Swedish manufacturer Alfa Laval (STO: ALFA) reported sales for the first quarter of SEK 6.5 billion (US$752.5 million), a four percent decrease from the same period a year earlier. Profit fell 4 percent to SEK 703 million (US$81.4 million).
Demand for the Process Technology division was slightly lower sequentially due to fewer large orders. Market activity level continued to be high, especially within oil and gas exploration and refinery of vegetable oil. Marine & Diesel had good growth.
Central and Eastern Europe developed best among the regions thanks to demand from refineries and oil and gas exploration in Russia. North America also benefitted from investments within oil and gas and saw good growth in total for the base business as well as large orders.
Order intake from Asia was flat; Western Europe, including the Nordic countries, had growth in the base business, but decreased in total.
