SEBWA - Southeastern Bottled Water Association

200 Georgia Crown Drive
McDonough, GA 30253
770-302-3400 Main Number
770-302-3411 Direct Line

Rapid Pack is pleased to announce the release of a new patented concept called Rapid'O Pack. This innovative concept of PET plastic bottle revolutionizes the bottling industry practice by introducing new engineering and process and permanently changes the consumer's habits as well.

Since the water business is currently increasing in the U.S. and worldwide, we are convinced that our water bottling solutions are totally matching to this new trend as this industrial process allows higher productivity and profitability compared to regular "blow moulded" bottles.

Furthermore, this new PET plastic container is fully compliant with the latest Western environmental standards. For your information, our concept uses current production lines regularly available on the market through our sub-contractors as well as secondary packaging for transportation.

For more information, visit our website at www.rapidopack.com.

IBWA Announces 2005 Officers, Board Members and Executive Committee
Steve Raupe elected Chairman of the Board

Alexandria, VA -- The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) announced its 2005 Officers, Board Members and Executive Committee during the IBWA 46th Annual Convention and Trade Show, part of BevExpo '04, held in Tampa, Florida, September 28 through October 1, 2004.

Steve Raupe, owner of Eureka Water Co., Inc. in Oklahoma City, OK, was elected to the position of Chairman of the IBWA Board of Directors.

Steve Raupe is CEO of Eureka Water Company, second generation. He was born and raised in Oklahoma City and has been involved in the business since the age of 7. He was named president of Eureka in 1992 and took over as CEO when his father died in 1998. Steve graduated from The University of Oklahoma in 1988 with a bachelor’s in finance. He has been married to Lana for eleven years, and they are the parents of four children, Justin, 10; Ashley and Tyler, 5; and Evan, 2.

Civic involvement includes Greater Oklahoma City YMCA; American Heart Association, past chairman; Committee of 100, a business group that supports the law and fire departments; Better Business Bureau; Texas Bottled Water Association, past president; Young President’s Organization (YPO), past membership chair; and School for Healthy Lifestyles, board member.

Pastimes are golf, basketball, fishing, hunting, coaching his eldest son’s basketball team at Westminster School, travel, and, not to mention, multiple games of chance.

IBWA newly-elected the following IBWA members to the 2005 Board of Directors: Peter Baker (Vermont Pure Springs, Inc.); Patrick Goguillon 9DS Waters of America, LP); William Mertes (Culligan International Co.); Robert Smith (Grand Springs Inc.); and Dimitrios Smyrnios (Nestle Waters of NA, Inc.).

In addition, the following individuals will continue terms during 2005: Henry R. Hidell, III (Hidell-Eyster International); Scott Hoover (Roaring Spring Bottling); Phil Susterick (Culligan of Brooklyn Park); Jeffrey Vinyard (Crystal Springs Bottled Water Co.); and Marcus Wren, III, Music Mountain Water Co.

The 2005 Officers for IBWA include: Phil Susterick, Vice Chairman (Culligan of Brooklyn Park); Charlie McCoy, Treasurer (CCDA Waters, LLC); and Mike Verrochi, Immediate Past Chairman (Blue Hills Spring Water Co., Inc.)

The 2005 IBWA Board Members include: Peter Baker (Vermont Pure Springs, Inc.) who is newly elected; Mark Blackstone (Oasis Corporation);
Patrick Goguillon (DS Waters of America, LP) who is newly elected; Bryan Hendrix (Melwood Springs Water Co./Georgia Crown Dist Co.); Henry R. Hidell, III (Hidell-Eyster International); Dave Holdener (Nicolet Forest Bottling Co., Inc.); Scott Hoover (Roaring Spring Bottling); James J. Land, Jr. (Wissahickon Spring Water Co.); Charlie McCoy (CCDA Waters, LLC); William Mertes (Culligan International Co.); Dave Nagle (Snow Valley, Inc.);
Marwan Nesicolaci (Severn Trent Services); Chris Saxman (Shenandoah Valley Water Co.); Robert Smith (Grand Springs, Inc.) who is newly elected; Dimitrios Smyrnios (Nestle Waters of NA, Inc.) who is newly elected; Jeffrey Vinyard (Crystal Springs Bottled Water Co.); and William Patrick Young (Absopure Water Co.).

The 2005 IBWA Executive Committee includes: Steve Raupe, Chairman (Eureka Water Co.); Phil Susterick, Vice Chairman (Culligan of Brooklyn Park); Charlie McCoy, Treasurer (CCDA Waters, LLC); Mike Verrochi, Immediate Past President (Blue Hills Spring Water Co., Inc.); Rick Hess (Hess Machine International); William Holl (DS Waters of America, LP); Kim Jeffrey (Nestle Waters of NA, Inc.); John LaPides (Snow Valley, Inc.); Chris Saxman (Shenandoah Valley Water Co.); and Jeffrey Vinyard (Crystal Springs Bottled Water Co.).

SEBWA Industry News

VBS Announced the First Liquid Nitrogen Dosing/Dripping System for Less Than 20K

Campbell, CA – VBS Industries, Inc., a leader in liquid nitrogen delivery systems for container pressurization or oxygen displacement has made LN2 injection process more affordable than ever. VBS had brought to the market the new LCI 300AF. The LCI 300AF is the first and only unit on the market that sells for less than $20K.

With the LCI 300AF’s extremely compact design, installation and operation are simple while adjusting the system for a new bottle size takes only minutes. The LCI 300 AF has the same unique recirculating design as all of our other systems and an internal purging device ensures precise, accurate dosing of LN2. Temporary line stoppages do not affect the performance of the LCI-300AF. Doses can be set anywhere from 0.01g per second to 20 g per second. The LCI 300AF is the most cost effective LN2 systems on the market for any application requiring dosing up to 300 containers per minute.

The LCI-300AF has only minimal utility requirements – a LN2 source such as a dewar or a plant piping system, a standard electrical source, and regulated compressed air.
The LCI’s pressurizing capabilities are revolutionizing the packaging industry. Container pressurization has long been used to increase aluminum can rigidity and strength for stacking purposes. By pressurizing thin-walled plastics containers, the LCI-300 AF opens a new door to cost purposes. By pressurizing thin-walled plastic containers, the LCI-300AF opens a new door to cost effective packaging solutions.

For more information, contact VBS Industries at 808 East McGlincy, Campbell, CA 95008, phone 408.371.3303, Fax 408.371.33320, or see website at www.vbsflex.com.

Big Spring Jam - Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama -- More than 300,000 people flocked to Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville during the last weekend of September for the eleventh annual "Big Spring Jam," enjoying three days of fun, live music, and Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water.

The Jam, billed as "Alabama's Premier Outdoor Music Festival," features more than 100 live bands playing on numerous stages throughout the park, and draws music lovers from across the country. The event raises funds for non-profit groups in the area.

Crystal Mountain 100% Natural Spring Water has been a major sponsor of Big Spring Jam for 8 years. As the "Official Water of Big Spring Jam," Crystal Mountain is the only bottled water available at the event. Crystal Mountain joined Coca-Cola and Budweiser as the Jam's official beverages.

Seven booths were set up throughout the grounds, stocking Crystal Mountain water in 16.9 ounce bottles. Crews from Crystal Mountain were busy all weekend trucking in replacement stock to each booth during the brisk sales. In previous years Crystal Mountain employees manned the water booths, but this year President Terry Roberts tried a different approach. Crystal Mountain provided the water in bulk to the Jam which coordinated its own volunteers to staff the booths.

In addition to water sales to patrons, Crystal Mountain also donated 475 cases of water for the hundreds of Jam volunteers working behind the scenes to make the event a success. Water was also provided to the participants in the Jam's 5K "Fun Run" on the Saturday morning of the event.

For more information contact:

Karen Welford
Regional Accounts Manager
Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water
256-739-0019 or 888-881-8945
www.crystalmtnwater.com

Polymer Solutions International Introduces
Its TierStack^TM Modular Bottled Water Rack System

Medford, NJ - Polymer Solutions has recently introduced the new, all-plastic TierStack^TM Modular Bottled Water Rack System. Available for immediate shipment, the TierStack^TM utilizes many of the innovative design features as the well-received ProStack^TM, but is lighter-in-weight, has additional flexibility and economy for those companies looking for a "ProStack lite^".
TierStack Modular Bottled Water Rack System

Dan Kelly, Polymer Solutions^' president, comments, "The bottlers' response to our ProStack^TMhas been extremely favorable. We developed the TierStack^TM for bottlers limited by rack weight and the high initial cost of rack float conversion. TierStack's^TM lower cost would allow many bottlers to cut bottle leaker problems in their operations with a lower initial capital investment. The system's modular design and durable plastic construction is providing bottlers with tremendous flexibility and substantial cost savings."

"We took great care in designing the TierStack^TM to provide optimum bottle protection, durability and safe and stable handling in the warehouse and on the routes." Bottlers using the TierStack^TM to store and ship their product will enjoy greatly reduced bottled fatigue leading to longer bottle life and fewer damaged bottles.

The modular design eliminates the need for odd sized racks because the system can be easily customized to fit in all delivery truck bays, even those located over the wheels. What's more, the injection molded, all-plastic construction is maintenance-free, won't damage truck bays and insures dimensional consistency. As a result, the TierStack^TM works smoothly in all automated and robotic equipment, and the expensive handling and maintenance problems associated with rusted, dented racks are eliminated.

With US and foreign patents pending, the TierStack^TM is backed by a five-year warranty. For information on this revolutionary bottled water storage and shipping system, please call (877)444-7225 or visit the Polymer Solutions International website at www.prostack.com.

OASIS® CORPORATION ACQUIRES SUNROC CORPORATION

COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 23, 2003) - OASIS® Corporation Chief Executive Officer Romaine Gilliland today announced the acquisition of long-time competitor Sunroc Corporation of Dover, Delaware. Terms were not disclosed.

The action facilitates the combination of two of the industry's oldest, most established manufacturers of water dispensing products. OASIS Corporation, founded in 1910, employs 1,000 associates worldwide with annual gross sales in excess of $175 million. Sunroc, formed in 1922, has 300 associates with annual sales of $50 million.

"This is a banner day for OASIS Corporation," said Gilliland. "In addition to increasing our market share, we anticipate many advantages of the combined businesses. Foremost will be the ability to enhance product innovation and improve sales and customer service, while providing a clear focus on long-term benefits for our valued customers and associates. With the transaction complete, we will now begin a unified integration process."

"I'm looking forward to joining the OASIS team, added Sunroc CEO Anthony A. Salamone. "Becoming part of the world's largest and most innovative water cooler manufacturing company will help secure a brighter future for our customers, our associates, and our community."

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, OASIS Corporation is a world leader in the manufacture and sale of bottled water, point of use, and pressure water coolers, drinking fountains, commercial coffee brewers, and dehumidifiers. The company also is recognized as an industry leader in the production of small, refrigerated appliances for beverage dispensing and air treatment markets.

Known for many innovative firsts in the improvement of water products systems, OASIS Corporation (oasiswatercoolers.com) operates manufacturing facilities in Ohio, California, Mexico, Canada, Ireland and Poland.

Established 81 years ago as Sunroc Spring Water Company in Glen Riddle, Pa., Sunroc Corporation moved to Dover in 1995 after building a 250,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in the Delaware capital city. It manufactures bottled, point of use and pressure water coolers, drinking fountains, plumbing specialties, and key control systems.

Contact: Tony Salamone 302-678-7800 or Mark Blackstone 614-861-1350, ext. 1285.

SUNROC CORPORATION NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES

DOVER, Delaware, May 1, 2003- Sunroc®, a leading provider of water coolers and drinking fountains has appointed Roger Healey the new Director of Sales and Marketing for its Bottle Division.

A 13-year veteran of the bottled water industry, Roger has been with Sunroc since 1998, most recently as the International Sales Director. He will continue his role in the overseas market as well as bringing his expertise to the domestic front.

Sunroc Corporation, headquartered in Dover, Delaware, was founded in 1922 as the Sunroc Spring Water Company. Today, Sunroc has emerged as one of the leading manufacturers of water coolers in the world. With over 300 employees at Sunroc's 250,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, hundreds of thousands of water coolers are built each year. Sunroc meets the highest quality standards and leads the industry in innovation and design.

For more information on Sunroc, call 1-800-478-6762 (1-800-4SUNROC), email us or visit Sunroc's website at http://www.sunroc.com

Sunroc is a registered trademark of Sunroc Corporation.

CONTACT:
Jennifer L Myer, Marketing Assistant
60 Starlifter Ave
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: 302-678-7800 x325, Fax: 302-678-7809

Houston Wire Works - Houston, Texas

Houston Wire Works is pleased to introduce the new Aquaport line of state of the art bottled water coolers, unlike anything seen in the market before. The latest patented cooling technology is utilized to produce the most efficient and smallest coolers available. Unlike previous thermoelectric technology, all the coolers in the Aquaport line contain the superior designed and patented TTXä technology, giving you the following benefits:

· Fast cooling and quiet operation

· No compressor - means earth friendly gas free operation and no condensation

· Lightweight and compact - most counter units weigh less than 12 pounds

· Stainless steel water reservoir

· A fraction of the operating cost of a compressor unit

· Full unconditional 12 month warranty and a 2 year warranty on the thermoelectric chip

· Thousands of units in use with worry free operation

And the best benefit about the coolers is the price. Houston Wire Works and Aquaport International have joined together to offer the lowest possible price of only $57.95 for any counter top unit. This is the lowest price ever offered for a quality water cooler and if low price and quality are not enough to convince you that this is the deal of the decade we'll go one step further and let you try one free for 30 days. We are convinced that once you experience one in operation you will want more. Nick Van Reesema of Australia based Atlantis Premium Spring Water has been using hundreds of the Aquaport coolers for over 4 years and has this to say:

"Aquaport's products are reliable and low priced. The small counter top units have considerably increased my business. I was not convinced that Aquaport's new thermoelectric technology would work any better than other thermoelectric units I had seen, but I am now a believer and a very satisfied customer. I am very happy with the coolers performance. Until the introduction of the Aquaport coolers I was convinced that compressor units were the only choice, WELL DONE AQUAPORT."

For more information call us today @ 800-468-9477 for your free trial period cooler. It's the cool thing to do!

Bottlers: Beware of bromate warning labels
Mandated labels on bottled water would hinder sales.

R.J. DeLuke, Managing Editor

Some water bottlers in California are dealing with a bromate issue that could hurt sales and result in fines if the issue is pressed and the contaminate is found in low levels.

The state law requires "clear and reasonable" warnings on consumer products by May 31 of this year if there are unsafe levels of bromate.

Violations are enforceable by the state or local district attorneys, as well as anyone acting in the public interest, according to the Lisle, IL-based Water Quality Association (WQA).

But the problem is: what levels are acceptable?

The law could mandate warning labels for miniscule levels of bromate that would read ""WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer."

Not exactly an inducement to buying the water.

Meanwhile, state and federal guidelines are not in harmony and are unclear, according to the WQA and the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA).

Many bottlers unaffected

Last year, the Office of Environmental Hazard Assessment (ODEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency added bromate to proposition 65 of the California State Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, which lists chemicals considered to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.

Bromate is formed when ozone is added to drinking water that contains bromide.

Purified water usually is treated with reverse osmosis, distillation or deionization and that removes bromide. So distributors of purified water are not likely to have a bromate problem.

But bottlers of spring water could be fined $2,500 per day, per violation, and an injunction could be issued to prevent more violations, the law states.

"All products, including bottled water products, sold in the state of California must comply with the law," said Stephen Kay, IBWA vice president of communications.

75% of Americans are Chronically Dehydrated

In 37% of American, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger; even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

In the event of a terrorist attack, water utilities would be protected from harm and from expensive liability afterward.

Tempe, AZ - Water Consultants and Laboratories, founded by an ex-Navy biochemist, has been leading ahead of other professionals in the field of water consultation by developing new systems and techniques for water reuse and reclamation.

Water Consultants and Laboratories (WCL) has developed a one-of-a-kind water reuse system that will take water discharge and make it an environmentally safe nutrient source for plant life.

The new system takes on added importance as new terrorist threats may be aimed at public water supplies. It eliminates Anthrax and thirty other kinds of the most deadly bacteria.

Utilizing this system, industry can recycle their water for other uses like watering the grass. This system has the potential to save on water consumption while reducing the need to purchase fertilizers.

WCL is working to promote peace of mind and safety for its clients during this time of bio-terrorism by developing a proactive approach to homeland defense. They have implemented this system at a purified water bottling company in Phoenix.

Stephen Currior, president of O Premium Waters says, Since the 9/11 terrorism attack, we asked Water Consultants and Laboratories to implement a system to help in detecting any potential bio-threats to our purified water systems. We now have a system in place that will alert us of this type of potential health threat. With WCL's knowledge, service, and integrity, we are confident that we have a successful system in place to help maintain purified and safe water products for our customers.

Keeping water environmentally safe is a priority at WCL. Chemists are using proprietary measures for removing Boron, a carcinogen proven to cause cancer, from industrial wastewater. Boron is an extremely dangerous toxin that not only causes cancer, but also eats away at the good bacteria that breaks down waste in our sewage systems. Staff at WCL also takes on active leadership roles in educating industry on proper care of lakes and ponds. They teach natural means of cleanup instead of using hazardous chemicals that could harm animals and people.

WCL is socially conscious as well as environmentally conscious. They were responsible for solving a potential cholera epidemic in South Africa, saving hundreds, maybe thousand of lives. Their scientist and researchers step up to support third world countries suffering from environmental hazards.

For more information about Water Consultants and Laboratories, log onto http://www.waterconsultants.com or call (480)929.9180.

Agr*Top Wave LLC Introduces GAWIS with AutoFeed- Laboratory System for Plastic Containers

The Gawis AF permits a number of vital laboratory tests to be performed in one operation, including comprehensive measurement of container sidewall, heel and shoulder thickness, body profile measurements in multiple locations, finish dimensioning, height, lean and pushup. When equipped with the proper fixtures, Gawis AF can be used for perform measurement as well. Gawis AF eliminates the need for multiple devices and individual tests, resulting in considerable savings in time and increased laboratory throughput.

The Gawis AF is ideal for quality control inspection of newly formed containers, incoming inspection of purchased containers, and evaluation of container designs in the development laboratory. Benefits of this system include:

The Gawis AF incorporates a number of superior features including an automatic bottled-feeding system for increased throughput and walk-away operation. With the autofeed feature, up to 20 bottles of 72 preforms can be loaded onto the autofeed tray, systematically tested and results documents. Once a test sequence is initiated, The Gawis AF requires no operator intervention to test a series of bottles or performs, freeing lab personnel for other tasks. Additional features incorporated into the Gawis AF include Agr*Top Wave’s infrared thickness measurement system. This is the heart of the Gawis AF and provides comprehensive non-contact thickness measurement over the entire body of the container, including the heel and should region. An advanced optical system, using a high-resolution, camera provides dimensional measurement for container or perform sidewall and finish. A robust drive-positioning system and automatic centering divide are provided for placement accuracy during automated operation.

Gawis AF will handle a wide range of PET bottle sizes and shapes including filled containers up to 3 liters. A full range of thickness and dimensions measurement can be performed on empty PET containers. By removing the light tube, dimensional measurements can also be performed on filled containers. This feature is ideal for determining dimensional shifts as result of the filling process or material creep.

Agr*TopWave, LLC develops and manufactures a full line of laboratory and online testing/quality control devices for plastic containers and similar products. Agr*Top Wave's headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in Butler, PA USA. Agr*TopWave is a division of Agr International Inc.

For further information contact:
David Dineff
Product Marketing Director
Agr*Top Wave LLC
Butler, PA, USA
724.482.2163