Univar named official distributor of GE water treatment products for Italy and Southern Europe
- Categories: Univar Regional News, Sustainability, Suppliers agreement, Products, Industry, Expansion - Acquisition
- 06 December 2010
Brussels, Belgium – 6th December 2010 – Univar, a leading global chemical distributor, announced today that it has signed an agreement with GE Water & Process Technologies to become the company’s official distributor of their water treatment products, starting initially in Italy and Southern Europe, but planned to extend throughout Europe.
The new range of products has applications in almost all industrial processes and will be very relevant to Univar’s existing customer base, from food and pharmaceutical companies to coatings and energy businesses. Univar will be distributing products across five categories: boiler treatment, membrane separation, odour control, dust control and closed loop internal treatment.
Nearly 20% of global freshwater consumption occurs in industrial processes that include cooling, cleaning, chemical processing, wastewater treatment, power generation and manufacturing operations. GE Water & Process Technologies has developed cutting-edge proprietary technologies that enable companies to re-use wastewater, reduce water and energy consumption, reduce disposal costs and achieve regulatory compliance.
Water treatment is one of the key strategic sectors Univar is focusing on to drive growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Adding water treatment products to its portfolio opens up significant new opportunities for Univar’s business and reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability and the environment. Increasing the proportion of ‘greener’ products in its portfolio is a key pillar of Univar’s pioneering U+stainability programme and the opportunity to partner with companies that have strong track records in sustainability, like GE, is very important.
“Almost every industrial process requires water at some stage, but it is a rapidly dwindling natural resource that for too long has been taken for granted,” says Cristina Lorenzetti, Univar’s recently appointed Supplier Director, Water Treatment Applications, EMEA. “Businesses across all sectors are coming under increasing pressure to use water sparingly and efficiently, whether through internal sustainability initiatives or external governmental regulation. Products like those developed by GE Water & Process Technologies will play an important part in helping companies achieve these goals.
“At current levels of increasing consumption, water demand will exceed supply by 470 trillion gallons (1780 trillion litres) in 2020. We are creating advanced technologies that help develop new innovations for water purification and conservation that allow customers to run more efficient and responsible businesses,” explains Andrea Natali, Regional Manager Italy, GE Power & Water. “It has been great to work with a company like Univar which has a focus on sustainability that mirrors our own and I am confident that we will do a great job together.”
Pictured left to right
Roberto Caresani, Project Manager, Water Treatment, Univar Italy
Andrea Natali Regional Manager Italy, GE Power & Water
Silvio Scarpanti, Regional Director Italy and Southern Europe, Univar
Cristina Lorenzetti, Supplier Director, Water Treatment, EMEA, Univar
Alfredo Di Blasi Indirect Europe Sales Leader, GE Power & Water
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About Univar
Univar is one of the world’s leading distributors of industrial and specialty chemicals. Univar represents over 2,500 chemical producers and provides its customer base, made up of 80,000 customers, with a full portfolio of products. Univar operates a network of 179 facilities in North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America, with additional sales offices located in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2009, Univar reported sales of $7.2 billion. For more information, visit: http://www.univar.com/.
Operating from 56 distribution facilities in 25 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Univar’s 2,200 local employees serve more than 28,000 customers in a diverse range of industries including coatings, food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, and other major sectors. To learn more about Univar Europe, please visit: http://www.univareurope.com/.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified infrastructure, finance and media company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, health care solutions and television programming, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.ge.com./
GE serves the energy sector by developing and deploying technology that helps make efficient use of natural resources. With nearly 85,000 global employees and 2009 revenues of $37 billion, GE Energy www.ge.com/energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies. The businesses that comprise GE Energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Services and GE Oil & Gas—work together to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels.
For further information please contact:
Catherine Lennon
Director - Communications, Europe, Middle East & Africa
Univar Europe
T +32 (0) 2 525 05 63
F +32 (0) 2 520 17 51
M +32 (0) 478 251 588
catherine.lennon@univareurope.com
Julian Rea
Account Manager, CitySavvy PR
T: + 44 (0) 207 395 1000
M: + 44 (0) 7825 66 3000
julian@citysavvy.com