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Pall reports drop in net earnings but weathers tough economy
NEWS goods sold, spell out a need for robust, highcapacity unit operations. Our customers see that the high throughput and viral reduction security of the Viresolve Pro package fit those needs perfectly.’ Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, www.millipore.com
Pall reports drop in net earnings but weathers tough economy
T
he latest results posted by Pall Corporation reveal that its sales and net earnings declined for the second quarter and six months ended 31 January 2009. The US-based filtration, separation and purification company reported second-quarter sales of $543.3 million, compared with $625.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Foreign exchange reduced sales by $38 million or 6%. Net earnings were $38.9 million, compared with $48 million recorded for the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Sales for the six-month period totalled $1.1 billion – a decrease of 5.5% (or 1.7% in local currency) from a year earlier. Net earnings were $82 million, compared with $84.1 million. Eric Krasnoff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: ‘While the economy deteriorated during our second quarter, Pall is weathering the storm. Our market and geographic diversity provides some shelter. Well established productivity improvement and cost-reduction programmes have been advanced to stay ahead of forecasted changes in market demand. The results can be seen clearly in the 110 basis-point improvement in gross margins.’ Medical sales decreased 3.4% in the quarter. This is in line with expectations and reflects lower blood filtration sales in the western hemisphere, says the firm. Both cell therapy and OEM market sales increased. Sales in bio-pharmaceuticals were essentially flat compared with 16.7% growth in the previous year. Laboratory sales were up 10.1% (in local currency) with growth in Europe and Asia particularly robust. Sales in the energy, water and process technologies segment decreased by 6.3%, reflecting global weakness in industrial manufacturing which declined 23%. On the positive side, sales to the power-generating sector grew 10% globally. Other bright spots included double-digit sales growth in the municipal water market in the western
April 2009
hemisphere and in food and beverage in the western hemisphere and Asia. In aerospace and transportation, military sales continued to be strong – increasing 12.9% (in local currency). Commercial aerospace and transportation were down. Microelectronics sales decreased in all geographies, driven by continued weakness in the semiconductor and consumer electronics markets. ‘Our ability to respond to the economic downturn contributed to a $13 million reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses compared with the first quarter. We are also executing further plans to align operating costs to this business climate. Pall should be well-positioned when the economy rebounds,’ continued Krasnoff. ‘Pall’s strategic market positions across the globe can help mitigate the impact of the present global macroeconomic environment. We also continue to use strong cost-control measures to palliate the impact of the recession.’ Contact: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, www.pall.com
Liquid and gas separation membranes market set for solid growth
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he value of US market for membrane modules used in liquid and gas separation is forecast to increase to $3.3 billion by 2013 – a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% – according to a technical market research report published by BCC Research. The study, entitled Membrane Technologies for Liquid and Gas Separations, estimates the market to be worth around $2.3 billion in 2008. The market is broken down into segments covering conventional liquid separation and other separation processes. The first has the largest share of the market, worth an estimated $2.1 billion in 2008. This should reach $3.0 billion by 2013 (CAGR of 7.7%), says BCC. According to the study, the market for other separation processes will be worth $351.0 million in 2013 (CAGR of 8.4%) – rising from an estimated $235.0 million in 2008. Membranes are essential to a range of applications, including process-water and wastewater treatment; power-generating systems; pharmaceuticals production; food and beverage processing; and for use in separation
In Brief Millipore opens new facility in Singapore Millipore Corp of Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, a provider of technologies, tools and services for the global life science industry, has opened its Biomanufacturing Sciences and Training Center in Singapore. The 740 m2 (8000 ft2) facility will support the firm’s biopharmaceutical customers who have operations throughout Asia. ‘When many of our bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing customers began to establish significant operations in Asia, we saw a need,’ said Martin Madaus, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Millipore. ‘This new facility continues and enhances the local support we have provided for more than 25 years in Singapore.’ Turkmenistan plant relies on Inge’s UF technology Ultrafiltration (UF) systems from Inge Watertechnologies AG are being installed in a desalination plant in Turkmenistan. According to the German company, this is the largest reverse osmosis (RO) facility to use its technology. The pretreatment system – upstream of the RO system – consists of eight T-Rack units, each equipped with 96 Dizzer 5000plus modules. In total, 768 Dizzer modules produce 58 million litres (15 million gallons) of purified water a day that is fed to the RO system which produces drinking water. Jaferey appointed Vice President of KMS Water & Wastewater division US-based developer and manufacturer of membranes and membrane filtration systems Koch Membrane Systems Inc (KMS) has promoted Imran Jaferey to Vice President, Water and Wastewater. Jaferey has been leading the water and wastewater group on an interim basis and, says the company, this appointment recognises his significant achievements in that role. David Koch, President of KMS, commented: ‘Imran has been an integral part of the KMS team for several years, and this, coupled with his solid engineering background, makes us extremely confident in his ability to effectively manage all facets of Koch Membrane Systems’ water and wastewater division.’ Jaferey joined KMS during May 2000 in a commercial development role and has held positions of growing responsibility over the years. DWS starts building Water Technology Development Center in Spain Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Co and its subsidiaries, has started building its Water Technology Development Center in Tarragona, Spain. The centre, a key component of the company’s aggressive growth objectives, will house facilities for application development and component testing, and is being established to accelerate the commercialisation of Dow’s water treatment technologies.
Membrane Technology
3
Pall reports drop in net earnings but weathers tough economy
T
he latest results posted by Pall Corporation reveal that its sales and net earnings declined for the second quarter and six months ended 31 January 2009. The US-based filtration, separation and purification company reported second-quarter sales of $543.3 million, compared with $625.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Foreign exchange reduced sales by $38 million or 6%. Net earnings were $38.9 million, compared with $48 million recorded for the second quarter of fiscal 2008. Sales for the six-month period totalled $1.1 billion – a decrease of 5.5% (or 1.7% in local currency) from a year earlier. Net earnings were $82 million, compared with $84.1 million. Eric Krasnoff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: ‘While the economy deteriorated during our second quarter, Pall is weathering the storm. Our market and geographic diversity provides some shelter. Well established productivity improvement and cost-reduction programmes have been advanced to stay ahead of forecasted changes in market demand. The results can be seen clearly in the 110 basis-point improvement in gross margins.’ Medical sales decreased 3.4% in the quarter. This is in line with expectations and reflects lower blood filtration sales in the western hemisphere, says the firm. Both cell therapy and OEM market sales increased. Sales in bio-pharmaceuticals were essentially flat compared with 16.7% growth in the previous year. Laboratory sales were up 10.1% (in local currency) with growth in Europe and Asia particularly robust. Sales in the energy, water and process technologies segment decreased by 6.3%, reflecting global weakness in industrial manufacturing which declined 23%. On the positive side, sales to the power-generating sector grew 10% globally. Other bright spots included double-digit sales growth in the municipal water market in the western
April 2009
hemisphere and in food and beverage in the western hemisphere and Asia. In aerospace and transportation, military sales continued to be strong – increasing 12.9% (in local currency). Commercial aerospace and transportation were down. Microelectronics sales decreased in all geographies, driven by continued weakness in the semiconductor and consumer electronics markets. ‘Our ability to respond to the economic downturn contributed to a $13 million reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses compared with the first quarter. We are also executing further plans to align operating costs to this business climate. Pall should be well-positioned when the economy rebounds,’ continued Krasnoff. ‘Pall’s strategic market positions across the globe can help mitigate the impact of the present global macroeconomic environment. We also continue to use strong cost-control measures to palliate the impact of the recession.’ Contact: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, www.pall.com
Liquid and gas separation membranes market set for solid growth
T
he value of US market for membrane modules used in liquid and gas separation is forecast to increase to $3.3 billion by 2013 – a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% – according to a technical market research report published by BCC Research. The study, entitled Membrane Technologies for Liquid and Gas Separations, estimates the market to be worth around $2.3 billion in 2008. The market is broken down into segments covering conventional liquid separation and other separation processes. The first has the largest share of the market, worth an estimated $2.1 billion in 2008. This should reach $3.0 billion by 2013 (CAGR of 7.7%), says BCC. According to the study, the market for other separation processes will be worth $351.0 million in 2013 (CAGR of 8.4%) – rising from an estimated $235.0 million in 2008. Membranes are essential to a range of applications, including process-water and wastewater treatment; power-generating systems; pharmaceuticals production; food and beverage processing; and for use in separation
In Brief Millipore opens new facility in Singapore Millipore Corp of Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, a provider of technologies, tools and services for the global life science industry, has opened its Biomanufacturing Sciences and Training Center in Singapore. The 740 m2 (8000 ft2) facility will support the firm’s biopharmaceutical customers who have operations throughout Asia. ‘When many of our bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing customers began to establish significant operations in Asia, we saw a need,’ said Martin Madaus, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Millipore. ‘This new facility continues and enhances the local support we have provided for more than 25 years in Singapore.’ Turkmenistan plant relies on Inge’s UF technology Ultrafiltration (UF) systems from Inge Watertechnologies AG are being installed in a desalination plant in Turkmenistan. According to the German company, this is the largest reverse osmosis (RO) facility to use its technology. The pretreatment system – upstream of the RO system – consists of eight T-Rack units, each equipped with 96 Dizzer 5000plus modules. In total, 768 Dizzer modules produce 58 million litres (15 million gallons) of purified water a day that is fed to the RO system which produces drinking water. Jaferey appointed Vice President of KMS Water & Wastewater division US-based developer and manufacturer of membranes and membrane filtration systems Koch Membrane Systems Inc (KMS) has promoted Imran Jaferey to Vice President, Water and Wastewater. Jaferey has been leading the water and wastewater group on an interim basis and, says the company, this appointment recognises his significant achievements in that role. David Koch, President of KMS, commented: ‘Imran has been an integral part of the KMS team for several years, and this, coupled with his solid engineering background, makes us extremely confident in his ability to effectively manage all facets of Koch Membrane Systems’ water and wastewater division.’ Jaferey joined KMS during May 2000 in a commercial development role and has held positions of growing responsibility over the years. DWS starts building Water Technology Development Center in Spain Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Co and its subsidiaries, has started building its Water Technology Development Center in Tarragona, Spain. The centre, a key component of the company’s aggressive growth objectives, will house facilities for application development and component testing, and is being established to accelerate the commercialisation of Dow’s water treatment technologies.
Membrane Technology
3