IN FOCUS

Baker Hughes Incorporated announced today that Ray A. Ballantyne, President of INTEQ, has decided to retire after 30 years of service with the company. Martin S. Craighead, President of Baker Atlas, will succeed Mr. Ballantyne as President of INTEQ…

Companies such as GE, Siemens and ITT have expanded their water treatment and flow product lines to include the equipment and chemicals necessary for each step in desalination from primary filtration through secondary filtration and finally to the reverse osmosis process.

SKF reports an increase in sales of 11.4% for the second quarter 2005, measured in local currencies and compared to last year. Profit before taxes increased by 26%. The operating margin was 10,9% for the second quarter.

Sulzer again posted significant growth in order intake in the first six months of 2005: at CHF 1,304.7 million, orders were up 19.1% in nominal terms and 15.0% higher when adjusted for acquisitions and currency effects, compared with the same period the previous year.

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation announced it has reached an agreement with Hayward Industries, Inc. to purchase its industrial filtration business. Terms were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2005.

Suppliers of pumps, valves, scrubbers, filters, and treatment chemicals are going to have to re-examine their business strategies due to the surge in oil prices.

Patrick Streeter Parker, Chairman Emeritus for Parker Hannifin Corporation died on Wednesday, July 6, 2005, surrounded by his family in his Cleveland Heights, Ohio home. He was 75.

With effect as of 1 July, 2005 Professor Elmar F. Baur (64), until then CEO of Burgmann Industries GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, left the Management Board and joined the company’s Supervisory Board. The company will be headed in the future by the…

Following antitrust investigations, the EU Commission has approved unconditionally the acquisition of Flender Holding GmbH by Siemens. The manufacturer of mechanical and electrical drives, located in Bocholt, Germany, will be integrated into the Siemens Automation and Drives (A&D) Group.

The Asian market for hardware and consumables to create the ultrapure water needed by the power, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industry will rise from $1.7 billion this year to $2.3 billion in 2008.