Wilo reports achieving record sales

DORTMUND, Germany, 21 April 2022: The Wilo Group reported that it ended the fiscal year 2021 with record sales of nearly EUR 1.7 billion euros. Despite persistently difficult conditions, the Group said, it increased its sales revenue by 13.8%.

Earnings before taxes (EBITDA) also reached an all-time high of EUR 181.1 million, the company said. This represents an increase of more than 30%m, it added. “The pleasing results speak a clear language: The Wilo Group is ideally positioned to achieve sustainable, profitable growth, even in difficult times and under unfavourable economic conditions,” said Oliver Hermes, President and CEO, Wilo Group.

 Wilo said the unforeseeable situation in the middle of Europe and the Coronavirus pandemic, which has been ongoing for over two years, also intensified the global decoupling tendencies in the past financial year.

Multinational alliances are being called into question, economic cooperation structures are being dissolved, supply chains are being subject to sanctions and embargoes are being imposed, it said. “More and more, German and European companies are getting caught between the fronts of geopolitical disputes,” Hermes pointed out.

Wilo said it specifically has been encountering these developments for years and, to this end, further expanded its global presence in the past financial year. Among other things, Wilo said, it invested more than EUR 170 million in the construction and expansion of sales and production locations in the modernisation and expansion of production facilities, acquisitions and takeovers.

Wilo said that in line with the “region-for-region” approach, it strengthened the American market, among others. North America, in particular, has become one of the most important sales markets in recent years, it said, adding that the acquisition of QuantumFlo, Inc., a specialist in booster sets and intelligent pump systems, completed in fiscal 2021, consolidated its market position. In addition, new state-of-the-art production and administration buildings were, and are being, built in the United States, China and India, it said.

Today, Wilo said, it has a presence around the globe, through its global network of more than 80 production and sales companies. Hermes said this is another reason for the robust success in the past financial year.

In 2021, Wilo said, it also received awards for its commitment to combating climate change. Among them are the German Sustainability Award 2021, the Ecovadis Sustainability Rating in Gold, and the title of “Climate Pioneer” (Handelsblatt), which it said, are proof of its innovation leadership.

Wilo said it is regarded in the industry as one of the pioneers in climate protection and has set itself the goal of saving 50 million tons of CO₂ by 2025, thus making a substantial contribution to reducing emissions. Hermes said: “Wilo is also leading the way as a pioneer in the hydrogen era: As part of the implementation of our dedicated hydrogen strategy, the “H₂ Powerplant” will be open at the Wilopark in Dortmund. This will serve as a self-sufficient, decentralized, and regenerative solution for secure energy supply.”

Armstrong launches medium-range line of permanent magnet pumps

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, 31 January 2022: Armstrong Fluid Technology introduced a new size range of design envelope permanent magnet pumps that are engineered to deliver 20% lower operating costs than variable-speed pumps with standard induction motors.

Making the announcement through a Press release, Armstrong said the new pumps are available with motors ranging from 15 hp to 50 hp, and operate at NEMA ultra-premium efficiency levels that exceed the efficiency targets of the US Department of Energy and the European Union.

“Better performance at higher RPMs means that in some cases, a smaller design envelope permanent magnet pump can deliver the same flow and pressure as a larger, more expensive competing model,” said David Lee, Offering Manager, Armstrong Fluid Technology. “These new pumps also feature smaller dimensions and are less expensive to purchase and install, because permanent magnet motors offer a substantial reduction in both size and weight.”

According to Armstrong, beyond the motor efficiency, a number of additional design innovations make the new design envelope pumps more energy-efficient and cost effective…

• Armstrong’s patented Parallel Sensorless Control stages multiple pumps and regulates output for best efficiency across the entire pump array, saving 10-30% in operating costs
• Adjustable design points and setpoint, based on the actual on-site conditions
• A quadratic pressure control curve that provides more efficiency than a linear pressure control curve
• A constant-flow function for maintaining a desired flow rate in recirculation applications
• Advanced connectivity via Armstrong’s Pump Manager, a cloud-based performance tracking service, provides industry-leading analytics and insights along with alerts, alarms and data storage

Armstrong promotes Mike Fischer to Global Commercial Director

TORONTO, Canada, 20 December 2021: Armstrong Fluid Technology said that Mike Fischer has been promoted to Commercial Director, Global Building Business, reporting directly to the CEO, Todd Rief.

Making the announcement through a Press release, the company said Fischer joined Armstrong in 2020 as the Commercial Director for the USA and Latin America, bringing over 30 years of experience from his work with Honeywell, Johnson Controls and Siemens.

Immediately prior to joining Armstrong, he was Vice President, Global Service Sales at Honeywell Building Solutions, where he led a global sales team responsible for selling software and services, it added.

At Honeywell, Fischer also led the Global Sales Excellence Team for Honeywell’s Building Products Business, where he introduced a disciplined sales operating system, including new sales tools and training, the company said.

In Armstrong’s global sales leadership role, Fischer will be responsible for executing Armstrong’s global strategy, enabling the sales organization to achieve both order and revenue growth targets, it added.

Fischer, it said, has an MBA from Texas Christian University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University.

Chris Markert, the company said, is taking on the role of Commercial Director, USA. It described Markert as a highly experienced business executive with a 30-year career of extensive global management and sales experience in the HVACR industry. His business experience, it said, includes senior management positions with Honeywell International and Johnson Controls, where he had responsibility for major business units in North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region.

Markert, the company said, had also owned and operated an HVACR contracting and service company, as well as an Internet start-up focused on technology for the HVACR industry. Immediately prior to joining Armstrong, the company said, Markert served as Director of North America Service Sales with Honeywell, managing five regions. Markert, it said, holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

Armstrong announces new features for its Pump Manager solution

TORONTO, Canada, September 15, 2021: Armstrong Fluid Technology has announced new features for calculating and tracking energy-savings that are now available with its Pump Manager asset management solution.

According to Armstrong, the new “Base Case KW” feature allows users to determine the cumulative energy savings of a Design Envelope pump since it was commissioned. The Utility Rate feature allows users to enter local utility rates for accurate calculations of the financial savings. The Local Currency feature supports the presentation of  operating savings in the preferred local currency. And the use of CO₂ index values supports the calculation of carbon emission reductions based on state or national figures for C0₂ index.

“Pump Manager subscribers can use this information to compare the performance of similar assets across a portfolio of connected Armstrong equipment, setting benchmarks for on-going performance tracking”, said Tunji Asiwaju, Global Performance Management Services Manager, Armstrong.

According to the company, the Pump Manager has been received multiple accolades since its introduction in 2019, including being named a Product of the Year by leading US and UK publications and a finalist in the 2020 AHR Expo Innovation Awards.

Wilo Middle East acquires PumpsPro

DUBAI, UAE, 17 February 2021: Wilo Middle East (WME), manufacturer of pumps and systems, acquired PumpsPro, a pump solution service provider under Direct Trade House International LLC (DTHI). Making the announcement through a Press release, it said the acquisition entails the creation of a new business unit, which will maintain the name, PumpsPro but will be managed and operated as a Wilo company.

According to WME, the signing of the agreement took place at its office in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) in the presence of Jens Dallendoerfer, Senior Vice President – Sales Region Emerging Markets, Wilo Group; Yasser Nagi, Managing Director, Wilo Middle East & Group Sales Director MENA Region and Bijan Sheibani, Chairman, Direct Trade House International LLC.

Under the terms of the agreement, WME said it will be acquiring PumpsPro, including all its assets, highly skilled service workforce, brand and extensive portfolio of customers. The move is expected to further reinforce WME’s position as a complete solution provider in the UAE and the Middle East region, it added. Nagi said: “We are proud to announce the signing of a strategic acquisition agreement with PumpsPro – a move that is expected to make Wilo a leading solutions provider in the UAE and the rest of the region. It’s a win-win agreement that falls in line with Dubai’s Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 and gives us the opportunity to support the retrofit program of 30,000 buildings by 2030, which aims to make the emirate one of the most sustainable cities in the world.”

According to WME, PumpsPro has been working with it as service partner for its overhauling and repairing business since 2018. The signing of the new agreement, it said, is expected to reinforce Wilo’s capabilities, equipping the company to bring repairing and overhauling activities in-house, especially catering to the large number of building service, water management and industrial customers that require the right servicing that leads to strong reliability and asset uptime. WME said its offshore customers in the region will also benefit from the acquisition, where demand for servicing offshore pumps has seen a big uptake, providing oil and gas customers the just-in-time reliable servicing they require.

Peter Glauner, Senior Vice President – Group Service, Wilo Group, said: “This agreement boosts Wilo Middle East’s competitive advantage over its competitors. We are confident to seeing more benefits, as business synergies are further integrated. Over the years, we have reinforced our position as a global leading premium manufacturer of innovative pumps and pumping systems in the field of building services, water management and industry. We remain steadfast in our efforts to set new standards as a leader of innovation in terms of system efficiency and maximum energy savings.”

According to WME, PumpsPro’s relationship with Wilo Middle East dates back to 2018. WME said PumpsPro has earned a reputation of being a complete solution provider, with its employees cited for their high professionalism and expertise. Sectors that will benefit from the newly signed agreement include facilities management, hotels, leisure destinations, hospitals, schools, water parks, offshore, water management and industry, WME added.

Dallendoerfer said: “We are very confident that this acquisition deal between Wilo Middle East and PumpsPro will help consolidate our efforts to position ourselves as a top candidate in terms of providing complete turnkey value-added solutions to our retrofit customers, who are looking for a one-stop shop capable of providing services in supply, installation, start-up, testing/commissioning and other value-added requirements.”

SAER pumps says reliability is key to winning customer trust in time of COVID-19

DUBAI, UAE, 10, January 2021: Reliability has been crucial for SAER Elettropompe, in terms of maintaining customer relations in the time of COVID-19, Ilaria Favella, the company’s Marketing and Sales representative, said, adding that the decision to keep the production in Italy rather than move it to other countries has played a fundamental role in the company’s ability to strengthen its position in the UAE. “We are giving continuity to our customers and providing a winning, high-quality solution to those who are looking for a supplier in these difficult moments,” she said. “This situation has given us the opportunity to increase customers’ trust.” Favella added that thanks to the Italian production and available stock, Saer has been able to keep the scheduled lead time, as well as win contracts where a short delivery time was required, even during the first phases of the pandemic.

Favella said that SAER has continued to maintain strong links with the GCC region, adding that it was the first market to be developed when the company started exporting from Italy over 50 years ago. Favella said the range of products that is more well-known from the company includes end suction, split casing, high pressure and in-line pumps, as well as submersible pumps and motors,, and applications in the civil, agricultural and industrial fields as well. She added that the company is also positioning itself to address evolving demand for water, which is a critical resource, pointing out that desalination is becoming an important alternative to traditional freshwater resources.