Equity
Hungary Szentkirályi wins water “Oscar" again
Szentkirályi recieved the Eauscar Prize in the “Best Foreign Still Mineral Water" category at the 2004 Aqua Expo in Paris.
Now, the same prize was given to the company in the group of flavoured waters. The winner was Szentkirályi's water flavoured with a unique rose oil and extract of herbs.
The flavoured water will hit the shelves in Hungary and abroad this summer, with 70% going to exports, the company said in a statement. They plan to produce one million bottle of the prize-winning water.
However, it casts a shadow on the prize that this year Szentkirályi went against only six companies, while last year it had to compete with about 150 water makers, the complete elite of the sector.
The company said it saw no apparent reason why the big ones chose not to participate. Of the seven competitors, two other Hungarian firms, Debrecen's Bartók Ipari és Kereskedelmi Kft. and Jodis Kft. also won - the former run its Ave sparkling water in the race, while the latter won in the Innovative category with its iodinated water Iodicum.
Szentkirályi started up in 2003 as a family business. The company now has a staff of 90. The mineral water was discovered accidentally. Starting his enterprise in 1989, proprietor Sándor Balogh needed water to produce syrups and soft drinks, so he had a well dug at the company's site in Szentkirály (central Hungary). The mineral water found there has now proven to be a treasure-trove, Szentrikályi describes on its website.
Since it received the Eauscar last year, Szentkirályi's market share has grown to its thirty-fold and the company now covers 9% of Hungary's mineral water market.
Now, the same prize was given to the company in the group of flavoured waters. The winner was Szentkirályi's water flavoured with a unique rose oil and extract of herbs.
The flavoured water will hit the shelves in Hungary and abroad this summer, with 70% going to exports, the company said in a statement. They plan to produce one million bottle of the prize-winning water.
However, it casts a shadow on the prize that this year Szentkirályi went against only six companies, while last year it had to compete with about 150 water makers, the complete elite of the sector.
The company said it saw no apparent reason why the big ones chose not to participate. Of the seven competitors, two other Hungarian firms, Debrecen's Bartók Ipari és Kereskedelmi Kft. and Jodis Kft. also won - the former run its Ave sparkling water in the race, while the latter won in the Innovative category with its iodinated water Iodicum.
Szentkirályi started up in 2003 as a family business. The company now has a staff of 90. The mineral water was discovered accidentally. Starting his enterprise in 1989, proprietor Sándor Balogh needed water to produce syrups and soft drinks, so he had a well dug at the company's site in Szentkirály (central Hungary). The mineral water found there has now proven to be a treasure-trove, Szentrikályi describes on its website.
Since it received the Eauscar last year, Szentkirályi's market share has grown to its thirty-fold and the company now covers 9% of Hungary's mineral water market.
