IN FOCUS

Lime products soften water by removing carbonate and non-carbonate hardness. This purifies the water for consumption, provides better tasting water and allows soap products to lather readily. Many of the 18,000 municipal drinking water facilities purchase lime.

The markets for filtration and separation equipment and services can be segmented based on four major process categories – water intake and purification, cooling and auxiliary process support, wastewater treatment, product quality and recovery.

Total sales for FY 2014 which had already been preliminarily announced and have meanwhile been audited amounted to € 406.6 million. This represents a decrease of 0.5% (previous year: € 408.7 million).

Demand for HVAC equipment in the US is forecast to increase 6.8% annually through 2019 to $20.4 billion, recording gains over twice the rate of the 2009-2014 period.

Despite the lower price of oil, McIlvaine is still reporting more than 30 new projects per week in its Oil, Gas, Shale and Refining Markets and Projects.

Industry in the U.S. is expanding due to the rising economy. The heavy industrial sector is showing high growth due to the low cost of energy.

The BWT Group again surpassed the €500 million revenues threshold in 2014. The Group’s consolidated revenues decreased by €2.4 million (-0.5%), from €507.7 million to €505.3 million, due to the disposal of companies and business segments.

Franklin Electric Co. reported fourth quarter 2014 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.31 compared to 2013 fourth quarter adjusted EPS of $0.30, up 3 percent to last year. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company s GAAP fully diluted EPS was $0.06, which was down 78 percent to the GAAP fully diluted EPS from the fourth quarter of 2013.

Flowserve Corporation announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2014, and filed its 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

GF generated sales of CHF 3 795 million in 2014 for an increase of 1%. The operating profit (EBIT) rose 9% to CHF 274 million mainly thanks to significant productivity gains.