2008. The index measures the direction of change rather than the absolute strength of activity in manufacturing. More

Praxair Inc., Danbury, CT, reported second quarter sales of $2.88 billion, up 23 percent from the second quarter of 2007. Profits were up 20 percent. Sales for the first six months ended June 30, 2008, were $5.54 billion, an increase of 23 percent. Profits were up 18 percent. More
 
Danaher Corp., Washington, D.C., reported sales from continuing operations for the second quarter 2008 were $3.28 billion, an increase of 25% over the same period 2007. Profit increased 18% over second quarter 2007 to $363 million. More
 
Anixter International Inc., Glenview, IL, a distributor of communication products, electrical and electronic wire &cable and a distributor of fasteners and other small parts to Original Equipment Manufacturers, reported sales for the second quarter increased 7 percent over the same quarter a year ago to $1.62 billion. Profit was up 4 percent. More
 
SKF reported sales increased 7.4 percent for the second quarter. Sales for the first six months were up 8 percent. More href=”/issues/1_1/breaking-news/5476-1.html”>More 
 
3M, St. Paul, MN, has agreed to acquire Ligacon AG, a Switzerland-based manufacturer and supplier of filtration systems and filter elements for the pharmaceutical, biotech and general industrial markets. 3M has also agreed to acquire EMFI S.A. and SAPO S.A., manufacturers of polyurethane-based structural adhesives and sealants headquartered in Haguenau, France. More
 
Global chemical company Ashland Inc. has agreed to acquire Hercules Inc., Wilmington, DE, in a deal valued at $3.3 billion. More
 
Illinois Tool Works Inc., Glenview, IL, has acquired the TRYMER polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid foam business. TRYMER will maintain its brand name and operate as a separate business. More
 
Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, PA, has tapped a new chief for its Metalworking Solutions Services Group. Paul DeMand will take the position of president for the unit, which comprises about 60 percent of Kennametal’s overall revenues. More
 
Canada wholesale trade sales rose 1.6 percent to $44.2 billion in May, the fourth gain in the last five months. When removing the effect of price changes, sales in constant dollars increased by 0.7 percent in May. More
 
Canadian manufacturing sales rose 2.7 percent to $51.4 billion in May. Sales increased for 16 of 21 industries, representing 94% of total manufacturing sales. However, despite these gains, May’s sales remained below year earlier levels and well below the peak of $53.1 billion in March 2007. Petroleum and coal products accounted for almost half of the growth in manufacturing sales in May. Sales climbed to $7.7 billion, and have increased by almost 20 percent since March 2008. More
 
U.S. wholesale prices increased 1.8 percent in June, seasonally adjusted, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. Within finished goods, the index for energy goods climbed 6.0 percent in June after rising 4.9 percent in May. The index for finished goods other than foods and energy (core inflation) increased 0.2 percent for the second consecutive month. More
 
Canadian nonresidential investment reached $10.5 billion between April and June as the increase was led by spending on medical facilities and office buildings. However, after taking into account higher construction prices, investment in non-residential construction declined 3.7 percent in 2002 constant dollars. More
 
May U.S. manufacturing technology consumption was $341.21 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’Association and the Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total was down 16.4 percent from April, but up 2.2 percent from the total of $333.80 million reported for May 2007. With a year-to-date total of $1,942.37 million, 2008 is up 17.2 percent compared with 2007. More

According to the quarterly Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Survey on the Business Outlook, an indicator for the industrial sector, overall manufacturing activity in theis expected to remain flat over the next three to six months. The June 2008 composite index registered a drop to 50 from 57 as reported in the MarchChicago, IL-based Grainger reported sales of $1.8 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008, up 10 percent over the second quarter 2007. Profit increased 8 percent to $113 million. More
 
The Fastenal Company, Winona, MN, reported sales for second quarter ended June 30, 2008, were $604.2 million, up 16.3 percent over the prior-year period. Profit was up 26.4 percent. Sales for the first six months were up 16 percent from the first six months of 2007. Profit was up 26.2 percent. More

UK-based Wolseley plc, distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and supplier of building materials, reported overall revenues were up 1% while profits were down 28% for the first 11 months ended June 30, 2008. Wolseley is the parent company ofFergusonandStockBuildingSupply in the U.S. Wolseley has reduced headcount by 6,000 since Aug. 1, 2007. Other cost-cutting measures Wolseley plans to implement: divesting non-core businesses obtained as parts of larger acquisitions and reviewing its property portfolio of about 950 properties for sale or disposal. In the 11 months, three non-core businesses and 21 properties were sold. More

Private equity firm Advent International has agreed to buy a majority interest in roofing and building materials distributor Bradco Supply, Avenel, NJ. The Segal family will continue to own a minority stake in the business. Bradco has more than $1.7 billion in annual sales with more than 154 locations in 30 states. More
 
Cummins-Wagner Co., Inc., Annapolis Junction, MD, a distributor of industrial process equipment and HVAC equipment in the mid-Atlantic region, has agreed to acquire Rochester, NY-based Siewert Equipment Co., Inc. More
 
Niantic Seal Inc., Lincoln, RI, a subsidiary of The INSCO Group, has acquired Northeast Rubber Products, Inc., Framingham, MA, a distributor and fabricator of industrial rubber products. Both business units are included in INSCO’s newly formed Performance Materials Group. More
 
ABC Supply Co. Inc., Beloit, WI, opened a new store in Savage, MN. The company is a wholesale distributor of siding, windows and other select exterior building products. More
 
Watsco, Inc., Coconut Grove, FL, reported revenues for the second quarter increased 8 percent to $510 million over the same period in 2007. Profit improved 7 percent to $26.1 million. The revenue increase includes $62 million from 58 locations opened or acquired in the past 12 months. Same-store sales declined 5 percent. More
 
Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, GA, reported sales of $2.87 billion for the second quarter ended June 30, 2008, up 4 percent from the prior-year period. Profit was up 2 percent. Motion Industries saw a sales jump of 7 percent. More
 
Bosch Rexroth has agreed to acquire Hägglunds Drives AB, Mellansel, Sweden. Hägglunds Drives is an international supplier of hydraulic drive systems, separate drive motors and services.