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USFILTER SHARPENS WATER FOCUS WITH SWEDISH PURCHASE
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7/22/02
3:08 PM
Page 1
AUGUST 2002 ISSN 1365-6937
NEWS
USFILTER SHARPENS WATER FOCUS WITH SWEDISH PURCHASE USFilter has acquired an international manufacturer of water purification technology. Hydrotech AB of Vellinge, Sweden specializes in disc and drum filtration systems. Hydrotech will be integrated into USFilter’s Kruger Products of Cary, North Carolina, while the company’s headquarters and manufacturing offices will remain in Sweden. The acquisition is part of USFilter’s strategy of adding technologies and services in the firm’s core water and wastewater treatment businesses. Since June 2000, USFilter has had a marketing agreement with Hydrotech to offer its disc and drum filters to the North American market. USFilter says it was so impressed with Hydrotech’s filters’ operating efficiencies that it decided to acquire the company. “We really liked the superior design, reliability, and low maintenance of these systems, and the acquisition gives us an even wider range of water and wastewater filtration technologies for municipal and industrial applications,” said Terry Mah, vice president and general manager of USFilter’s Kruger Products. “Hydrotech
filters are popular for water reuse, and we hope to add them to our growing list of Title 22compliant technologies.” Title 22 compliance is necessary for all equipment used in California for the tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater. The highly efficient, small-footprint Hydrotech filter technology is used in industrial applications from pulp and paper intake water to food processing plants, as well as in municipal drinking water and wastewater filtration applications. Specific terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
COMMENT Despite the troubles at Vivendi, USFilter has lost none of its momentum for acquisitions. This latest deal takes the total value of USFilter purchases in 2002 past the US$100 million mark. With its renewed focus on the water and wastewater business, USFilter looks set to keep its market dominance – quite an achievement considering that it has only existed in its present form for 12 years. ■
BEKAERT AND MOTT IN PACT TO BOOST SALES
INGE TARGETS US MEMBRANE MARKET
Bekaert Fibre Technologies, a Bekaert Advanced Materials business, has formed a comprehensive strategic alliance with Mott Corp to enhance the companies’ sales. The agreement, which includes sales, distribution and new product development, is aimed at increasing sales of Mott and Bekaert’s filtration products in Europe, Asia and North America for applications in the chemical, petrochemical and semiconductor industries. Both Mott and Bekaert’s sales networks in these regions will be used, and both product portfolios will be combined to offer customers a more complete offering of metal-based filtration. Georges Brys, corporate vice president of Bekaert Advanced Materials, said the complementary technology will benefit the end customers in a number of important ways. “Together, Mott and Bekaert will provide the most comprehensive array of filtration and flow devices available for volatile environments where conditions favour metal media.” Mott is the world’s largest dedicated manufacturer of porous metal powder products for filtration and flow control applications. Bekaert’s Advanced Filtration activity specializes in the manufacture and development of metalfibre-based filtration products.
Germany-based Inge AG is to start distributing its ultrafiltration membrane products in North America for the purification of drinking water and wastewater. Inge claims that its membrane and module concept offers investment and operating cost savings of up to 30% compared with conventional ultrafiltration technology. The decision to cross the Atlantic marks an important milestone in Inge’s strategy to deploy its ultrafiltration technology as a market leader on a global basis. Michael Hank, Inge’s founder and CEO, said that interest in the company’s products had been remarkable, and Inge already had a number of reference customers as well as the first pilot projects up and running in the USA. “We will now establish a presence in North America in response to the great interest level and create a service point for communities, industrial operations and water purification facilities that, by using our technology, can save on operating costs while investing in a reliable, safe water supply,” he added. Inge recently merged with the Dutch membrane research and development specialist S. Search BV – read the full story on the back page.
CONTENTS COMPANY PROFILE 5 COMPANY WATCH 6–8 DIARY 15 DIVIDENDS 11 ECONOMIC REVIEW 14 IN BRIEF 11–13 MARKET PROSPECTS 2–4 MARKET REPORT 14 NEWS 1,12,13,16 ORDERS 10 PEOPLE 11 PERSPECTIVE: ADVERTISE – OR PERISH? 9 STOCK WATCH 15 ISSN 1365-6937/02/$22.00 © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Science Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
7/22/02
3:08 PM
Page 1
AUGUST 2002 ISSN 1365-6937
NEWS
USFILTER SHARPENS WATER FOCUS WITH SWEDISH PURCHASE USFilter has acquired an international manufacturer of water purification technology. Hydrotech AB of Vellinge, Sweden specializes in disc and drum filtration systems. Hydrotech will be integrated into USFilter’s Kruger Products of Cary, North Carolina, while the company’s headquarters and manufacturing offices will remain in Sweden. The acquisition is part of USFilter’s strategy of adding technologies and services in the firm’s core water and wastewater treatment businesses. Since June 2000, USFilter has had a marketing agreement with Hydrotech to offer its disc and drum filters to the North American market. USFilter says it was so impressed with Hydrotech’s filters’ operating efficiencies that it decided to acquire the company. “We really liked the superior design, reliability, and low maintenance of these systems, and the acquisition gives us an even wider range of water and wastewater filtration technologies for municipal and industrial applications,” said Terry Mah, vice president and general manager of USFilter’s Kruger Products. “Hydrotech
filters are popular for water reuse, and we hope to add them to our growing list of Title 22compliant technologies.” Title 22 compliance is necessary for all equipment used in California for the tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater. The highly efficient, small-footprint Hydrotech filter technology is used in industrial applications from pulp and paper intake water to food processing plants, as well as in municipal drinking water and wastewater filtration applications. Specific terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
COMMENT Despite the troubles at Vivendi, USFilter has lost none of its momentum for acquisitions. This latest deal takes the total value of USFilter purchases in 2002 past the US$100 million mark. With its renewed focus on the water and wastewater business, USFilter looks set to keep its market dominance – quite an achievement considering that it has only existed in its present form for 12 years. ■
BEKAERT AND MOTT IN PACT TO BOOST SALES
INGE TARGETS US MEMBRANE MARKET
Bekaert Fibre Technologies, a Bekaert Advanced Materials business, has formed a comprehensive strategic alliance with Mott Corp to enhance the companies’ sales. The agreement, which includes sales, distribution and new product development, is aimed at increasing sales of Mott and Bekaert’s filtration products in Europe, Asia and North America for applications in the chemical, petrochemical and semiconductor industries. Both Mott and Bekaert’s sales networks in these regions will be used, and both product portfolios will be combined to offer customers a more complete offering of metal-based filtration. Georges Brys, corporate vice president of Bekaert Advanced Materials, said the complementary technology will benefit the end customers in a number of important ways. “Together, Mott and Bekaert will provide the most comprehensive array of filtration and flow devices available for volatile environments where conditions favour metal media.” Mott is the world’s largest dedicated manufacturer of porous metal powder products for filtration and flow control applications. Bekaert’s Advanced Filtration activity specializes in the manufacture and development of metalfibre-based filtration products.
Germany-based Inge AG is to start distributing its ultrafiltration membrane products in North America for the purification of drinking water and wastewater. Inge claims that its membrane and module concept offers investment and operating cost savings of up to 30% compared with conventional ultrafiltration technology. The decision to cross the Atlantic marks an important milestone in Inge’s strategy to deploy its ultrafiltration technology as a market leader on a global basis. Michael Hank, Inge’s founder and CEO, said that interest in the company’s products had been remarkable, and Inge already had a number of reference customers as well as the first pilot projects up and running in the USA. “We will now establish a presence in North America in response to the great interest level and create a service point for communities, industrial operations and water purification facilities that, by using our technology, can save on operating costs while investing in a reliable, safe water supply,” he added. Inge recently merged with the Dutch membrane research and development specialist S. Search BV – read the full story on the back page.
CONTENTS COMPANY PROFILE 5 COMPANY WATCH 6–8 DIARY 15 DIVIDENDS 11 ECONOMIC REVIEW 14 IN BRIEF 11–13 MARKET PROSPECTS 2–4 MARKET REPORT 14 NEWS 1,12,13,16 ORDERS 10 PEOPLE 11 PERSPECTIVE: ADVERTISE – OR PERISH? 9 STOCK WATCH 15 ISSN 1365-6937/02/$22.00 © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Science Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.