Berlinger Confirms Continued Production of Its Anti-doping Products

PR77229

GANTERSCHWIL, Switzerland, Jan. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/--

"ADO remains in Berlinger portfolio"

Most-globally-used BEREG anti-doping sample containers to remain "Made in

Switzerland"

Berlinger Special AG will continue to manufacture and supply the containers

used in its anti-doping sample control kits from Switzerland, the company's

Board of Directors announced today. The BEREG anti-doping kits are the most

widely used and proven in the world. The company has committed itself to

continuing to produce, market, distribute and further develop and refine its

tried-and-trusted anti-doping sample kit products from its Swiss base.

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Berlinger Special AG, which is domiciled in Eastern Switzerland, has been

manufacturing containers and secure solutions for the collection and storage of

anti-doping samples since the 1990s. The company's BEREG products have

established themselves as the standard worldwide, and are used for the

collection of anti-doping samples at most international sporting events such as

the Olympic Summer and Winter Games, major soccer tournaments' and

international athletics championships. Berlinger Special AG's decision to

continue to produce its BEREG anti-doping products was communicated today to

the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), all international sports federations,

national anti-doping agencies and the company's customers.

Berlinger anti-doping products enjoy extensive trust and international demand

Berlinger Special AG's decision to reverse its intended withdrawal from the

anti-doping product market, which was announced in March 2018, has been

prompted by the strong global demand for its BEREG anti-doping blood and urine

sample bottles. "An overwhelming majority of national anti-doping agencies

worldwide asked us several times to continue our production," explains Chairman

of the Board Andrea Berlinger.

Berlinger Special AG experienced prolonged product shortages at some times in

2018 in view of the strong demand for its anti-doping containers. As a result,

the company's internal production processes have been extensively reassessed

over the past few months, while its full range of anti-doping products have

also been subjected to a comprehensive reappraisal in the light of the latest

findings and developments in the anti-doping field.

An updated version of the company's anti-doping containers for blood samples

will begin to be delivered this month. The BEREG anti-doping kits continue to

meet the latest requirements of WADA and the international sports federations,

and remain liked and appreciated by athletes worldwide for their secure

credentials and their ease of use.

Strategic alignment to two business fields

The decision to maintain production of its anti-doping sample kits means that

the Swiss-based Berlinger Group will continue to focus on its two traditional

business fields: anti-doping, in which it has acquired an extraordinary

expertise over the past decades, and high-tech cold chain temperature

monitoring systems. The Group's Berlinger & Co. AG (temperature monitoring) and

Berlinger Special AG (anti-doping) companies employ a total of some 100

personnel in Canton St. Gallen in Eastern Switzerland. Both companies have been

led by CEO Thomas Bechter since August 2018. The Berlinger family concern,

which was founded in 1865, has been owned by the Berlinger Schwyter family for

11 years now. The Boards of Directors of both the Berlinger Group's constituent

companies are chaired by Andrea Berlinger.

Further information:

The Berlinger Group

Media Relations

c/o KMES Partner

Hans Klaus

Basteiplatz 7

8001 Zurich / Switzerland

Phone: +41-43-544-1744

Email: klaus@kmespartner.com

SOURCE: Berlinger Special AG