Cleanroom Consumables Market Will Grow Modestly in 2010

Thanks to the pharmaceutical industry and to general activity in Asia, the market for cleanroom consumables will grow one percent next year and reach sales of $6.6 billion.  This is the latest forecast displayed online in World Cleanroom Markets.  This report is published by the McIlvaine Company (www.mcilvainecompany.com).

                                 Cleanroom Consumables - $ Millions

Subject                                   2010

Disposable Clothing                   634

Gloves                                     1,382

Laundry                                  1,283

Paper                                          107

Reusable Clothing                      724

Other Supplies                                    1,695

Wipes                                         814

Total                                        6,639

Single use garment sales will be slightly less than reusables in 2010.  But the rental revenues for reusables reflecting both the garment sales and the processing (laundering) will generate three times the revenues of the single use garments.

The issue of greenhouse gas emissions related to single use garments could act as a deterrent for this selection.  But a new study by McIlvaine shows that the total environmental burden including the water contamination incurred in washing reusable garments is similar for both single use and reusables.

Cleanroom hardware sales in 2010 are pegged at $4.7 billion.  Hardware revenues are more volatile than consumables.  There was substantial shrinkage in flat panel and semiconductor revenues in the last 18 months, but a slow recovery will result in modest growth in 2010.  The pharmaceutical segment will experience 2 percent growth in 2009 and a likely 7 percent growth in 2010.

Asia will continue to set the pace in the cleanroom market.  This region will account for 60 percent of the cleanroom hardware sales in 2010 and 61 percent of the cleanroom consumables. Taiwan, South Korea and Japan will continue to play a big role.  But China is the fastest growing cleanroom market in the region.

Europe has experienced the greatest shrinkage over recent years and will account for only 14 percent of cleanroom consumables in 2010.  The Irish cleanroom market has been particularly hard hit in the recent downturn.

However European hardware and consumables suppliers have internationalized and, therefore, offset the shrinking home market with overseas sales.  Camfil is a good example of this internationalization.  American companies such as Lydall, Donaldson, Filtration Group, Hollingsworth & Vose, W.L Gore, and American Air Filter have Asian manufacturing facilities and are competing successfully in the local Asian Markets.  In the case of American Air Filter there is even an Asian owner of the company.

For more information on World Cleanroom Markets, click on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/cleanroom.html .

Bob McIlvaine

847-784-0012 ext. 112

rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com