Valve Makers Predict Growth
The industrial valve industry appears
to have stabilized and will probably see some minor growth this year, according
to an annual forecast of valve shipments in the U.S. and Canada by the Valve
Manufacturers Association. While the industry declined last year for the first
time in a decade, the drop was only 5%, which compared to some other
industries, was not severe. For 2010, the forecast is for shipments to be
$3.855 billion, which is higher than last year's $3.802 billion. Projected
orders for 2010 will be about 1.4% over 2009, with the largest growth occurring
in the chemical industry.