IN FOCUS

The Lowara FCS series of cast iron in-line centrifugal pumps has been extended with the introduction of new outlet sizes up to 150 mm in the FCS4 design, with 4 pole motor.

The ITT Industries, Inc. (NYSE: ITT) Board of Directors has voted to promote Brenda L. Reichelderfer to the position of Senior Vice President of the corporation. Reichelderfer is President of the company’s Motion & Flow Control businesses, and was elected Vice President of the corporation in 2001.

The Fluid Technology segment of ITT Industries is expected to produce approximately $1.9 billion in revenues in 2002, 39 percent of the company’s total. The company expects continued strong performance from the water and wastewater related businesses, which account for 60 percent of this segment’s revenues.

Under the name of FRISTAM (South East Asia) Pte. Ltd. and effectively October 1, 2002, FRISTAM has also established a new company in Singapore to even better cover the region of South East Asia, Korea and China. The founding of the company became necessary to further increase opportunities for hygienic pumps in the food and beverage industries as well as for applications in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and cosmetics sectors.

National-Oilwell, Inc. (NYSE:NOI) announced that it has received notice of early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in connection with the previously announced acquisition of Hydralift ASA (OSE:HYD).

The Turbomachinery Laboratory of the Texas A&M University announces the program of the 20th International Pump Users Symposium, coming up March 17-20, 2003 in Houston, Texas.

ITT’s Industrial Products Group and the United Steelworkers of America Local 3298 have come to terms on a new labor contract for their Seneca Falls operations that will extend through July 28, 2007.

Friday 18 October 2002 was the closing day of the ninth edition of Pumps & Valves, an exhibition for industrial pumps, control valves, shut-off valves, services, and accessories. There is now a break of two years. 4813 professionals visited the exhibition and its 192 exhibitors which occupied halls 1, 2, and 3 of the Bouwcentrum. The seminar themes also proved very popular with the visitors.

Welch Vacuum has addressed the problems associated with oil-sealed rotary vane pumps in vacuum drying applications and high boiling point stripping with the launch of a new pump which can do both. The Gem pump matches the performance of oil-sealed rotary designs by offering vacuum levels to 0.1 mbar, whilst at the same time offering dry pump performance by being able to run continuously at or near atmospheric pressure with compromising reliability.

KSB Group reports as per 30 September 2002: In the Region Asia / Pacific an economic upturn was been registered while the other markets showed at best just moderate dynamic growth.