Lowara in China (Goulds Pumps Najing)

The joint venture was formed in 1986 to produce Line Shaft Deep Well Turbines and Submersible Turbines. In 1997, SSV and 4 submersible pumps were added to the Joint Venture Product portfolio. In addition, the Joint Venture exports foundry products such as Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, Bronze Castings and Investment Stainless Steel castings to many countries such as USA, Japan, Australia, etc.

The company employs 370 people and is recognized as the top quality producer of Deep Well Turbines in China. Its pumps are currently used in many key projects around China, including the 3-gorges dam construction project.

Recently, Goulds Pump Nanjing started to actively promote SSV pumps under the Lowara brand. The SSV pumps assembled in the joint venture was awarded the Anti-fire production certificate by the National Anti-Fire Supervision Test Center (NASTC). Only products with high quality standards can be approved. In China, Grundfos and Lowara (Goulds Pump Nanjing) have the NASTC approval to produce SSV pumps. Getting the approval was a lengthy and complicated procedure. In addition to submitting a written proposal, the Joint Venture had to provide samples for the government for testing, a total of 10 units were submitted. Then the NASTC sent their engineers to inspect the production and quality control procedures. It took more than 9 months to finish the application and testing procedures.

Getting the certificate from the NASTC means that ITT can now sell more SSV pumps in China. The Chinese government is placing stricter controls on products used in fire fighting applications and only tested and approved products can be used. In all of China, only 56 pump companies passed the NASTC inspection. For Deep Well Turbines and Submersible Turbines, Goulds Pump Nanjing is the only ONE approved. For SSV, only 2 certificates were awarded. One to Lowara (Goulds Nanjing), and one to Grundfos.

LOWARA

Lowara (Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, (www.lowara.com) which is part of the ITT Industries group, is a leader in the manufacture of hydraulic pumps and water handling and control systems. It has 900 employees in Europe, 730 operating in Italy. In 2000 its consolidated sales totalled over 150 million dollars, or over 300 billion lire. ITT Industries, Inc. (www.itt.com) is a global, multi-industry company with leading positions and advanced technologies in its served markets. The company reported revenues of $4.8 billion in 2000 from its four segments: Connectors & Switches, Defense Products & Services, Pumps & Complementary Products and Specialty Products.ITT Industries employs approximately 38,000 people around the world. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Industries' common stock is traded on the Midwest, Pacific, London, Frankfurt and Paris exchanges.