Eaton to Purchase Industrial Filtration Business from Hayward Industries

Hayward Filtration produces filtration systems for industrial and commercial customers worldwide. It is a global leader in liquid, high-purity bag filtration systems, marketed under the Hayward Filtration(TM) global brand name. Its primary markets include general industrial, petro-chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, power utilities, marine and water.

Hayward's industrial filtration business had sales of about $100 million over the last 12 months, and employs about 530 people worldwide. It is headquartered in Elizabeth, N.J., and operates five manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium, Germany, China and Brazil.

"As a leader in the industrial filtration market, Hayward represents a natural extension of Eaton's fluid power business," said Alexander M. Cutler, Eaton chairman and chief executive officer. "Hayward Filtration offers highly engineered products with a strong base of recurring sales. Hayward has enjoyed attractive profitability and returns, and we expect this acquisition to be immediately accretive to Eaton's earnings."

Hayward Filtration is a division of Hayward Industries, Inc., which is a privately held manufacturer of swimming pool equipment, industrial filtration and flow control products.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2004 sales of $9.8 billion. Eaton is a global leader in electrical systems and components for power quality, distribution and control; fluid power systems and services for industrial, mobile and aircraft equipment; intelligent truck drivetrain systems for safety and fuel economy; and automotive engine air management systems, powertrain solutions and specialty controls for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 56,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 125 countries.