▁water ▁filters . ▁When ▁a ▁bar ge ▁containing ▁ 3 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁steel ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁a ▁s ilt - filled ▁canal , ▁D egr ém ont ▁bought ▁the ▁bar ge ▁and ▁its ▁contents ▁from ▁the ▁steel ▁manufact urer ▁for ▁a ▁tiny ▁sum , ▁then ▁mobil ized ▁teams ▁of ▁workers ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁steel ▁within ▁a ▁week . ▁The ▁steel ▁cache ▁last ed ▁the ▁company ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁compet itors ▁had ▁none . ▁ ▁D egr ém ont ▁formed ▁close ▁working ▁relationships ▁with ▁three ▁men , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁would ▁grow ▁the ▁business ▁over ▁the ▁subsequent ▁dec ades : ▁Pierre ▁D uf lot , ▁who ▁ran ▁the ▁financial ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁business , ▁S ark is ▁Bal aban ian , ▁who ▁focused ▁on ▁foreign ▁expansion , ▁and ▁Roger ▁Lev iel , ▁chief ▁engineer ▁and ▁special ist ▁in ▁chem istry ▁and ▁water . ▁▁ ▁After ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁he ▁successfully ▁installed ▁a ▁water ▁filtering ▁system ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁St ▁Et ienne . ▁The ▁system ▁used ▁self - clean ing ▁filters ▁to ▁treat ▁. ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁he ▁moved ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁its ▁newly ▁built ▁headquarters ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁Paris ▁sub urb ▁of ▁R ueil - Mal ma ison , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁still ▁located ▁today . ▁ ▁D egr ém ont ▁soon ▁entered ▁the ▁international ▁market . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁readily ▁recognized ▁over se as , ▁he ▁designed ▁the ▁dove ▁logo ▁that ▁is ▁still ▁the ▁company ’ s ▁tra dem ark