MINNEAPOLIS, Friday, November 19th 2010 [ME NewsWire]:
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC), a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions that help create a cleaner, healthier world, has put its competitors on notice that it stands behind its proprietary ec-H2O technology and will defend this industry-leading technology from misleading claims against its cleaning effectiveness. This announcement stems from a recent press release issued by Nilfisk-Advance, a division of NKT Holding A/S, and related statements that attempt to discredit the effectiveness of Tennant’s electrically converted water technology.
Nilfisk-Advance has claimed that a study they commissioned showed Tennant Company’s ec-H2O technology on floor scrubbers worked “no better than tap water” and not as well as detergents when, in fact, the study only tested the ec-H2O technology on petroleum-based soils. Tennant does not claim that its chemical-free cleaning technology is effective on such petroleum-based soils and has consistently recommended chemical cleaning, such as Tennant FaST™ 965, for such applications. Tennant has demanded that Nilfisk-Advance take immediate actions to stop the dissemination of these misleading statements.
“We will continue to develop and market innovative technologies and solutions and would expect to face competitive challenges as we become more and more successful in the marketplace,” said Chris Killingstad, President and CEO of Tennant Company. “We will vigorously protect our technologies, products and brand from being the subjects of false and/or misleading statements.”
Tennant Company’s ec-H2O is a revolutionary technology that electrically converts water into a superior cleaning solution that cleans as well or better than traditional general-purpose cleaning chemicals and provides a lower total cost of ownership and safety benefits. General-purpose cleaning encompasses the majority of scrubber cleaning applications. Using ec-H2O also reduces the environmental impact of cleaning operations by up to 98 percent according to a study performed by EcoForm, a leading technical environmental analysis firm based in Tennessee. Tennant’s ec-H2O technology has been on the market for 29 months. In this time, ec-H2O technology has garnered many prestigious awards and certifications including being named one of R&D Magazine’s 100 Most Technologically Significant Products in 2008 and receiving the European Business Award for Business Innovation of the Year in 2009.
Third-party studies commissioned by Tennant have validated the performance of ec-H2O technology. In a whitepaper prepared by Aspen Research Corporation of St. Paul, Minn., Aspen research scientists summarize their test findings as follows: “Tests performed by Aspen Research since 2006 consistently demonstrated that the water-electrolysis process [ec-H2O] cleaned as well as or better than industry-accepted general-purpose cleaners.” The study also noted other benefits reported by the customers who tested ec-H2O, including reports of “…removal of more dirt from the floor; reduction of unpleasant odor in the scrubber’s recovery tanks; left no residue on a highly polished floor and floors dried more quickly.”
Further, in 2010, Elliott Affiliates of Baltimore, Md., performed a controlled study in multiple environments within a U.S.-based bottling plant, testing the effectiveness of a scrubber using ec-H2O technology compared to a scrubber using chemicals. The study concluded: “The Tennant ec-H2O floor scrubber delivered greater ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and bacteria reduction and higher appearance and sustainability than the floor scrubber using a designated chemical cleaner.”
These studies are available on Tennant’s website, www.tennantco.com.
However, at the end of the day, the best validation comes from the voices of Tennant’s customers who are successfully and cost-effectively using ec-H2O technology to clean in retail, healthcare, education and other commercial and industrial environments. Customers’ confidence in this proven technology has contributed to Tennant’s solid financial performance. In its October 26, 2010, earnings release, Tennant reported record year-to-date sales of $63 million from scrubbers equipped with ec-H2O technology.
About Tennant Company
Minneapolis-based Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) is a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions that help create a cleaner, healthier world. Its products include equipment for maintaining surfaces in industrial, commercial and outdoor environments; chemical-free cleaning technologies; and specialty surface coatings for protecting, repairing and upgrading floors. Tennant's global field service network is the most extensive in the industry. Tennant has manufacturing operations in Minneapolis, Minn. (USA); Holland, Mich. (USA); Louisville, Ky. (USA); Uden, The Netherlands; Falkirk, The United Kingdom; São Paulo, Brazil; and Shanghai, China; and sells products directly in 15 countries and through distributors in more than 80 countries. For more information, visit www.tennantco.com.
About EcoForm
Ecoform is a leading technical analysis company in the United States that focuses on the environmental performance of companies and their products and processes. Founded in 2006, but based on the combined 50 year history of its practitioners working through a variety of corporate and university organizations such as The University of Tennessee's Center for Clean Products, the team brings a unique mix of skills to help companies achieve corporate environmental and social responsibility. www.ecoform.com
About Aspen Research Company
Aspen is an R&D services company with unique capabilities and extensive knowledge of science and materials. Aspen was established in 1986 to provide interdisciplinary scientific consulting. Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, it employs more than 70 associates. www.aspenresearch.com
About Elliott Affiliates
Elliott Affiliates Ltd., Baltimore, Md., has more than 40 years of experience in the building services consulting business and provides research services to companies, specifically in the areas of green and sustainable cleaning. www.ealtd.com
For media enquiries, please contact:
Tennant Company
Investor Contact:
Tom Paulson, 763-540-1204
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Media Contact:
Kathryn Lovik, 763-540-1212
Director, Communications
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