Ontario firm works wonders with water ... and its own fortunes

Tersano Inc.'s powerful Lotus system changes ordinary cold tap water into a powerful sanitizing agent. No less spectacular, though, is Tersano's own transformation from a small startup to a thriving business within three years – and with a staff of 10. Read about the role SAP software played in this metamorphosis.
6/23/2009 7:00:00 AM By: Nestor E. Arellano

Unlike the alchemists of medieval times, Steve Hengsperger didn't aspire to change base metals into gold.

But what he sought, and accomplished, was no less amazing – the transformation of ordinary cold tap water into a powerful sanitizing agent that destroys microbes and toxins, and even neutralizes pesticides.

Hengsperger is founder and CEO of Tersano Inc., the Oldcastle, Ont-based firm whose Lotus sanitizing system is making waves -- and winning new customers across North America, and in Barbados.

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This natural sanitizer was named Best Invention of 2006 by TIME Magazine.

Today, Tersano's super-oxygenated water is being used – not just to safely clean food – but also by casinos and hotels to sanitize furniture and bathrooms.

And no less remarkable than the transformation of ordinary water, is the metamorphosis experienced by Tersano itself.

The firm, which three years ago was a small startup, today does business worth millions of dollars and has a customer base that extends across Canada and the U.S.

Tersano owes much of its success to its unique "water transformation" technology dubbed the Lotus Sanitizing System.

But while this system has kept the orders pouring in, the firm also had to ensure it is able to fulfill these orders ... promptly and completely.

To do this Tersano relies on enterprise software from SAP Canada Inc.

Benefits of automation

Despite its multinational operations -- and a customer list that includes names such as Costco, Home Depot, Linens & Things and Neiman Marcus -- Tersano gets it all done with a tight crew of 10 employees!

This feat, company execs say, has a lot to do with the rollout of SAP Business All-In-One, a business software suite targeted at small and mid-sized firms.

Coordinating inventory and supply would be a huge challenge without this system, according Debbie Harmer, Tersano's manager of sales and operations.

She said the SAP Business All-In-One suite automated this process, and in doing so speeded up shipping by as much as 66 per cent.

The suite's finance and sales applications eased the load on office personnel and the firm's lone accountant and increased workplace productivity by about 33 per cent.

Tersano's online shopping cart also serves as a new revenue channel that now adds at least 25 per cent to sales volumes, according to Harmer.

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