WORLD NEWS
NIVEKO Celebrate New Site With Grand Opening Days Earlier this year, pool manufacturer NIVEKO moved to a new production facility and to celebrate, the company planned an official grand opening event. However, as the firm has so many business partners and major pool component suppliers who they wished to invite, there was a need to split the celebrations across two dates to enable everyone to visit. The first part of the grand opening took place on Friday 14 September 2018, followed by the second on 5 October 2018. With 95% of its products exported to Western Europe markets, more than 50 business partners from ten European countries attended across the two dates. There were also representatives of Pollet Pool Group, a global player in the swimming pool industry, which became the owner of NIVEKO at the start 2018. After an introduction by NIVEKO CEO Šimon Janča, who welcomed the guests, a speech was given by Sofie Pollet, who stressed the common values upheld by both companies, such as hard and honest work leading to success, plus respect for the customer in the business relationship. She also mentioned the similarity between the two companies, which were both established as family firms. The grand opening
was also attended by the founder, Jacques Pollet, with his wife and representatives of the company’s management team. The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon was followed by a tour of the outdoor pool showroom – the NIVEKO Garden – which features four different types of working pools that demonstrate possible combinations plus various different designs for surroundings. The visitors then moved into the administrative building, where they were given a tour of the offices, the technical facilities, storage areas and, last but not least, the production hall, where various types of pool could be seen in varying stages of completion. The afternoon programme continued with discussions and talks with the business partners, who passed on their experiences of installing pools and who compared the differences in the pool markets across various different countries. The group dinner in the wine cellar accompanied by traditional cimbalom music was a pleasant end to a successful day. NIVEKO s.r.o. +420 572 693 246 www.niveko-pools.com
Fluidra Is Prime Pool Partner For Virgin Active In Bangkok
Fluidra is partnering with Virgin Active, the leisure and sports chain, to design and build the pools for its fitness centres in Asia. The latest is located at the exclusive Bangkok-based Whizdom 101 mall and residential complex, a smart city inside Bangkok located in one of the most up-and-coming areas of the Thai capital. The project, led by the Fluidra Thailand subsidiary, includes the design and construction of three pools: a competition pool measuring 227 m2, a 69 m2 hydrotherapy pool, and a 155 m2 children’s pool. With these facilities, the Virgin Active fitness centre at Whizdom 101 will have a comprehensive state-of-the-art aquatic area that will ensure maximum wellbeing for gym members. Fluidra’s collaboration with Virgin Active in Asia now comes to a total of
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five projects since 2015. In addition to Whizdom 101, Fluidra is responsible for the pools at a further three Virgin Active fitness centres in Bangkok, at EmQuartier, Siam Discovery Center and Central Festival Eastville. It has also provided the water sports facilities at the recently opened Virgin Active Marina One, located in a skyscraper in Singapore’s financial district. The Virgin Active projects in Thailand and Singapore confirm Fluidra’s important presence in Asia, where it is also the supplier for numerous aquatic competitions.
Platinum Equity Aquires Lonza’s Water Care Business Lonza and Platinum Equity jointly announced at the start of November that Platinum Equity has entered into a definitive agreement with Lonza to acquire the company’s Water Care business and operations. With headquarters in Alpharetta, GA (USA), Water Care has six manufacturing facilities in key regions, including North America, South America, EMEA and South Africa, with sales locations in all regions globally and with approximately 1,200 employees. The business is a leading provider of innovative water treatment solutions and a top global consumer brand in residential pool care and key positions in high-growth industrial and municipal water care markets. The agreement is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. “We are putting the Water Care business in the hands of an experienced owner who will develop Water Care as a standalone business while focusing on innovation and further growth. We believe that we have found the optimal partner for the business to give new perspectives to the global sites and its employees,” said Richard Ridinger, CEO of Lonza. Lonza already announced in May this year that it had retained an investment bank to advise on all strategic options regarding its Water Care business as part of an active portfolio management approach. The strategic review was publicly confirmed at Lonza’s Capital Markets Day in September 2018. Lonza acquired the Water Care business as part of its acquisition of Arch Chemicals in 2011 and developed it as part of the Specialty Ingredients segment. “We are looking forward to working with Water Care’s experienced management team to further grow the business and strengthen its unique positioning in residential pool care and industrial water markets around the world,” said Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei. Water Care’s business unit head Christian Wichert and his experienced management team will continue to lead the business.
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 30/11/2018 13:29