Soccer legend Dario Simic, defender for Italy’s AC Milan, is bringing more than fame and fortune to his native land; now he’s bringing them healthier water as well.
Simic, a Zagreb, Croatia native, opened one of Croatia’s first Home/Office Delivery (HOD) bottling plants in November 2002. A newcomer to the purified water market, he opened the plant to provide the Croatian market with pure, fresh-tasting water, delivered to their doors in removable 5-gallon bottles with coolers that provide both hot and cold water at the touch of a button. The HOD water market, which has been in existence for more than 20 years in the U.S., is new to Eastern Europe, and consumer demand is high.
Purer Water, Better Taste
Though Croatia’s city water meets the
World Health Organization’s standards, it lacks the good taste and superior purity that health-conscious western consumers have demanded for years. To meet these quality needs, Simic partnered with Severn Trent Services to equip his plant with the finest filtration and reverse osmosis technology including pumping systems, filtration devices, water sterilization systems, and mineral injection equipment. These systems filter toxins, chemicals, and harsh minerals from the water. Next, they remove, and dispose of, the dissolved solids.
Once the water is completely purified, the system re-introduces minerals that are essential for health and taste. An ozone sterilization system sterilizes the water to ensure that it is 100 percent organic and free of contaminants. Collectively, these procedures dramatically increase the shelf-life of bottled water.
In addition to sterilization and osmosis equipment, Simic turned to Severn Trent Services for bottling equipment. Simic’s plant uses Severn Trent’s Waterworks™ bottling system, which washes, fills, and caps the 5-gallon returnable bottles. Severn Trent’s Waterworks™ system enables Simic’s plant to process 480 bottles per hour and purifies 64,000 gallons per day of fresh drinking water.
A full-time partner for a turnkey project
While many companies can provide the technology needed for just one piece of the puzzle, Simic wanted a partner that would provide everything from bottling equipment to purification systems. Dennis Nesicolaci, Manager Of International Sales, explains why. "Dealing with different vendors for the various technologies that an over-sized plant like Simic’s needs can slow installation time and present maintenance and repair problems down the road," he said. "A plant operations manager needs equipment that is guaranteed to work together, and they need to be confident that their partner can quickly provide design, engineering, and integration services, training sessions, and after-sales support locally. We were able to do this."
And it’s paying off. Now that the plant’s HOD services have become so popular with Croatian consumers, Simic plans to expand his plant with Severn Trent’s Babyworks™ small-bottling line to serve the (PET) small-bottle retail market.
"Purified water has been a long time coming to the Croatian public," said Nesicolaci. "It’s gratifying to see consumers finally benefit from such a healthy, essential product."