Berlinger Confirms Continued Production of Its Anti-doping Products

GANTERSCHWIL, Switzerland, January 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

"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