

Click here to subscribe By Director General, Gustav Felix

EBWA new Articles of Association registered in Brussels EBWA Management would like to thank all National Associations, Direct Members and International Suppliers for their support

and participation (mostly via Proxies) to the extraordinary General Meeting which took place on 23 April 2010 at the Notary in Brussels.

From this date on the new AoA are valid and the meetings in Vienna were kept according to these Articles. The French and

English versions will be available for download at the official EBWA website: www.ebwa.org

Short summary of the Vienna meetings

Based on the proposal from the Executive Council the Annual General Meeting voted as follows: Yariv Shapira - to remain Chairman until the next General Meeting which will take place in Prague on 25 October 2010 Jeroen Peters - was elected Vice Chairman to replace Yariv as Chairman in Prague Michael Barnett - was elected as Interim Treasurer until Prague and to become Treasurer in Prague

The following members were confirmed by the General Meeting to join EBWA’s Executive Council: Jeroen Peters - Nestlé Waters to replace Henrik Jelert John Dundon - Chairman BWCA Alain Adler - Chairman BWA Alex Mezquida - Laboratorio Dr. Oliver Rodés The Executive Council assists the Chairman and Director-General in planning, organising and reviewing the Association’s strategies, activities, funding and

performance between General Meetings. It shall follow up and implement the decisions of the General Meeting.

Approval of the new elected Chairpersons of National Associations ADEAC - Spain: Adriana du Croo de Jongh AFIFAE - France: Nicolas Milesi APIAM - Portugal: Alexandre Carreteiro

New Committee Chair Persons Michael Frick (Capsnap) was elected as Chairman of the Supplier and Trade Fair Committee, replacing Krzysztof Glinianowicz (Greif) who had a substantial contribution to the work of the Committee since 2006. Gerry Mavin (Portola) replaced Phillip Walton as Chairman of the Standard & Technical Committee, since Phillip is not active in the water cooler industry anymore.

News from the Committees The Standard European Auditing Grid for Distributors was reworked and found full acceptance by the Board. During 2010 the reworked Grid will be tested in different

Election of Chairman - Vice Chairman Treasurer

countries and will become mandatory for all National Associations from 2011 on. The Education and Audit Committee will organise in Prague a training session for Auditors - ‘Train the Auditor’ - to facilitate the implementing of the new Grid.

The General Meeting agreed on the revision of the Technical Manual.

The Table Top Fair in Prague from 25-27 October 2010 is now open for bookings.

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

EBWA 69

EPDWA matters

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EPDWA introduce Associate Membership

he mains-fed water cooler industry is attractive to many start-up companies because limited resources and premises are needed whilst cooler numbers are built up. Yet the irony is that the time when a new company most needs guidance is when it can least afford it - and companies learning as they go along and making serious errors are a threat to the water cooler industry as a whole.

Start-up companies may find it difficult to meet the audit standards of trade associations and afford the attendant charges necessary of a trade association like EPDWA that could be of great benefit to them. EPDWA has long recognised that the newly established companies who may wish to adopt standards and improve their business may not initially be able to afford to conform to some standards - especially

with regard to premises. Yet what better way is there to learn to do things properly than by becoming a member of a recognised trade association? Instead of saying ‘go away and come back when you are ready’ to such companies EPDWA has decided to introduce the status of Associate Member for those distributors who wish to learn, improve their company operations and work towards - and and ultimately comply with - EPDWA standards whilst building their businesses.

A day with the EPDWA

ater industry enthusiast and work experience girl Emily Cowls tells cooler innovation about her time with the mains-fed association. On April 1, 2010, as part of my two-week work experience placement, I was invited to work in the office of the EPDWA. I was met by Kate Binks, who greeted me with a nice cup of tea and invited me to the office. It surprised me by not being swish and fancy but a small, simple, comfortable office pleasantly located in the lovely Kennet Valley near Newbury. We got straight to work printing off certificates to the EPDWA hygiene courses which had been run earlier that week (which I sat in on and received full marks for!) and the EPDWA/NSF POU installation course, which I learnt was created to train approved installers to fit machines competently and without the need to notify the tap water companies

• Associate membership will only be open to individuals - not companies; of course, those individuals may well be running start-up companies. • Permission to use an EPDWA logo will not be permitted until a distributor company has become a full member and passed its first audit. • Associate members and their staff will be able to turn to the EPDWA for help and guidance and use the EPDWA Helpline. • Associate members and their staff will be eligible to attend EPDWA training sessions and receive EPDWA certificates of competence in hygiene and cooler installation.

first as required by the UK’s Water Fittings Regulations. As it is valid for life no repeat courses are necessary. The office was extremely well organised and I could clearly see the amount of organisation that goes into supporting EPDWA members, including dealing with enquiries from members of the public, the tricky task of co-ordinating audit appointments, the audits themselves, the subsequent reports and the Association’s training programme. EPDWA makes sure that its members are catered for and even offers a helpline for members, run by Mike Hurst of Watermark Consultancy. I was surprised the membership was as big as it was given the size and staffing of the office (just two people) but even on the day I was there a number of new members joined.

How does Associate Membership work?

Emily with Kate Binks

From what I saw the EPDWA would be an extremely interesting place to work with the variety of jobs to do. I helped with importing data onto their database, printing certificates and even changing the certificate design. Overall I had a good day and experienced how much work EPDWA carries out behind the scenes to promote and protect its industry and just how EPDWA sees its role as genuinely helping members - not controlling them.

• Associate members will receive copies of all EPDWA documentation and have access to the members section of the EPDWA website. • Associate members could be individual sub-contractors who wish to receive EPDWA standards. • Associate membership is not open to suppliers. • Associate members will be allowed to attend EPDWA meetings but will not have a vote. The long-term objective is to bring companies up to standard so they can pass the EPDWA audits and become full accredited members when the time is right. For details contact Kate Binks at the EPDWA; 01189 712298

70 EPDWA

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

Cooler work

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A day in my life Ian Devine is Managing Director of Kleena Coola, the one-man ‘One-Stop Sani Shop’, selling to trade cleaning products and accessories for water coolers. He talks us through his day. 9am Pallet loads need picking and packing early, as we use a local haulage company who collect around lunchtime. Gill (my partner) arrives and makes a coffee, so then it’s time to sit down and go through the emails. 11am Pick and pack all the parcels. We need to put various items

in boxes to keep carriage cost as low as possible. We keep our prices as low as we can but maintain a margin, therefore we add carriage to every order, but try to be fair to our customers with the cost.

I look for products I think would be beneficial to a cooler company or to a sanitiser - a job I have done over the years. Then I chase deliveries; all dispatched goods are trackable.

12–3pm We take orders, invoice, chase debt and answer questions. I am asked for advice on product suitability. One of the most regular questions I get is about filters - we only sell 1 micron and lower, but some mains-fed companies have purchased five or even ten micron filters, then they wonder why the filter is not up to the job.

4.30-5.30pm The warehouse always needs sorting out. Our

3–4.30pm I research new products. With 21 years experience,

warehouse is small so it can look messy quickly. Then it’s more coffee, plenty of water and at present, I am sorting out new building issues. Liberty is on the horizon - in July we are moving to a new premises. It’s just 100 metres away, but it’s twice the size and logistically 200% better.

What do you love about your day? One of the best things is finding a product a customer has asked for that is not in our range, and delivering in excess of their request. We have supplied various lines by request such as John Guest fittings, filters, water pressure gauges, pipe freezing kits and Caution Hot Water labels. What would you rather not do in your day? Probably buying ad space in magazines! No, really the bit I really don’t like is having to chase money, but it is a necessary evil of trade I guess.

A day in my job Dan Turner, 22, has been with Water at Work - Midlands for three years. We ask him about his job as a water delivery driver. What skills and training do you have? Health and Safety, Hygiene Awareness, Forklift Licence, Customer Service, Driving assessments. What distances do you have to travel? Average 80-100 miles per day. What equipment do you have to help you? Prowat Management System, sat-nav (although I know the whole of our delivery area by heart!).

flexible; I can start early if I want to finish early (such as when I aim to be home to watch the football). But I have to be sure I’ve visited all my clients - I have to look after them properly. My customers are lovely and each drop is like a social visit and I love the people I work with, too. What’s the worst thing about your job? The early mornings sometimes and parking!

What uniform do you wear? Smart royal blue trousers and tops with various styles of jacket when needed. For certain sites I also have to wear a hard hat, high-visibility jacket and sturdy boots.

Has anything embarrassing ever happened? I once dropped a bottle of water at a doctor’s surgery. The water went everywhere. Fortunately the client was great. But I haven’t tried to carry five bottles on a trolley again since . . .

What sort of person do you have to be? Outgoing, polite, happy, friendly, physically strong, hard working, charming. But as all our clients are lovely it is isn’t hard.

The final word Water at Work is a wonderful company to work for; it doesn’t seem like work because everyone is easy going and I feel empowered to get on with my job. We all know the company aims and we are always looking for new business opportunities.

What’s the best thing about your job? No two days are the same, and the job is very

www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

BUSINESS VIEW 71

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Closures

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foodbev com daily industry news and opinion Making a splash online now

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What’s in it for YOU? • Industry expert opinions, news and innovations • Interviews with the biggest names in the water cooler world • Free FoodBev email newsletters

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www.foodbev.com/cooler Issue 27 - June · July 2010

CARBONIT Filtertechnik GmbH Industriestr. 2 D-29410 Salzwedel (Germany) Tel : +49 39035 955 0 Fax : +49 39035 955 242 E-mail: info@carbonit.com Website: www.carbonit.com

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MARKETPLACE 73

Light at the end

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The lighter side of the industry

Drinking off-shore daughter’s homework project inspired him to consider bottling the stuff.

Acquamara claims to be the world’s first designer seawater. With a starting price of £4.95, the premier seawater is collected from the free ocean just off the tiny island of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides. It’s passed through a filter that removes sand, dirt and rust and then taken to Dunbar, where it is tested to ensure it passes European standards for safe drinking water. From there it’s decanted into bag-in-box packaging and distributed. The marine tipple comes from Andy Inglis, a former United Nations official whose

He says on the website: “It all started with my daughter Farlan’s school history project. We were reading an old Scottish recipe for stovies. In a throwaway line, it mentioned that, instead of salting the water, coastal cooks would often boil potatoes in seawater. Behind us, the sea was crashing onto the beach . . . it was a revelation. I made salmon and broccoli as well as potatoes. It seemed to make food taste more of itself. I experimented a bit more. Pasta, monkfish, green beans. Everyone loved them. I was hooked.” Inglis says he can understand some people might not part with money for something they can get

cooler innovation ADVERTISER INDEX Page

AA First Circon Activewhere Allpure AquaChain AquaCure Aquis Asset Blackhawk Blupura Capsnap CEM Clover Cosmetal Crystal Mountain Devine Water Co Fairey Ceramics Great Idea Company Hygienic Solutions

37 54 39 14 27 61 2 18 26 29 32 11 23 9 31 15 41 68

Page

Kleena Coola Krystal Kritis Microfilter Oasis OP Sarl PHS Polymer Solutions Portola Packaging Sam Jin Sigma Speciality Media Subscriptions Tana Tomlinson Watercoolers Direct Wongbong YoungOne Corporation Zerica

17 66 25 50 31 66 76 43 66 66 28 68 13 68 21 7 75 4

for free - but it seems some people will; it has since been picked up by Michelinstar chefs and appeared on television cookery slots. Seawater in cooking is as old as the sea, but it has more recently been used by celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who claim it enhances the flavour

of foodstuffs from shellfish to soups to oatcakes. Acquamara is believed to be the first packaged seawater in the world that has been aimed at the culinary market. “I think it’s going to be seen as a bit cheeky, but if I can be a bit cheeky and create jobs in the Hebrides than I’m happy being a bit cheeky,” said Mr Inglis. The name Acquamara comes from the Italian for water, acqua, and the Gaelic for sea, mara. It was inspired by Inglis’s days working for the UN in Rome, as well as by the source of the water in the Gaelicspeaking Outer Hebrides. Acquamara is available to order through its website and a handful of select outlets in Scotland. It is sold in 3 litre and 20 litre bulk bag-in-box containers made by Smurfit Kappa.

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74 FINAL WORD