October 2007

SKF reported sales increased 12.8% to SEK14.2 billion (US$2.2 billion) in the third quarter 2007. Sales for the first nine months were up 10.9% to SEK 43.5 billion (US$6.7 billion).
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Profit was SEK 1.1 billion (US$181 million). For the first nine months, profit reached SEK 3.6 billion (US$566 million).
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The sales increase for the quarter (in SEK) was attributed to: volume, 9%; structure 3.7%; price/mix, 2%, and currency effects, -1.9%. For the first nine months, the increase was attributed to volume, 7.9%; structure, 4.1%; price/mix, 2.2%; and currency effects, -3.3%.
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Sales growth was highest in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Sales in North America grew less. The manufacturing level for the quarter remained unchanged but was significantly …

U.S. distributors’sales of Power Transmission/Motion Control products continue to fluctuate, rising 9.9% from July to August after a 7% drop in sales the prior month, according to recent Power Transmission Distributors Association month-end trend data. Year-to-year comparisons remain positive with sales in August 2007 coming in 6.0% higher than in August 2006.
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Accounts receivable collection days were down 5.5% over July 2007. The August 2007 confidence index for U.S. distributors remained unchanged for the sixth month in a row at 6.6 (on a 10-point scale).
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Canadian distributors’sales in PT/MC products were also up, increasing 1.5% from July to August 2007. Year-to-year comparisons continued to rise, gaining 1.1% over sales in August of 2006. Account …

British technology group Smiths Group will buy German-based hydrodynamic bearing manufacturer Sartorius Bearing Technology GmbH AG.
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The purchase price is 20 million euros.
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Sartorius Bearing Technology GmbH is to be integrated into the John Crane business of Smiths, which focuses on the design and manufacture of seals
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The Sartorius Group will continue to focus on its two core areas: biotechnology and mechatronics, as well as on its major groups of customers, the biopharmaceutical, chemical and food industries.
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For fiscal year 2007, Sartorius expects sales of 15 million …