OSTER® Professional Launches CryogenX™ Blades with Agion® Antimicrobial
Boca Raton, FL and Wakefield, MA – October 26, 2006: Jarden Consumer Solution, manufacturer of Oster® Professional Products, a leading manufacturer in Animal Grooming and Care Products, today launched a new line of antimicrobially-treated professional blades, called CryogenXTM Blades. The blades are coated with Agion Technologies’ safe, long-lasting, silver-based antimicrobial compound. CryogenXTM blades are made for clippers that are used by a number of end-user communities including professional groomers, veterinarians, equine specialists, large animal groomers and personal pet owners.
“The importance of regularly cleaning animal grooming equipment is often overlooked,” said Len Quist, Group Marketing Manager at Oster Professional Products Division. “Blades that are covered in hair and animal dander are ideal breeding grounds for microbes. Contamination of the blades can result in a more rapid disintegration of the metal, and regular cleanings are often time consuming and can be costly, and do not always adequately clean the irregular surfaces and crevices of the blades. We chose Agion’s compound because of the time-tested history of silver as an effective antimicrobial. With Agion’s silver-based compound, we are able to provide our customers with high quality blades that have safe and effective antimicrobial protection.”
The Agion ® antimicrobial compound incorporated into CryogenX-Ag is comprised of naturally occurring silver ions. Silver has long been recognized for its antimicrobial properties and humans have used silver to fight microbes for thousands of years. The Agion compound provides protection against microbes by releasing silver ions to the surface at a slow and steady rate. This creates a self-cleaning surface that provides safe, continuous, long-term protection from bacteria, fungus and mold.
“We are very pleased to be working with Jarden Consumer Solutions on this new product,” said Ginger Merritt, Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Agion Technologies. “CryogenXTM blades allow groomers and other end-users to save time and money and creates cleaner animal grooming environments in the process. Our partnership with Oster on this product line is a reflection of the strong reputation of Agion’s antimicrobial technology and the important relationships that we have built with leading consumer product brands.”
About Oster Professional Products and Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well-recognized brands. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has over 17,500 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com. Oster Professional Products Division is a leading manufacturer of professional grooming equipment. For more information, please visit www.osterpro.com
About Agion Technologies
Agion Technologies, located in Wakefield, Massachusetts, is a leader in providing engineered antimicrobial solutions based on silver that continuously inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus. Agion’s antimicrobial technology is used in the consumer products, construction, food and water, textiles, and healthcare industries and has been incorporated into a variety of products including cell phones, shoes, keyboards, pens, water filters, air conditioning and heating units, medical catheters, ice machines and faucet handles. The company also offers a disinfectant and virucide, SilverClene24™, which has been proven effective against a variety of bacteria and viruses including HIV-1, Rhinovirus, Influenza, and Poliovirus. Agion 's customers include many leading brands such as Motorola, AK Steel, DuPont, Honeywell, Adidas, Sanford/Paper Mate, Ice-O-Matic and Oster. Since the company’s founding in 1997, Agion Technologies has led the market for safe, effective, long-lasting, antimicrobial protection with support from private equity funds and strategic partners including BASF Venture Capital, H.B. Fuller Ventures, SAM Private Equity, Motorola Ventures and Paladin Capital Group. For more information about Agion Technologies, visit www.Agion-tech.com.
Media Contact:
Kel & Partners
69 Milk St, Suite 308
508-366-2099