Steve Hoffmann talks to water.ca about the Pumping Sector.

After a relatively prolonged period without a water-related acquisition, Pentair makes a significant European acquisition.

Layne Christensen Company (NASDAQ:LAYN) continues a strategic plan that positions the company as a potentially major player in the water industry despite some apparent Board/management turmoil which must be monitored. This series of press releases accentuates the areas of interest to water investors.

Siemens [NYSE:SI]

Cytec Industries, Inc. [NYSE:CYT]maker of specialty chemicals and materials exits the water buiness while Kemira Group [Helsinki:KRA1V] strengthens its position as a leading global supplier of coagulants and flocculants.

Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S) Group, has acquired Milan, Italy-based company Sernagiotto Technologies SpA. Sernagiotto is a manufacturer of environmental protection equipment for use in wastewater, sludge, and solid waste treatment.

As a license-holder, Siemens Water Technologies ( WT) has already sold Sernagiotto's dewatering and drying technologies on the North American market via its group company USFilter. With the takeover, Siemens WT can now serve regional biosolids markets - in particular in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East , the company says.

"With Sernagiotto's products and technologies for sludge drying and dewatering, we have rounded off our portfolio to cover the whole process chain in wastewater treatment, said Roger Radke, head of Siemens WT.

"In addition, our strategy is based on using Sernagiotto as a European regional manufacturing platform for products of various WT business units like biological treatment and clarification, purified water, and engineered products and systems. Sernagiotto will take the name of Siemens Water Technologies, SpA and fall under the operational management of the I&S Water Technologies Division. It will be integrated into Siemens Italy.

Pentair has agreed to acquire 70% of the equity of Beijing Jieming Tiandi Environmental Equipment Co Ltd, a leading Chinese manufacturer of disc filters, valve and systems used in water filtration, softening, and systems applications. The transaction is subject to receipt of government approval and upon completion, the companies' joint venture will be named Beijing Pentair Water Jieming Company.

"Through this transaction, Pentair Water gains greater local market knowledge and engineering capabilities for commercial and industrial systems integration initiatives in China, and significantly expands its access to an effective distribution network of more than 150 engineering product companies," said Richard Cathcart, Pentair vice chairman.

"Further, we will secure new products including disk filtration systems and low-cost mechanical valves and tanks tailored to the systems integration segment and to China's local market needs."