The company already has several projects in the pipeline to supply water coolers and drinking fountains to firms in the Middle East.

In a clear commitment to expand internationally, Canaletas participated in Dubai at The Big 5, the most important international fair in the region.

This was the 16th edition of the international fair with the participation of 120 Spanish companies.

El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona), 11 february2008
Canaletas is a company based in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona), for over 40 years it has been designing and manufacturing all kinds of water coolers and drinking fountains. Started 2008 with the ambitious project to expand its business to the Middle East.

Late last year the company participated in Dubai (UAE) at The Big 5, the most important international fair in the Middle East. This event has been hosted since 1992 for the main construction providers and has helped turn the region into one of the most attractive for the industry.

In their first presentation, Canaletas products were warmly welcomed, since for its water coolers and drinking fountains construction represents one of its major markets. So much so that the company already has several projects in the pipeline to supply their products in the region.

"The Middle East has become one of the fastest growing markets, especially for the tourism industry and construction," says CEO of Canaletas, Jordi Morera. "This is an area with very hot weather and therefore water coolers and drinking fountains are very attractive for the hospitality, construction, public administration or domestic consumption, among others."

In this sense, the item that sparked the most interest among the professionals who visited the Catalan company's booth was its new water cooler for domestic use, a stainless steel equipment with small dimensions, installed under the countertop, providing instant cold water.

Visitors particularly appreciated the design and quality of water coolers and drinking fountains, both with the building materials and the finished product. Professionals of the area were interested primarily by the high performance of their products, which are very suitable for a market like the Middle East, with extremely demanding climatic conditions.

Successful participation
In its 16th edition of The Big 5 it achieved the best results ever, with the participation of 2839 companies from 52 countries. The number of visitors increased by 22.4% from 2006, reaching 50 420. 70% of the attendees came from the UAE and other states in the Persian Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar. The remaining 30% corresponded to professionals from other areas of the world and with this, the European representation reached a new record with 7% of the total.

As the results show, the fair is gaining worldwide importance and evidence of this is that in its latest edition featured 30 national pavilions. Spain had its own space in The Big 5, managed by the Chamber of Commerce of Ciudad Real, almost from the first year. In 2007 a total of 120 Spanish firms attended the event, being one of the largest international trade fairs representing Spain.

All participating companies are related to the construction industry, both through the services they offer, and their products, as is the case for Canaletas, who has extensive experience in this sector.

About Canaletas

Canaletas is a family run company founded in 1965, which focuses on the design and manufacture of all types of water coolers and drinking fountains. Its headquarters are based in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona), the company has different branches throughout the country and a distribution network covering the majority of European countries, while exporting to many different areas around the world.
Currently, Canaletas is the most experienced manufacturer of water coolers and drinking fountains in Europe and is characterized by its innovative spirit, this can be seen by the numerous patents that have been registered throughout its 45 year history. The company is now run by the second generation and is notable for the quality of its products that stand the test of time and offer a "life cycle" superior to most other coolers and dispensers on the market.