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Millipore’s revenues rise by 10%
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Maintenance and corrosion discussed During March 2003, the School of Water Sciences at Cranfield University, in the UK, is running the ‘Filter Maintenance and Operations Guidance Workshop’, and the ‘1st IWA Conference on Scaling and Corrosion in Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems’. The first conference is scheduled to be held at the Cranfield Management Development Centre on 5 March 2003. Organized on behalf of the American Water Works Research Foundation, the one-day event will include discussions on filter inspection techniques and methods, filter management and related experiences, flow changes during filtration, and turbidity monitoring. The contents of the ‘Filter Maintenance and Operations Guidance Manual’ also will be reviewed. This report will be given to all attendees at the conference, while a CD version will be available to Foundation subscribers after the conference. The second event is set to be held at the university on 25–27 March 2003. Organized in collaboration with the International Water Association, this conference aims to promote the exchange of the latest information on scale and corrosion problems in water and wastewater systems, as well as their prediction, testing and control. Cranfield says that it will also provide a good opportunity for scientists, researchers and professionals in this area to meet each other and discuss key issues. The programme has an international flavour with speakers from Australia, USA, Korea, Japan and Europe joining those from the UK. Scaling and corrosion are common process problems found in domestic, commercial and industrial applications where water or
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wastewater is in contact with materials. The scaling of surfaces by low solubility salts, such as calcium carbonate, the biofouling of water distribution pipes, the corrosion of metals by aggressive water or sea water ingression, and the fouling of membranes by organic matter or polysaccharides, are just a few examples of problems faced by the water and process industries. For more information, contact: The Short Course Office, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK. Tel: +44 1234 754176, Fax: +44 1234 751206, Email: shortcourse@ cranfield.ac.uk.
Osmonics registers for ISO standard Osmonics’ facility in Westborough, Massachusetts, USA, recently registered its quality management system for the ISO 9001:2000 standard with the International Organization for Standardization. Westborough, which manufactures microfiltration membranes and membrane devices for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) diagnostic kits, analytical use, and precision separations and laboratory applications, is the first Osmonics facility to be registered to the new 2000 revision of ISO 9001. This registration adds the Magna series of OEM flat sheet microfiltration membranes, laboratory Cameo syringe filters, and capsule filters to the company’s list of products that are manufactured in ISO 9001 registered plants. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard provides businesses with a framework on which to model their operations. It covers all aspects of operating a business, including management responsibility, customer input and feedback, product design, purchasing, planning, manufacturing, training and product servicing. The standard also provides for continual improvement of the quality system through regular management reviews, internal audits and operation of corrective and preventive
action systems to eliminate the root causes of problems. “This registration reinforces our ongoing commitment to customers,” said Roger Miller, senior vice president and general manager, Osmonics Filtration & Separations Group. “Our Westborough facility’s ISO 9001 certification furthers our corporate-wide commitment to creating and sustaining quality manufacturing processes.” Westborough is Osmonics’ fourth facility to become ISO 9001 registered. For more information, contact: Osmonics Inc, 5951 Clearwater Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343, USA. Tel: +1 952 933 2277, Fax: +1 952 933 0141.
Millipore’s revenues rise by 10% Millipore Corp’s recently-released results show strong revenue growth for its fourth quarter ended 31 December 2002. The company’s fourth-quarter sales totalled US$186 million, which represents an increase of 10% on sales reported for the equivalent period of 2001. In local currency terms, revenue growth was 6%. Fourth quarter earnings were US$0.41 per share – essentially unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2001, before the impact of an extraordinary item in that quarter. For the full year, revenues amounted to US$704 million, up 7% compared with the previous fiscal year. In local currency terms, revenue growth was 6% for the year. Earnings from continuing operations, excluding US$2.3 million for investment write-downs in 2002 and US$18.0 million for restructuring charges in 2001, were US$1.71 per share for 2002, compared with US$1.56 per share for the previous year. Including the investment write-downs and restructuring charges, earnings from continuing operations for 2002 were US$1.67 per share, compared with US$1.32 per share for 2001. Fran Lunger, Millipore’s chairman, chief executive officer and
president, said: “Fourth quarter revenue growth was better than expected in biotechnology, disappointing in life sciences, and on target in the other bioscience business. Biotechnology growth in local currency was 14%.” He says that the life sciences business declined by 1%, compared with the fourth quarter of 2001, reflecting a reduction in the level of high-throughput sequencing and the fact that fewer laboratories were constructed. The company’s other bioscience business increased at an expected rate of 3%. Lunger continued: “Geographically, Europe and the Americas had local-currency revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 10% and 7%, respectively, while our Asia/Pacific region dropped 4%, primarily because of the continuing recessionary conditions in Japan.” He noted that profitability in the fourth quarter was below that of recent quarters because of a high mix of hardware sales, lower initial margins and start-up costs associated with the introduction of new products. For more information, contact: Millipore Corp, 80 Ashby Road, Bedford, MA 01730-2271, USA. Tel: +1 781 533 6000, Fax: +1 781 533 3110.
H2O completes private placement Canadian company H 2O Innovation (2000) Inc has completed a private placement with the Fonds d’investissement REA Inc and Corporation Waskahegen for an amount of C$450 000. The company will issue a total of 2 250 000 common shares at a price of C$0.20 per share. Each common share will be accompanied by special warrants, exercisable at a price of C$0.26 for a period of 18 months. This placement has been completed in order to support the increase in the company’s order backlog. It says that potential new sales, worth C$700 000, have been signed during the last few months for drinking water and wastewater treatment systems that are used in the industrial and tourist sectors.
Membrane Technology February 2003
Maintenance and corrosion discussed During March 2003, the School of Water Sciences at Cranfield University, in the UK, is running the ‘Filter Maintenance and Operations Guidance Workshop’, and the ‘1st IWA Conference on Scaling and Corrosion in Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems’. The first conference is scheduled to be held at the Cranfield Management Development Centre on 5 March 2003. Organized on behalf of the American Water Works Research Foundation, the one-day event will include discussions on filter inspection techniques and methods, filter management and related experiences, flow changes during filtration, and turbidity monitoring. The contents of the ‘Filter Maintenance and Operations Guidance Manual’ also will be reviewed. This report will be given to all attendees at the conference, while a CD version will be available to Foundation subscribers after the conference. The second event is set to be held at the university on 25–27 March 2003. Organized in collaboration with the International Water Association, this conference aims to promote the exchange of the latest information on scale and corrosion problems in water and wastewater systems, as well as their prediction, testing and control. Cranfield says that it will also provide a good opportunity for scientists, researchers and professionals in this area to meet each other and discuss key issues. The programme has an international flavour with speakers from Australia, USA, Korea, Japan and Europe joining those from the UK. Scaling and corrosion are common process problems found in domestic, commercial and industrial applications where water or
4
wastewater is in contact with materials. The scaling of surfaces by low solubility salts, such as calcium carbonate, the biofouling of water distribution pipes, the corrosion of metals by aggressive water or sea water ingression, and the fouling of membranes by organic matter or polysaccharides, are just a few examples of problems faced by the water and process industries. For more information, contact: The Short Course Office, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK. Tel: +44 1234 754176, Fax: +44 1234 751206, Email: shortcourse@ cranfield.ac.uk.
Osmonics registers for ISO standard Osmonics’ facility in Westborough, Massachusetts, USA, recently registered its quality management system for the ISO 9001:2000 standard with the International Organization for Standardization. Westborough, which manufactures microfiltration membranes and membrane devices for original equipment manufacturer (OEM) diagnostic kits, analytical use, and precision separations and laboratory applications, is the first Osmonics facility to be registered to the new 2000 revision of ISO 9001. This registration adds the Magna series of OEM flat sheet microfiltration membranes, laboratory Cameo syringe filters, and capsule filters to the company’s list of products that are manufactured in ISO 9001 registered plants. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard provides businesses with a framework on which to model their operations. It covers all aspects of operating a business, including management responsibility, customer input and feedback, product design, purchasing, planning, manufacturing, training and product servicing. The standard also provides for continual improvement of the quality system through regular management reviews, internal audits and operation of corrective and preventive
action systems to eliminate the root causes of problems. “This registration reinforces our ongoing commitment to customers,” said Roger Miller, senior vice president and general manager, Osmonics Filtration & Separations Group. “Our Westborough facility’s ISO 9001 certification furthers our corporate-wide commitment to creating and sustaining quality manufacturing processes.” Westborough is Osmonics’ fourth facility to become ISO 9001 registered. For more information, contact: Osmonics Inc, 5951 Clearwater Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55343, USA. Tel: +1 952 933 2277, Fax: +1 952 933 0141.
Millipore’s revenues rise by 10% Millipore Corp’s recently-released results show strong revenue growth for its fourth quarter ended 31 December 2002. The company’s fourth-quarter sales totalled US$186 million, which represents an increase of 10% on sales reported for the equivalent period of 2001. In local currency terms, revenue growth was 6%. Fourth quarter earnings were US$0.41 per share – essentially unchanged from the fourth quarter of 2001, before the impact of an extraordinary item in that quarter. For the full year, revenues amounted to US$704 million, up 7% compared with the previous fiscal year. In local currency terms, revenue growth was 6% for the year. Earnings from continuing operations, excluding US$2.3 million for investment write-downs in 2002 and US$18.0 million for restructuring charges in 2001, were US$1.71 per share for 2002, compared with US$1.56 per share for the previous year. Including the investment write-downs and restructuring charges, earnings from continuing operations for 2002 were US$1.67 per share, compared with US$1.32 per share for 2001. Fran Lunger, Millipore’s chairman, chief executive officer and
president, said: “Fourth quarter revenue growth was better than expected in biotechnology, disappointing in life sciences, and on target in the other bioscience business. Biotechnology growth in local currency was 14%.” He says that the life sciences business declined by 1%, compared with the fourth quarter of 2001, reflecting a reduction in the level of high-throughput sequencing and the fact that fewer laboratories were constructed. The company’s other bioscience business increased at an expected rate of 3%. Lunger continued: “Geographically, Europe and the Americas had local-currency revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 10% and 7%, respectively, while our Asia/Pacific region dropped 4%, primarily because of the continuing recessionary conditions in Japan.” He noted that profitability in the fourth quarter was below that of recent quarters because of a high mix of hardware sales, lower initial margins and start-up costs associated with the introduction of new products. For more information, contact: Millipore Corp, 80 Ashby Road, Bedford, MA 01730-2271, USA. Tel: +1 781 533 6000, Fax: +1 781 533 3110.
H2O completes private placement Canadian company H 2O Innovation (2000) Inc has completed a private placement with the Fonds d’investissement REA Inc and Corporation Waskahegen for an amount of C$450 000. The company will issue a total of 2 250 000 common shares at a price of C$0.20 per share. Each common share will be accompanied by special warrants, exercisable at a price of C$0.26 for a period of 18 months. This placement has been completed in order to support the increase in the company’s order backlog. It says that potential new sales, worth C$700 000, have been signed during the last few months for drinking water and wastewater treatment systems that are used in the industrial and tourist sectors.
Membrane Technology February 2003