. ▁The ▁logo , ▁which ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁was ▁mode led ▁after ▁Pic asso ’ s ▁dove ▁of ▁peace . ▁ ▁His ▁company ▁won ▁a ▁water ▁treatment ▁contract ▁for ▁C airo , ▁Egypt , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁He ▁was ▁not orious ▁for ▁his ▁in ability ▁to ▁speak ▁English ▁( a ▁characteristic ▁which ▁many ▁man agers ▁lo y ally ▁follow ▁today ), ▁but ▁he ▁spoke ▁Spanish ▁well ▁enough ▁to ▁win ▁business ▁first ▁in ▁Spain ▁and ▁later ▁in ▁South ▁America , ▁not ably ▁in ▁C ali , ▁Colombia , ▁and ▁Lima , ▁Peru , ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁S ark is ▁Bal aban ian ▁handled ▁expansion ▁within ▁English - spe aking ▁countries . ▁▁ ▁Lar ge ▁water ▁treatment ▁contract s ▁were ▁signed ▁in ▁Te h ran , ▁Jak arta , ▁and ▁many ▁major ▁cities ▁world wide ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁Gilbert ▁D egr ém ont ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁company ▁he ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁after ▁it ▁merged ▁with ▁S LE E , ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁Ly onna ise ▁des ▁e aux , ▁which ▁merged ▁with ▁S uez ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁▁ ▁Today , ▁the ▁company ▁remains ▁a ▁world ▁leader ▁in ▁water ▁treatment . ▁ ▁Water ▁Tre at ment ▁Hand book ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁D egr ém ont ▁and ▁chief ▁engineer ▁Roger