Governor’s Export Achievement Award: Prolitec from WisconsinEDC on Vimeo.

MILWAUKEE, WI–(Marketwired – May 13, 2013) – Prolitec Inc., a leading developer of scenting and air-care technologies under the Air/Q Atmospheres brand, was the winner of Wisconsin’s 2013 Governor’s Export Achievement Awards in the “Small Business” category. Presented by the office of Gov. Scott K. Walker, the awards salute state firms and organizations that have achieved extraordinary results in international markets or that have contributed to Wisconsin’s ability to compete in the global economy.

“The state of Wisconsin is proud to recognize Prolitec for its significant export growth and contribution to the state’s economy,” said Lora Klenke, Vice President of International Business Development at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

Under the rules of the competition, winners must have exhibited significant growth or have implemented innovative strategies that could serve as examples for other firms in the state. The competition is open to agricultural, forestry, industrial, high-tech or service enterprises involved in the export of products or services that originate in Wisconsin.

“Speaking on behalf of our employees in Wisconsin, I know that all of us at Prolitec are extremely proud to have received this award from the governor’s office,” said Richard Weening, CEO.

A pioneer in the use of scent to enhance indoor air quality, Prolitec helps clients around the world create attractive interior atmospheres, extend brand identity and/or employ odor-remediation to erase malodors. “Over the past few years, we have greatly increased our client based of retail stores, malls, hotels, spas, fitness centers, casinos, assisted-living communities, hospitals and more,” states Roger Bensinger, Executive Vice President of Business Development. “All told, Prolitec and its partners now provide service at more than 40,000 locations in 73 countries.”

Made in Milwaukee and shipped from a warehouse on West Canal Street, the company’s computer-controlled delivery systems use fragrances designed by the top perfumers in the world. Prolitec also develops custom scents finely tailored to customer requirements. At the heart of Prolitec’s Air/Q Atmospheres system is a patented droplet generator capable of converting aqueous or non-aqueous liquids into plumes of ultra-fine droplets measuring about 1 micron in diameter. These blend with and uniformly treat the air in indoor spaces. The systems are controlled by an on-board computer functioning independently or in conjunction with a building’s automation system.

Since 2009, Prolitec has dramatically expanded its network of service partners around the world. Last year alone, the company opened up new markets in Brazil, Mexico, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Russia and China, along with several countries in Southeast Asia. Global accounts using the service include Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Mercedes Benz, Giorgio Armani and Regus Corporate Offices.

Prolitec has also partnered with key Wisconsin organizations such as Goodwill- TalentBridge, which supports the company’s production facility through the employment of 23 associates; the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and multiple local key manufacturers, distributors and third-party contractors throughout Greater Milwaukee. “The support we have received from our Wisconsin colleagues has been tremendous, and it’s a major factor in the success we have enjoyed thus far,” Bensinger said.

About Prolitec-Air/Q Atmospheres
Prolitec, Inc. is a global provider of ambient scenting technology and services under the Air/Q Atmospheres brand to retail stores, hotels, casinos, assisted living communities, offices and other locations. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisc., Prolitec provides scent marketing services in the U.S. directly to major brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Hard Rock Casinos. Prolitec also provides products and services in more than 70 countries around the world through certified service provider partners. To learn more, visit www.prolitec.com.

Prolitec’s growth internationally earned it the Wisconsin 2013 “Governor’s Export Achievement Award,” announced May 7 at the Wisconsin International Trade Conference in Milwaukee.

Prolitec’s strength is its technology, which requires no heat, allowing even distribution throughout a space.

How do we experience fragrance? Perfumes generally get overlaid with marketing hype and that’s how we think of them. We focus on a list of ingredients, rather than the experience, the ART. Let’s start over and have a fresh look. Perfumery is an art.

“The Art of Scent 1889-2012” runs from Nov. 20 – Feb. 24, and will give visitors a chance to experience 12 different scents without the distracting influence of packaging, branding or other stimuli.

Read more in the New York Times or the Scent Marketing Digest

A study recently published in the Journal of Social Psychology spells it out: “spontaneous help [was] triggered by pleasant ambient smells.” Scientists from the University of Southern Brittany recruited eight volunteers to stand outside either a bakery or a clothes shop. The volunteers pretended to be looking for something in their bags as they stepped in front of a passing shopper, and dropped a glove, handkerchief or packet of tissues.

The massive building, which has served over the decades as a hotel (Balneário Sete de Setembro), a nursing school (Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery) and a college dormitory (Casa do Estudante Universitário) was shuttered in 1995 and fell into disrepair.

Aromatizar used custom Air/Q Atmospheres fragrances in different rooms. “We had a chance to use a diversity of fragrances with different purposes. For example, ‘Boutique Noir,’ ‘Mandarin Zest’ and ‘Relaxing’ were used in separate lounge spaces to strike the right moods,” said Ricardo Novais, Aromatizar’s founder.

According to a report by Euromonitor International, Brazilian fragrance sales rose 33 percent in 2010 to $6 billion, making Brazil the world’s top market for fragrance, and forecasting that Brazil would post the strongest per capita increase in fragrance sales for all of the Americas between 2011 and 2016 — 32 percent.

“There is a great appreciation of fragrance in Brazil, and we think this translates well for our business,” said Prolitec’s executive vice president of marketing and business development, Roger Bensinger.

Check out the other images of Casa Cor Rio 2012 at CasaVogue and BOL.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, Oct 03, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Working with Rio de Janeiro-based Aromatizar, Prolitec, Inc. is bringing its patented Air/Q Atmospheres ambient scenting technology and services to commercial environments throughout Brazil, now the world’s top fragrance market with an estimated $6 billion in annual sales.

Vibrant sights, sounds and smells are central to Brazilian culture, and yet most resorts, spas, gyms, retail stores and other commercial environments in the country continue to rely on old-fashioned reed-diffusers, sprays and even scented candles as they strive to enhance the olfactory experience, noted Roger Bensinger, executive vice president of marketing and business development for Milwaukee-based Prolitec. “Air/Q Atmospheres was expressly created to replace these imperfect and, in some cases, environmentally questionable delivery systems,” he said. “This launch promises to help Brazil’s commercial users take ambient scenting to the next level.”

Air/Q Atmospheres customers already include Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos, Bliss Spas, GE Healthcare and many other businesses around the world. For the Brazilian launch, Prolitec tapped local partner Aromatizar ( http://www.aromatizar.com.br ), which also has an office in Sao Paulo, as the exclusive Certified Service Provider of Air/Q Atmospheres products and services in the country.

Air/Q Atmospheres meets and exceeds all consumer product safety standards and uses no propellants or any other harmful, volatile organic compounds. “Green-building standards like Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) are catching on in Brazil,” noted Ricardo Novais, Aromatizar’s founder. “By using Air/Q, you can actually earn points toward a LEED certification, which was a strong selling point for the local market.

“Our first project debuts to the public this week as part of the 22nd edition of Casa Cor Rio ( http://www.casacorrio.com.br ), a program in which Brazil’s leading architects, contractors, interior designers and landscapers work together to execute showcase renovations of dilapidated mansions and government buildings,” said Novais.

During the course of the renovations, which are being unveiled to the public this week, the architects came to appreciate the way they could use Air/Q’s on-board computer to control both the intensity and the duration of the company’s custom scent effects, up to and including programmable start and stop times, Novais said. Casa Cor Rio teams also appreciated the way Prolitec’s micro-droplet technology uniformly treats the air throughout large and small spaces using ultra-low concentrations of liquid — particularly compared to the sprays commonly used in Brazil.

For the 22nd edition, the expert teams renovated over 50 rooms within a 90-year-old building overlooking the ocean near the Avenida Rui Barbosa. With its high ceilings and large windows, the building had over the decades served as a hotel, a nursing school and, most recently, a college dormitory. It was shuttered in 1995 and had fallen into disrepair. As part of the project, Aromatizar used custom Air/Q Atmospheres scents to enhance various remodeled environments. Novais explained. “We had a chance to use a diversity of fragrances with different purposes. For example, ‘Boutique Noir,’ ‘Mandarin Zest’ and ‘Relaxing’ were used in separate lounge spaces to strike the right moods,” he said.

Elsewhere, Aromatizar used Air/Q Atmosphere’s energizing ‘Spa Eucalyptus’ fragrance for the fitness room and ‘Fresh Cotton’ — which calls to mind the freshness of just-washed-and-ironed clothes — for the laundry. “Overall, this was quite a showroom for the versatility and effectiveness of Air/Q,” Novais said.

According to a report by Euromonitor International, Brazilian fragrance sales rose 33 percent in 2010 to $6 billion, and the country is expected to post the strongest per capita increase (32 percent) in fragrance sales for all of the Americas between 2011 and 2016. “Brazil has taken over as the world leader in terms of volume sales of fragrances per capita,” Bensinger said. “There is a great appreciation of fragrance in Brazil, and we think this translates well for our business.”

Via Marketwatch

Participating are the most highly sought after authorities in neuromarketing and multisensory brand experience, including Dr. A.K. Pradeep, CEO of NeuroFocus, Inc., a leader in the fast-growing neuromarketing research field, and the author of the best-selling book, The Buying Brain: Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious Mind. Dr. Pradeep will deliver the opening keynote address to conference attendees on Thursday, February 7. In addition, Diana Derval, President and Research Director of DervalResearch, a global market research firm specializing in human perception and behavior, will be presenting the morning plenary address on Friday, February 8. Professor Derval will discuss her book, The Right Sensory Mix, for a winning consumer experience.

“Worldwide brands are successfully using scent to distinguish and solidify their brand identity, augment their revenue streams, and connect with customers for a more memorable experience,” said Caroline Pieper-Vogt, President of ScentWorld, LLC. “This is the fourth annual ScentWorld event, originally founded by my late husband, Harald Vogt, who was a pioneer in the industry. With a bigger, bolder and broader presence, our conference offers attendees the opportunity to explore the latest trends and creative avenues in scent marketing.”

Other speakers presenting at ScentWorld 2013 include, Dr. Alan Hirsch, the groundbreaking researcher on scent, and the Founder and Neurological Director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation; Andrew Kindfuller, CEO, ScentAir; Richard Weening, Chairman and CEO, Prolitec; Keven Callahan, Director of Merchandising for NBC Universal Studios; Austyn Stevens, Design Director, Brand development for Siegel+Gale; and Nicola Pozzani, Founder and Managing Director, S Sense.

The year 2013 marks a new milestone for ScentWorld events, with a portion of the conference dedicated to the consumer scent experience. On February 8, conference members joined by consumer aficionados will attend a program on “The Creation of Scent Advertising and Messaging: An Insiders View From the Creators,” with Jon Bond, CEO at Big Fuel Communications and co-founder of groundbreaking agency Kirshenbaum Bond and Partners; and Ameena Meer, Creative Director and creator of the concepts and stories behind some of the world’s most famous scents. An end of the day wrap up session includes Smelling, Feeling, Wanting, Learning: A Scent Lovers Workshop, hosted by Karen Dubin, Founder and Director, Sniffapalooza, and Sue Phillips, Founder and President, Scenterprises.

The annual ScentWorld 2013 conference brings together well-known scent technology and fragrance manufacturers; scent marketing distributors and consultants; marketing, advertising and branding agency professionals, sensory marketing pioneers and established brands from across the globe. Participating in the three-day international event will place attendees on the fast track to uncovering the power of scent and sensory marketing to increase sales and create lasting emotional bonds with today’s sophisticated consumers.

ScentWorld 2013 is a conference that attracts renowned experts, authors, and engaging speakers and professionals who represent countries around the world. For information, including about sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor spaces, visit http://www.scentmarketing.org/events/

Kortekaas, based in Melbourne, Australia, is Prolitec’s new Director of Business Development for Asia Pacific. He is responsible for the recruitment and account management of Prolitec Certified Service Providers in the Asia Pacific region, with an emphasis on China. Kortekaas joins Prolitec from Air Aroma International in Melbourne.

Shaw, who is based in the company’s Milwaukee headquarters, is Prolitec’s new VP of Operations, managing client and field services, procurement, production, logistics, and facilities. Shaw comes to Prolitec with more than 17 years’ experience in operations and logistics management.

Sawyer, also based in Milwaukee, is the Director of Engineering, reporting to Dr. Craig Kelly, Prolitec vice president of technology. Sawyer comes to Prolitec with more than 13 years of semiconductor packaging and technology related experience.

View at MSNBC.com

Milwaukee-based company Prolitec is partnering its services with stores, hotels, casinos to create a positive scent experience for customers. Its patented, micron-sized droplets are distributed quietly and subtly throughout a space. And from the retail perspective, it seems to be working. According to Andy Ginsberg, facilities director of the Mirage hotel and casino, where “This is by far one system that actually does work. Not the cheapest system out there, but it’s a quality product.”

Read more at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel