Subject:  Air Filtration Market News For May ‘08

 

Here are excerpts for the month of May ’08 to the Air Filtration & Purification Markets Updates.  These updates reflect only some of the new additions.  The analysis and revenues are constantly revised.   For more information to Air Filtration & Purification Markets, click on:  http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/air.html#n022 .

 

Many projects, mergers and acquisitions are detailed in monthly updates in the Market Report’s Chapters under Industry Analysis: Aerospace, Food, Disk Drive, Flat Panel, Metalworking, Other Electronics, Pharmaceutical, Power, Pulp Mills, Semiconductor and Transportation.

 

CONSTUCTION

U.S. Housing Starts Up in April

U.S. home builders broke ground on 8.2 percent more homes in April, led by a 36 percent increase in multi-family units, the Commerce Department reported. Housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.032 million………………………….

 

Meanwhile, building permits increased 4.9 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 978,000, with single-family permits rising 4 percent………………………

 

U.S. Nonresidential Construction Slows

Nonresidential construction starts in April slumped 12 percent compared to April 2007, according to data compiled by Reed Construction Data and released recently. The year-to-date (YTD) change for the first four months of 2008 combined was –9.3 percent………………..

 

Canada April Housing Starts Drop in April

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts dropped to 213,900…………………….

 

FINANCIALS

Ahlstrom’s outlook for 2008

CEO Risto Anttonen recently stated Ahlstrom’s 2008 outlook. Demand in Ahlstrom's main markets is expected to continue at a good level in 2008… Ahlstrom’s first quarter report January-March 2008: Volumes and overall demand for most of Ahlstrom's products continued to be good during the first quarter, with net sales growth on track. Net sales grew especially strongly in the Fiber Composites segment and in South America…In the Filtration business area, the transportation filtration market was solid in Europe, South America and Asia……………

 

Donaldson Company third-quarter profit rose 14.7 percent………………………….

 

CABIN AIR

ASHRAE Publishes Nation's First Airplane Cabin Air Quality Standard

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) addresses air cabin air quality in its new Standard 161-2007, Air Quality Within Commercial Aircraft……………………………………………………………….

 

COMPANY NEWS

Flanders Sells Precisionaire Polyester Pleat Media Business to Superior Fibers

On April 30, 2008, Flanders sold its Clarkton, N.C. media plant to Superior Fibers… COO Harry Smith states in a press release that the company is going back to core competence, spending money on R&D and automation………………………………………….

 

Flanders Supply Agreement with Lowe's

Flanders Corp. has agreed to supply air filters to Lowe's Companies Inc. The national supply agreement calls for Flanders to provide several price points of one-inch pleated and flat panel nestable air filters………………………………….

 

PGI Announces June Price Hike

Polymer Group, Inc. (PGI) will raise prices on polypropylene-based materials sold in North America due to significantly higher oil-based raw material and energy costs……………….

 

Camfil New Gateway to India

Camfil Farr has established a new company in India - Camfil Farr Air Filtration India Limited - through a joint venture agreement with the Anand Automotive Systems Group…………..

 

Mahle Moves Air Filter Systems to Telford, UK

Car component manufacturer Mahle Air Filter Systems is closing down its Wiltshire base and moving its operations to Telford, where it already has a factory on Halesfield………………

 

 

Bob McIlvaine

847-784-0012

rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com