of bacteria and viruses, and a composite filter material certified to remove heavy metals from water, with its main differentiator being its lead removal performance. HaloSource has also developed a consumer product (Astrea) using its filter technology. This product is a reusable portable water bottle with changeable filters that is certified to remove lead from tap water. Lead removal is a major differentiator in the USA in particular, where a number of health scares have occurred due to lead levels in drinking water. Astrea allows consumers to obtain filtered drinking water at a much lower cost per litre than bottled water, whilst avoiding the negative environmental impact of plastic water bottle usage. Astrea was launched in late 2018 and is available via a number of distribution channels as a subscription product including the delivery of regular replacement filters. Mark Bartlett commented: “We are very pleased to be adding to our technology and product portfolios through this acquisition of value adding assets. We maintain that the USA is a key geography for us, and this transaction offers us a stronger presence in this market. As well as bringing additional customer and supplier relationships, we see the opportunity to provide increased differentiation to further expand our filtration division.”
Driving thermostat technology Strix Group Plc is a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of kettle safety controls and other components and devices
74 Industry Europe
involving water heating and temperature control, steam management and water filtration. To date, Strix has sold over 1.9 billion units, and management estimate that Strix safety controls are used over 1 billion times per day by consumers, in more than 100 countries, and by over 10 per cent. of the world’s population. The Isle-of-Man headquartered company was established in 1982 by John Taylor to carry on the pioneering work of Castletown Thermostats, the business his father Eric Taylor had founded to develop the revolutionary thermostat technology that he had invented during the Second World War to control the heated flying suits worn by bomber crews at high altitudes. By 1998 Strix had become the world market leader for the supply of controls to the domestic water boiling appliances market and in 2009 it celebrated the production of one billion controls. In 2013 it launched its baby formula maker, a diversification that addressed what it saw as previously unmet consumer needs.
Expanding the offer Today enhancing its kettle control offering remains a key focus for Strix with the global kettle market currently valued at retail at around GBP3 billion and projected to expand by around 15 per cent over the next three years. But Hot Water on Demand (HWoD) is now also a key element in the company’s offering. HWoD is a natural extension to the Strix
