Can you tell us a bit about the background of Nordaq, when and how it was founded and what is the company’s main goal?
Nordaq was formed to take advantage of a newly invented water filtration technology. The unique outcome produced was water of the highest purity. The founders of the company recognised this water could compete with international premium water brands – the difference being that Nordaq is produced on site using potable tap water.
One of the benefits of local on-site production is that Nordaq reduces the need for transportation and so eliminates the “water across water” requirement used by traditional international water brands. Not only is this good for the environment, but it also results in a lower cost for the typical hotel or restaurant operator and in doing so, helps improve the bottom line for the business. Cleaning up the environment and improving business performance at the same time, whilst not compromising on quality, is a good message for all our customers to share.
What are some of the company’s core philosophies, why are these important to you and how are they integrated into Nordaq’s offerings?
Nordaq is first and foremost an international water brand. We would not describe ourselves as a technology provider, a systems integrator or an environmental solutions business, but all of these elements come together through our global distribution channels.
Our focus on quality and sustainability makes us a leader in the premium water market and our customers recognise the importance of these attributes. In a fast-changing global consumer market, the providence of our water and the environmental impact to our planet are as equally important as the product itself.
Can you tell us more about Nordaq’s products and give details on how they work?
Nordaq is served in a range of specially designed bottles that are both easy to clean and can be reused time after time by our customers. The unique Nordaq sealing process with recyclable aluminium caps results in a product that consumers find both appealing and comforting in today’s post Covid-19 environment. Our “tamper proof” Nordaq bottle range could have been designed specifically for the new world that the hospitality industry finds itself in, where hygiene is now a global issue for daily discussion.
What does Nordaq do differently that makes its products stand out against other water systems purveyors?
- We use our own patented filter, we’re not simply an off-the-shelf product.
- We are a premium water brand, and thanks to our capping solution, the bottled water is turned into a premium product.
- We offer semi-automated refilling systems producing up to 2,000 bottles per hour for larger hotels and businesses requiring significant volumes of bottled water. We have over 10 years of experience in this growing international sector.
You have a patented filtration system – can you expand on this and elaborate why it is able to produce water of a superior quality?
We are not going to give too many secrets away on this one, as you can appreciate. I can tell you, however, that our filters have been tested by the Swedish Government’s Testing Institute and the results were outstanding. Over 50 known pollutants were removed by our filters and this together with a little bit of scientific intervention produces Nordaq, which has its own unique qualities and taste.
Nordaq produces water that tastes as water should, allowing the flavor of food to be enhanced. How is this achieved and why is this an essential aspect in your opinion?
How you are able to experience flavours and taste is dependent on combinations of ingredients that create interference. The Nordaq water minimises this interference whether it is had together with food or other beverages or used as an ingredient in producing food or beverages. Water in itself is quite tasteless and should not interfere with your taste capabilities. This unique property makes it easy to allow customers to test and benchmark the Nordaq water against any other water and it never fails to surprise… the Nordaq water really is different!
If not already mentioned, what are some of Nordaq’s products’ other advantages?
It is the most profitable product served in a restaurant allowing us to generate revenues for our customers and helping them to work in a sustainable way. It is then not a trade-off decision, but a win-win.
Nordaq works with many renowned and Michelin-starred chefs – can you tell us about some of these partnerships and their significance?
There are so many of the world’s top chefs that have helped Nordaq to spread the word of what we do and how it can be used. Restaurants with a total of more than 180 stars in the Michelin Guide, and other highly acclaimed restaurants and chefs, use Nordaq in their kitchens and restaurants, I could go on for a long time telling stories.
One chef that has had a great impact is Chef Thomas Keller in the US, that took up Nordaq early in his 3-star restaurants and also constantly told others to do the same. He did not have to and there was nothing financially in it for him, he just was so excited in the opportunity to do right without any need for compromising quality. In the end we are so grateful for all these top restaurants and chefs but also for all other customers that have chosen our brand, who are now making a difference for the environment and the future.
Sheraton (Marriott), Mandarin Oriental and Jumeirah are some of the hotel groups that use Nordaq in-house. What makes Nordaq their choice and why do Nordaq’s products fit so well with these brands?
Nordaq’s ability to produce a product capped and used in the same way as any water product allows an in-house closed loop ensuring a sustainable business operation is the key. Doing this without compromising quality is the deal closer.
What are some of the ways Nordaq’s offerings can be customized to suit different businesses and settings?
We have solutions for water supply that works from the smallest café to a super large, multi-thousand room hotel – this is unique.
High quality, superior and premium are some of the words used to describe Nordaq’s systems – what do these words mean to you, why are their associations key to the brand and how are they reflected in its products and services?
For Nordaq it is important that we are not an alternative to other point of use water solutions but an alternative to any premium water brand. As mentioned before, Nordaq is not a trade-off for the environment but a win-win with premium quality water in a premium multi-use package that is increasingly asked for by name in 29 countries and growing fast. It should have a value for customers and the HoReCa industry, not just a filtered water given away as an alternative to international bottled brands. In this way we believe the quality aspect is imperative to our goals.
Sustainability plays a big role in the company – tell us how you remain environmentally conscious in your approach and why this is essential to the business?
Constantly traveling globally has been a concern and given our environmental approach in our product, personally a bad conscious. However, we do this to form local alliances and local distributors that will operate the business and our brand where it happens. We are sourcing products from suppliers in many parts of the world to reduce global transportation.
This environmental focus has affected all of us on personal levels and we find ourselves choosing smaller cars, using bikes and walking more than before.
Tell us about some of the company’s greatest successes thus far and share any notable achievements…
Recently Wynn Casino Macau has chosen the Nordaq solution and ordered some of our largest fully automatic systems producing some 2,000 bottles per hour, to reach their environmental goals. These systems will wash, rinse and sanitise, fill, cap and print the best use-by date on the cap, all fully automatically. The goal is to reduce the use of single use plastic or glass bottles with some 10-15,000,000 bottles per year when fully implemented.
Kristoffer Luzack, Director of Food and Beverages at Wynn Casino in Macau says: “Choosing Nordaq premium water was easy as it solves our environmental concerns of using single use bottles in our premises without compromising quality.”
Nordaq is enormously proud of these larger solutions enabling us to change the behavior in larger scale for the benefit of tomorrow.
What’s next for Nordaq?
Nordaq is still a small company with the ambition to grow rapidly globally together with our distributors and customers. We want to continue on to see the Nordaq brand of premium water become one of the preferred sustainable premium water solutions for tomorrow without any compromises on quality.
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To find out more, visit Nordaq’s website.
Images © Maria Cruseman