David Shelor
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Ron Fry
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Sawyer Products, Incorporated's water filtration system provides clean, safe water from any water source with no power required for as little as $0.01 per 100 liters and with a filter that may never need to be replaced. Using hollow fiber membrane technology first invented for kidney dialysis, the Sawyer water filter can simply be attached to a plastic bucket, with gravity taking care of the rest, achieving filtration rates as low as 0.02 microns 100% of the time. Sawyer’s filter is the only portable filtration system to remove both harmful bacteria and viruses. In fact, the filter was ultimately rejected in development for kidney dialysis, as it removed too many desirable nutrients from the blood. The U-shaped hollow fiber tubes are sturdy enough to allow the filter to be cleaned by backwashing and reused. The filter can last 10 years or longer, even a lifetime.
Starting with a snake venom extraction kit in 1984, Sawyer Products has developed a full line of chemical personal products of unsurpassed quality for serious outdoor enthusiasts, including insect repellents, sunscreens, first aid kits and supplies. As a highly-respected market leader, Sawyer, a family-owned company, began to consider the needs of hikers, campers, hunters and climbers for safe drinking water in remote and demanding locations. A chance encounter led the company to investigate filtration technology being developed for kidney dialysis, and a solution that was portable, rugged and inexpensive emerged. The Sawyer family soon was approached by their church and others about the application of their filter technology in mission projects in developing countries. The family was quick to realize the revolutionary impact their technology could have on countless people around the world. Today, Sawyer Products dedicates a portion of its revenue from this and other products to provide filtration systems for people in need. Travis Avery, Marketing Director for Sawyer, stated, “People were skeptical about an insect repellent company getting involved in water filtration. We were, too. But the results have been miraculous.”
The technology has allowed Sawyer to achieve its original goal; to become the industry leader in water filtration for demanding recreational outdoor enthusiasts. What has emerged, however, is a greater mission, changing lives around the world with clean, safe drinking water among the most vulnerable of the globe’s citizens. Sawyer’s revolutionary technology has been implemented in UN-sponsored development projects and is currently being used in over 70 countries around the world.
Through innovation, Sawyer has become the leader in water filtration for demanding recreational outdoor enthusiasts.
Sawyer’s water filtration systems are changing lives around the world providing clean, safe drinking water to the most vulnerable of the globe’s citizens.
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Travis Avery, Marketing
