Valve Manufacturing

The Eagle Group Joins VMA

This week VMA welcomed The Eagle Group as our newest associate member (supplier). This is our fourth new member of 2019 so far.

The Eagle Group, which consists of four separately run companies, was one of the first foundries in the country to utilize methane gas from a local landfill instead of natural gas to power its facility. They were also one of the first to incorporate solidification simulation to predict casting defects.

Flowserve Expanding Irving Headquarters

Flowserve has decided to keep its global headquarters in Irving, TX after extending its long-term lease at The Towers at Williams Square. “As part of an incentive deal with the city of Irving, Flowserve will receive $155,000 in job grants for retention of 310 positions and will be eligible for up to $150,000 to hire 75 additional employees at an average wage of $275,000,” the Dallas Business Journal reports.

Spirax-Sarco in Negotiations to Acquire Thermocoax

Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc has entered into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring Thermocoax Developpement and all of its group companies (Thermocoax) from Chequers Capital, TCR Capital and other minority shareholders for a cash-free, debt-free consideration of $179 million. Thermocoax is a designer and manufacturer of highly engineered electrical thermal solutions for critical applications in high added value industries.

The U.S. market holds significant potential for Thermocoax. It has grown substantially there in the last five years but is constrained by lack of critical mass and local credentials.

Gunman Claims Lives of Five at Henry Pratt Co.

On Friday Feb. 15, a gunman took the lives of five employees at the Henry Pratt Co. valve manufacturing facility in Aurora, IL. The shooter, an employee at the facility, was shot by law enforcement on the scene and died. Six police officers were injured, and some are still being treated at nearby hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.

Henry Pratt’s parent company, Mueller Water Products, put out a statement saying the company is “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy that occurred today at our Henry Pratt facility in Aurora, Illinois. Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, the first responders, the Aurora community and the entire Mueller family during this extremely difficult time. Our entire focus is on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues, and we are committed to providing any and all support to them and their families. We continue to work closely with law enforcement, with whom we share our deepest gratitude for their support.”

Mueller Water Products is a member of the Valve Manufacturers Association.

ValvTechnologies to Host International Technical Conference and Users Group

ValvTechnologies’ new International Technical Conference and Users Group (ITC Middle East) will take place March 12-13, 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This will mark the first time the conference has been hosted in the UAE. Open to all ValvTechnologies’ customers, distributors and representatives from around the world, ITC Middle East will focus specifically on unique market opportunities, challenges and needs of power and oil and gas customers in the Middle East region.