In other news below:
-- Acquisitions drive visibility, product growth at Leica Geosystems
-- Grundfos helps Garmin hit the road
-- Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran wins BE Award for Indian disaster mitigation plan
-- AbTech Industries appoints Les Devitt to VP of sales, marketing
-- Mueller Water Products names Steve Mead vice president for compensation, benefits
-- Thermo Fisher Scientific announces all molecule world tour
-- Calif. DWR works 24/7 to fix Gorman Creek Improvement Channel
-- CALC announces favorable ruling in litigation over water at Brightwater Project
-- WaterChef announces addition of Dr. Ronald Hart to its board
-- MGD Process Technology acquires Turborator technology
• Veolia Water wins its 21st contract in China, estimated at EUR 1.6 billion -- PARIS, France, Jan. 22, 2007 -- Veolia Water has won yet another new contract in China, for a 30 year concession with the Lanzhou Water Supply Company in the capital of the Gansu Province, on the banks of the Yellow River. The contract was awarded by local authorities through an international tender for the acquisition of 45% of the municipal water company. At this level of participation it would generate for Veolia Water an estimated cumulated total turnover of 1.6 billion Euros [US$2.07 billion].
Veolia Water's long standing expertise in the sustainable development of water resources will meet the needs of the Lanzhou population, a city with 3.2 million inhabitants in a growing economic region. The company will manage four water treatment plants with a global capacity of 2,190,000 m3, 640 kms of distribution network (960km with connections), of which 50km will have a diameter superior to 1,000 mm, 11 elevation plants, and associated client services. The company employs 2,200 employees. Operations will start in the middle of 2007.
"This represents our 21st contract in China, and we are pleased to reinforce our position as leader in the region. Our commitment to sustainable water management, our desire to operate services with clients in a reliable, responsible and concerted manner, and our dedication to safeguarding the health of the communities we serve are essential elements in our long term partnerships. This new contract demonstrates the performance and quality of Veolia Water's services throughout the region," commented Antoine Frerot, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Water.
Indeed, Veolia Water has significantly grown in China since the 1990s. The company was the precursor for the full management of a water distribution network in the People's Republic of China, and with the Pudong Shanghai contract signed in 2002, Veolia was the first private company permitted to be involved in full water services in China. Other major contracts signed in recent years include Shenzhen, Kunming and Liuzhou. The company now operates in 19 out of 34 provinces, in different municipalities, autonomous areas and special administrative regions, serving the water needs of 20.59 million inhabitants.
Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services. Veolia Water serves 108 million people worldwide. With 70,700 employees, its 2005 revenues amounted to EUR 9.1 billion [US$11.78 billion]. For more information, see: www.veoliawater.com
Veolia Environnement is world leader in environmental services. With more than 300,000 employees the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary segments: water management, waste management, energy management and freight and passenger transportation. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of �25.2 billion in 2005. For more information, see: www.veolia.com
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Among other recent headlines:
• Leica Geosystems increases visability, product offerings for machine automation in 2006 through acquisitions -- NORCROSS, GA, Jan. 22, 2007 -- Leica Geosystems through the acquisition of Svensk Byggnads Geodesi AB (SBG), Mikrofyn AS, Scanlaser AB and Scanlaser AS, has increased its visibility and product offerings in machine automation. Hexagon and Leica Geosystems' most recent acquisition, the Swedish company SBG, designs, manufactures and supplies software and hardware for surveying and machine control applications. SBG's primary products are machine control solutions, field surveying software as well as office tools for surveyors. In recent years, SBG has shown an annual growth of approximately 30%, and in 2006, SBG had a turnover of 40 million Swedish krona. Founded in 1970, SBG is based in Stockholm, Sweden and employs 30 people. In September 2006, Hexagon and Leica Geosystems acquired Mikrofyn AS in Denmark. The company is one of Europe's leading suppliers of machine automation and laser leveling and alignment equipment for the building construction and civil engineering industries. Mikrofyn's product range consists of a portfolio of automatic and manual machine control systems for excavators, graders, dozers and paving machines, as well as a broad line of laser rotators, laser receivers and pipe lasers. Mikrofyn is based in Odense, Denmark, and currently has 70 employees. In the past several years, the company has shown annual growth rates of 30%. In May 2006, Hexagon and Leica Geosystems announced the acquisition of Scanlaser AB in Sweden and Scanlaser AS in Norway...
Also see: "MobileMatriX aids stormwater mapping program in Covington, Ga."
• Grundfos helps Garmin hit the road BJERRINGBRO, Denmark, Jan. 22, 2007 -- Due to fantastic growth, Garmin International Inc., a leading manufacturer of navigation and communications equipment, required expansion of its facilities in 2004. This expansion included an eight-story office building located in Olathe, KS. The new building is intended to house engineering R&D operations and a customer support technical center. With any new multi-story office building, the HVAC systems become an important part of the continued success of its tenant. Grundfos CBS has become an important supplier for the HVAC systems in the new Garmin building. Many of the systems include Grundfos and PACO products that assist with lowering life cycle equipment costs. The domestic water pressure is boosted with a 3-pump Grundfos ME integrated variable speed BoosterpaQ® system. This packaged system provides constant pressure throughout the building with lower operating costs. The BoosterpaQ system also provides water for cooling tower make-up...
Also see: "Grundfos Supply Award 2006 goes to Denmark's Bohen DK"
• Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran wins BE Award for Indian disaster mitigation plan -- Develops plan to provide alternative water supplies for sections of greater Mumbai area damaged by monsoon rains -- HYDERABAD, India, Jan. 22, 2007 -- Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), the water and sewer utility serving India's western state of Maharashtra, has won a 2006 BE Award in the "Geospatial: Public Works" category for its use of Bentley software to help develop a disaster mitigation plan for the the Mumbai Metropolitan Area, which a population of 17 million. The software saved MJP approximately one year in design cycle time and about $2 million in costs. MJP used Bentley's WaterCAD, Darwin Calibrator, Darwin Designer, and SewerCAD products to model the region's water networks and help it consider its connection options...
• AbTech Industries appoints Les Devitt to VP of sales, marketing -- SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Jan. 18, 2007 -- AbTech Industries, a leading environmental technologies firm dedicated to providing customized clean water solutions, announced today the appointment of Les Devitt as vice president of sales & marketing. As a senior member of the management team, Devitt will be focused on the strategic implementation and expansion of AbTech's clean water products nationally. Most recently, he served as vice president of national sales and marketing for Basin Water Inc., a technology firm that designs, builds and implements systems for the treatment of contaminated groundwater. Prior to Basin Water, he served as vice president of sales & marketing for the Americas with GE Water and Process Technologies (formerly Ionics Inc., a water treatment company)...
• Mueller Water Products names Steve Mead vice president for compensation, benefits -- ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2007 -- Mueller Water Products Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Mead to vice president of compensation and benefits. His appointment rounds out the Corporate Human Resources staff of the new organization, which recently spun off from Walter Industries. Mead will report directly to Executive Vice President & Chief HR/Administrative Officer Jennifer Thomas. Prior to joining Mueller Water Products, Mead held a variety of compensation and benefit positions of increasing responsibility at global Fortune 500 corporations including, Kerr-McGee Corp., Royal Dutch Shell, Pennzoil-Quaker State Co., Great Lakes Chemical Corp. and Greyhound Lines...
• Thermo Fisher Scientific announces all molecule world tour -- WALTHAM, MA, Jan. 22, 2007 -- From February to May 2007, Thermo Fisher Scientific will be hosting a series of talks across the globe. This informative session will detail Compound Identification, Bioanalysis and Environmental and Food Safety, featuring presentations from industry leaders and experts covering small and large molecule analysis. In Europe, the events start in Paris on Feb. 2 and end in Utrecht on March 15, with eight cities in between. In the Americas, they'll be in 17 cities from March 8 to May 10 and from Argentina to Montreal. In Asia, there are 15 cities, starting with Shanghai on April 3 and Mumbai on May 4...
Also see:
-- "Thermo Fisher Scientific publishes new white paper on achieving regulatory compliance"
-- "SwissAnalytic Group AG acquired: Thermo Fisher Scientific strengthens sales channel, life sciences portfolio with the addition of Spectronex, Flux Instruments"
• Calif. DWR works 24/7 to fix Gorman Creek Improvement Channel -- SACRAMENTO, CA, Jan. 22, 2007 -- The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) crews and Granite Construction Company employees are working around the clock to repair a section of the Gorman Creek Improvement Channel near Lake Pyramid in northern Los Angeles County. About 250 yards of concrete canal liner failed on January 15 during water deliveries from Quail Lake to Pyramid Lake. The failure point is near Interstate 5 and the Peace Valley Pipeline but neither the highway nor the pipeline have been impacted.
The Gorman Creek Improvement Channel (GCIC) is a component of the State Water Project's West Branch that delivers State water to the Los Angeles region and is also used for local stormwater runoff. Based on follow-up engineering inspections and analysis, it's presumed that water managed to get behind the channel's concrete liner and eroded the supporting foundation soils leading to the failure of the concrete...
Also see: "Calif. DWR, State Water Board announce consideration of additional grant awards for Integrated Regional Water Management grant program"
• CALC announces favorable ruling in litigation over water at Brightwater Project -- IRVINE, CA, Jan. 22, 2007 -- California Coastal Communities Inc. reported that Orange County Superior Court issued a final ruling today denying Golden State Water Co.'s motion for a preliminary injunction to require the company's Brightwater residential development on the Bolsa Chica mesa to disconnect its connection to the Huntington Beach's water service and use Golden State's water in its place. The court indicated an injunction wasn't appropriate because monetary damages would be an adequate remedy if the plaintiff prevails on the merits of their case at trial. No trial date has been set at this time, and the company and its counsel believe that there are strong arguments against Golden State's position. The company is a residential land development and homebuilding company operating in Southern California. Its principal subsidiaries are Signal Landmark and Hearthside Homes Inc. Signal Landmark owns 110 acres on the Bolsa Chica mesa, where construction commenced in June 2006 for the development of 356 single-family homes in the Brightwater residential community. Brightwater represents one of the last opportunities to develop a master-planned community on the Southern California coast. Hearthside Homes has delivered over 2,000 homes to families throughout Southern California since its formation in 1994...
• WaterChef announces addition of Dr. Ronald Hart to its board -- GLEN HEAD, NY, Jan. 22, 2007 -- David A. Conway, chairman and CEO of WaterChef Inc., announced today the election of Dr. Ronald W. Hart to the company board of directors. Dr. Hart, who has previously served as chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board, is an internationally recognized scientist and scholar. He served as director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's research arm and the National Center for Toxicological Research, and is an author of the Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (an act that has resulted in the creation of thousands of new corporations and millions of new jobs). He also served as advisor to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and chair of a number of White House and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissions...
• MGD Process Technology presents new technology at New England Water Environment Association conference -- Boylston, Mass., company purchased Turborator in March 2006 -- BOSTON, Jan. 22, 2007 -- MGD Process Technology Inc. announces the recent acquisition of industry leading Turborator® patented technology and will demonstrate the self aspirating aerator/mixer in booth 170 at the New England Water Association Annual Conference held Jan. 21-24 at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel in Boston. Turborator is an innovative approach to gas/liquid transfer. The simplicity of design results in a rugged, durable, low maintenance system providing superior mixing and aeration with reduced energy costs. It offers oxygen transfer efficiency higher than other mechanical self aspirating aerators due to the manner in which gas is introduced below the liquid surface. A patented impeller rotates in a liquid, establishing a low pressure zone behind each blade. This low pressure zone creates a strong vacuum which draws air down the shaft and dispenses as fine bubbles into the surrounding liquid. In testing performed by GSEE Environmental Consultants in accordance with the ASCE "Standard for the Measurement of Oxygen Transfer in Clean Water" these units have oxygen transfer efficiency 18% greater than competitor's equipment based on the horsepower delivered at the shaft...
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