IN FOCUS

CIRCOR International announced that Saif Siddiqui joined the Company as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Tony Najjar, who has transitioned to the role of Vice Chairman of CIRCOR’s Board of Directors. Both appointments are effective January 26, 2026.

Thomas Marks, Director General at The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades, outlines the changing drivers behind repair versus replace decisions and explains how the Association is evolving to meet them.

ViscoTec has reached another strategic milestone in its global expansion: On January 23, 2026, the company acquired its long-standing sales partner MEI Representaciones, based in Querétaro, Mexico, thereby establishing the new ViscoTec Mexico branch.

Despite the challenging environment, pump and valve manufacturer KSB closed out the 2025 financial year with growth levels above the previous year. The positive business development was also confirmed in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company increased key financial figures for order intake, sales revenue as well as earnings before finance income / expense and income tax (EBIT) compared with 2024.

Alfa Laval is turning circularity into action with the launch of ThinkCircularity, a take-back programme that recycles materials from its ThinkTop valve control units. The pilot project has been well received by customers and partners, and the company has already received its first returned products for recycling.

With the appointment of its future Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Endress+Hauser Group has completed the comprehensive renewal of its Executive Board. The Supervisory Board has appointed Christian Mäder to succeed CFO Dr Luc Schultheiss, who will retire as planned on 1 February 2027 after 28 years with Endress+Hauser.

The President & Global CEO of the Wilo Group, Oliver Hermes, has been honoured with the French National Order of Merit by decree of Emmanuel Macron. The French Ambassador to Germany, François Delattre, awarded the insignia of the Ordre national du Mérite at a ceremony in Berlin and honoured Oliver Hermes as a champion of Franco-German friendship and the European project.

After exactly 23 years with the company, Technical Managing Director Martin Stadler is leaving ViscoTec. Overall responsibility will be assumed with immediate effect by the previous Commercial Managing Director, Franz Kamhuber, who thus stands for continuity and stability in the management of the company.

The UK pump industry is operating at a pivotal moment. Long recognised as a critical enabler of sectors ranging from water and energy to manufacturing and building services, the industry is now being reshaped by powerful forces including sustainability, regulation, skills shortages, and digital transformation. While these trends present challenges, they also create opportunities for innovation and growth.

Valmet has entered into an agreement to acquire Severn Group, a well-established industrial valve company, from Bluewater, a UK-based private equity firm. The acquisition covers all three Severn divisions: Severn Glocon, ValvTechnologies, and LB Bentley. Severn serves process industries globally and has over a 60-year track record of delivering specialized flow control solutions across the most demanding applications.