IN FOCUS

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.

For the second time within a few weeks, Pfeiffer Vacuum won an award for its outstanding investor relations work. This time, the German magazine CAPITAL together with the DVFA, the German Association for financial analysis and asset management, awarded the prizes.

Dresser-Rand Company announced today that a wholly owned subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Tuthill Corporation of Burr Ridge, Illinois to acquire certain assets of its Tuthill Energy Systems division (TES).

Gardner Denver, Inc. reported that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Thomas Industries Inc. (“Thomas”). Total cash consideration for the outstanding shares and share equivalents of Thomas amounted to $734.2 million. The net transaction value, including the assumption of $8.7 million of long term debt and net of $262.8 million of cash acquired, was approximately $480.1 million.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, said today it has signed a $2-billion, five-year revolving credit facility agreement with a group of 20 banks.

With the further development of the company already announced by the Supervisory Board, KSB AG has made additional personnel changes. The Chairman of the Board of Management, Prof. Dr. h. c. Josef Gerstner, left the company on Friday, 1 July 2005. Mr Gerstner and KSB are parting by best mutual agreement.

Wilo AG is one of the leading international suppliers of pumps and pump systems and can look back on another successful fiscal year in 2004: The worldwide group turnover increased by 7.2 per cent from 616.6 million to 660.8 million Euros.

Parker Hannifin Corporation announced it has acquired Hanil Hydraulics Company, Ltd., a Korean-based maker of hydraulic valves used in construction equipment applications. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings within the first full year of integration.

The Austrian BWT Aktiengesellschaft, Europe’s market leader in the water treatment sector, disclosed today in an ad-hoc announcement the intention to spin off its wholly owned subsidiary Christ Water Technology AG with its …

Gregg Sengstack, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, International and Fueling Group. In this new position Mr. Sengstack will be responsible for Franklin Electric’s Water Systems business in the Pacific Rim as well as…