DANFOSS, Baltimore, Md., reached its 80-year anniversary on September 1. MADS CLAUSEN founded the company in 1933 at his parents’ farmhouse in Nordborg, Denmark. The company started with the invention of an expansion valve to regulate refrigeration systems and continued with one of the world’s first radiator thermostats to regulate heating. Today, the company employs 23,000 people and has sales in more than 100 countries.

SPX COOLING TECHNOLOGIES INC., Overland Park, Kan., was awarded the Houston Business Roundtable’s best in class award for outstanding safety at its 26th annual banquet honoring safety excellence. At the event, which was hosted by HOUSTON BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE and the HOUSTON AREA SAFETY COUNCIL, SPX won the award in the specialty contractor – hard crafts small category.

Although Cleveland-based PARKER HANNIFIN CORP. will have two reporting segments — Diversified Industrial and Aerospace Systems — beginning in fiscal year 2014, the company has and plans to continue to provide supplemental sales and profitability data for North America and international within the Diversified Industrial Segment.
     According to the company, the segment’s global technology platforms — Flow and Process Control, Motion Systems and Filtration and Engineered Materials — are aligned based on complementary technologies. The FLOW AND PROCESS CONTROL platform includes instrumentation, connectors and refrigeration offerings from the fluid connectors and instrumentation groups. The MOTION SYSTEMS platform includes the company’s hydraulics, pneumatics and electromechanical product lines produced by the hydraulics and automation groups. The FILTRATION AND ENGINEERED MATERIALS platform includes filtration systems, filters, and sealing and shielding products produced by the company’s filtration and engineered materials groups.

BRUCE NELSON, president of COLMAC COIL MANUFACTURING, Colville, Wash., received recognition for distinguished service from ASHRAE during the society’s 2013 annual conference. Nelson has advocated for research about the efficient use of natural refrigerants, particular ammonia. He is a former member of the ASHRAE’S refrigeration committee, “Standard 33, Methods of Testing Forced Circulation Air Cooling and Air Heating Coils,” and Technical Committee 1.3, “Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow.”

SAM GLADIS, business director for heat pumps, VILTER MANUFACTURING LLC, a business of EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES, spoke at the ATMOsphere America 2013 Conference in Washington, D.C. As part of the supply chain panel discussion, Gladis participated in the session, which focused on the regulatory burden on natural refrigerant end-users and on the importance of knowledge sharing and collaborative projects to improve safety and training. Gladis noted that since Emerson installed its first ammonia heat pump in the United Kingdom three years ago, the company has installed an additional 17 ammonia systems around the world.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based STELLAR hired FRANK FREEMAN, P.E., DBIA, as senior mechanical engineer. With experience in food and beverage and industrial applications, Freeman will manage design and development projects within Stellar’s mechanical engineering group.

 ASHLAND WATER TECHNOLOGIES, Wilmington, Del., has increased its prices globally by 5 to 12 percent, depending on country and product. Business units focused on pulp and paper and industrial water treatment will implement the increases for most products within their portfolios.

WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION, Lisle, Ill., hired LARRY DEUTSCH as director of communications. The new position was created to raise public awareness about the water treatment industry and to increase communication within the industry. Deutsch will oversee the association’s website and all public relations.

Charlotte-based SPX CORP. made several senior leadership changes. After 16 years of service, DON CANTERNA, former president of the FLOW TECHNOLOGY segment, retired from the company on August 26 due to a medical disability.
     Two new operational positions were created; as a result, DAVID KOWALSKI was promoted to president of global manufacturing operations, and ROSS SKELTON was promoted to chief commercial officer. In addition, the Flow Technology segment's reporting units were aligned by end market. As a result, TONY RENZI was promoted to president of Flow Power and Energy; MARC MICHAEL was promoted to president of Flow Food and Beverage; and DAVID WILSON was promoted to president of Flow Industrial.

HYDRAULIC INSTITUTE, Parsippany, N.J., will host its fall meeting in Baltimore on October 23-25. Registration is open to HI members, associate members, standards partners and non-government organizations that are sponsors of Pump Systems Matter. Eligible prospective members are welcome to attend with advance approval. Registration can be completed at www.pumps.org/13fall.