The Swiss Katadyn Group, probably the global market leader in portable water purification solutions, increased its total sales significantly in 2010. Turnover soared by 15.8 percent compared with 2009 and reached 44.3 million Swiss francs (€41.7m-$59.6m). The operating profit went up from CHF 6.1 million (€5.8m-$8.2m) to 7.8 million (€7.4m-$10.5m). The growth did not come only from outdoor sports, but also from an increased commitment to industrial and municipal water purification. In 2009, Katadyn acquired a stake in a company that is now known as Katadyn Industrial Water Treatment (KIWT). It was the major task of the group to integrate this business into the whole, which comprises the Katadyn core brand (portable filters and water purifiers), Optimus (stoves from Sweden) and Trek'n Eat, a German manufacturer of freeze-dried expedition food. Katadyn also benefited from strong orders from the military in Asia, Germany, France and Switzerland. The sales of its subsidiaries in France, the U.S., Germany, Singapore and Sweden only partially reflect the group's overall sales due to the strength of the Swiss franc, currently the biggest challenge to the company, which is committed to keeping its production in Switzerland. Currently, a major investment intends to double the production capacities in the Zurich area.
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