NEW YORK, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Quantum National Holdings LLC, a New York-based holding company, has merged its water companies, Watermatic LLC and Zeen Water, as well as its holdings in CoolerCast, with water filtration and purification specialist AquaTal Group. The merger combines QNH’s funding expertise and familiarity with the U.S. market with AquaTal’s 50-plus years of global industry experience, patented filtration technologies and China-based manufacturing capabilities. The goal is nothing short of a revolution in the way consumers access purified water by making filtration systems available to all.

In the new joint venture agreement, QNH’s select companies and holdings are merging with AquaTal assets to form a holding company that will own all global subsidiaries. QNH has made a commitment to post a multimillion-dollar credit line for the group to support in-house leasing and complementary corporate acquisitions. AquaTal Chairman Lior Shafir will continue to serve in his present role. Sam Chanin, President of Watermatic and QNH, will be appointed as Group President, and AquaTal founder Eli Shafir will manage the global R&D division and the main business unit in Israel.

The newly merged group is now in a unique position to make an impact in the multibillion-dollar water industry in the U.S. and worldwide. Improving access to purified water is a pressing economic and ecological issue. Although bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S., the bottling and shipping process is the least efficient water supply method in human history. Up to 90% of the expense is consumed by the cost of the plastic bottles, which take up to 700 years to dissolve, clog landfills and require millions of gallons of oil to produce and ship each year.

The merged company will address these critical concerns with technology and funding solutions that offer an affordable, greener alternative to 115 million U.S. households and more than 20 million businesses. Sam Chanin of QNH, known as a guru in the sales and merchant processing arenas, is enthusiastic about the newly merged company’s mission of making clean, sustainable water available to consumers and businesses in the U.S. and worldwide:

“I’m excited to move forward with my first international deal,” noted Chanin. “But it’s even more thrilling to be part of a venture that will empower every American to go green at home regardless of the household budget.”

The AquaTal team, key players in the global filtration and purification industry for decades, brings unmatched expertise and technology to the joint venture, including an innovative point-of-use (POU) product collection for consumers, which will be a major focus for the merged company:

“The merger has exceeded expectations,” said AquaTal’s Chairman Lior Shafir. “The merged company has unique patented technologies that enable us to control and own the entire channel, including research and development, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, financing and service delivery worldwide. We’ll continue to grow global market share with a strong focus on becoming the leading water company in the U.S. market. Through the merger, we are now very well funded and are actively acquiring local complementary companies to add to our portfolio.”

Developing and marketing POU filtration devices to consumers presents three major hurdles, Shafir explained. The first obstacle is the cost, as most household purchasers are reluctant to invest in a new appliance, even if it will save them money in the long run. Drawing upon Chanin’s extensive funding and leasing experience, the newly merged company resolves this issue by offering unique, affordable “buy it outright” or monthly payment plans that do not only depend on shoppers’ credit histories. The company also showcases home and office POU filtration systems online, which keeps costs down.

The second hurdle is installation and maintenance costs: Consumers could potentially be deterred by the installation, filter changes and yearly UV light replacement charges necessary to maintain a POU system. To resolve installation and maintenance issues, the company recently secured a contract with Sears Service to cover the nationwide installation and servicing of its products. Additionally, the company offers the only unit that makes it easy for customers to change the filters themselves, which lowers the cost of ownership.

Consumer education is the third issue. Most consumers are aware that filtered water is healthier than its tap alternative. The company will spread the word about the incredible waste and expense of both individual and water cooler bottles, as well as the increased health benefits offered by AquaTal’s multi-stage purification system.

“We spend more on water than we do on gas,” Chanin said. “The price per gallon of water is generally $15 and up when purchased in individual bottles. We’re hoping to show consumers that by making a small investment upfront — made smaller by the company’s leasing solutions — they can see tremendous savings all year round and live greener all the while.”

Following the merger, One Touch Water will serve as the Internet sales arm of Aquamatic, LLC, a newly formed New York company and a subsidiary of AquaTal. The company will continue to manage online sales directly to consumers, in addition to providing products to corporate offices, institutions, small businesses and government agencies.

“The water purification industry is growing rapidly,” said Vice President of Watermatic LLC Business Development Marcus Clapman. “Revenue and expansion opportunities have increased exponentially just over the last five years, which tells us that we’re on the right track with the merger and our worldwide growth initiatives.”

To learn more about QNH LLC, please visit http://www.qnhllc.com/. To discover more about AquaTal Group, please visit http://www.aquatal.com/. To view a selection of innovative residential and commercial water filtration systems, please go to www.onetouchwater.com.

About AquaTal
A family-owned company headquartered in Israel, AquaTal was founded by Eli Shafir in the late 1980s and has been a major force in filtration and purification ever since. The company boasts more than 50 years of combined experience and crafted its revolutionary point-of-use (POU) product collection for consumers following extensive research and development with production of over 250,000 water units.

AquaTal owns numerous revolutionary technologies and patents including:

• Green thermoelectric cooling technology that is able to chill a high water capacity without using compressors, condensers or gas.
• UV6, which is the only ultraviolet system that guarantees a 100% bacteria-free product.
• Convertible water cooler that is able to fill mineral bottles and filter at the same time.
• An auto filling function based on a spatial ultrasonic sensor that is able to automatically fill any cap or jug with one touch.
• The smallest countertop water dispenser in the world (11″).

AquaTal operates offices in the U.S., Argentina, Greece, Israel, Mexico, Poland and Spain, with an additional Hong Kong office managing its manufacturing line in China. The company has been manufacturing its patented water solutions for international brand names, including Whirlpool, Carrefour, Sodimac, Leroy Merlin, Eden Springs, Home Center and many governments.

About QNH
Led by Sam Chanin, Quantum National Holdings LLC (QNH) is a New York-based holding company with a diverse portfolio that includes Watermatic LLC, Zeen Water and holdings in CoolerCast. These assets were merged with water filtration and purification specialist AquaTal Group. QNH provides significant funding to AquaTal and its subsidiaries to support its mission of making clean, sustainable water available to consumers and businesses worldwide. Chanin first became involved in the water purification industry in 2007 with Watermatic, LLC and later with One Touch Water, a pair of innovative companies founded with the goal of increasing the accessibility of point-of-use (POU) filtration systems in both the corporate and consumer markets. The consumer drinking water sector in particular is among the water purification industry’s most rapidly growing markets, making Chanin’s five years of experience in this field an important asset. Watermatic’s satisfied clients include schools, museums, and parks in New York City — even Central Park — in addition to American Express, Gucci and other big names.

Links:

www.qnhllc.com

www.aquatal.com

www.onetouchwater.com

www.drinkwatermatic.com

www.drinkzeen.com

SOURCE AquaTal Group LTD