IN FOCUS

Operating profit reached 37 MSEK (same as last year ) thanks to the good development of sales of cost-effective pumps, mixers and aerators to the Water and Waste water segment. Invoiced sales for the first quarter of 2000 increased to 571 Million Swedish Crowns (last year 538).

Sulzer has acquired the pump activities of the A. Ahlstrom Corporation, Helsinki. Final closing is expected in mid May, subject to approval of the regulatory and antitrust authorities. This strategic acquisition gives Sulzer a leading position in pumps for the pulp and paper industry. Sulzer Pumps sales will rise thereby from EUR 445 million (CHF 710 million) to EUR 580 million (CHF 930 million). Personnel will increase by 1000 to about 5000 employees in total. The purchase price is approximately EUR 145 million (CHF 230 million).

Denmark-Finland. As from May 1 2000, Sarlin Pumps of Finland will be taken over by the Grundfos pump manufacturing Group, reaffirming its strategic objective of becoming a leading player within the waste-water pump business.

A contract confirming the purchase has been signed. In the future the Sarlin Group will focus on the business areas of Beamex, Sarlin Furnaces, Sarlin-Hydor, and Sarlin Automation.

Sarlin Pumps bring to their new owner complementary waste-water products, service, and competence, making Grundfos the natural choice for customers, including wholesalers, utility companies, and contractors looking for complete pumping solutions in the framework of waste-water pumps sized up to 600 kW.

With almost 4,000 exhibitors from all the continents of the world and a quarter of a million visitors from more than 100 countries, ACHEMA will be setting the standard again in the year 2000 and pointing the way for the future in the process industries. We would like to invite all professionals from the fields of chemical engineering, environmental protection and biotechnology to join us at ACHEMA 2000 from 22-27 May in Frankfurt am Main.

Spaix® is a new generation of pump selection software by VSX, one of the leading manufacturers of such software. Spaix® Classic is the PC version of the new product. Complete documentation as well as a demo version are available at the producer’s web site.

Sweden. At the turn of the year Grundfos’ Swedish sales company took over all shares and activities of JL Pump Co AB with workshop and offices in Gothenburg as well as a branch office in Stockholm.

Neuwiese/Dortmund. The Wilo GmbH, one of the leading European pump manufacturers, hands over its district heating business to PEWO Energietechnik GmbH (a company of the TA Triumph-Adler AG group).

The online version of Wilo’s pump selection software is now available for customers and other interested people, too. This package was been developed by Wilo’s longstanding software partner VSX. It provides the pump selection directly in the web browser without any software installation. By input of the technical parameters one get a list of suitable pumps. The performance curves will be converted for the operating conditions. Further there is a complete documentation for each pump with specification, dimensioning drawing, wiring diagram and more.

Water treatment is a vital process to protect the environment, and the waste water treatment plant in Tallinn, Estonia, has a key role in the environmental protection of the Baltic Sea. ABS delivered pumps, mixers and agitators for the refurbishment of the plant in 1998. A further shipment has just been made with a follow-up order for the main pumping station, including two of the largest submersible pumps ever built.

The Jung Pumpen’s Pump Engineering Program PEP has been released in the 5th version now. The new PEP is available in English and German.