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Many projects, mergers and acquisitions are detailed in monthly updates in the Market Report’s Chapters under Industry Analysis. Click on the links below to view current updates for each industry.

ASTM International Committee F11 on Vacuum Cleaners has formed a new task group to develop proposed standards for high efficiency particulate air filtration, typically known as HEPA.

The task group, part of Subcommittee F11.23 on Filtration, will develop standards to clarify methodology and criteria used to define HEPA filtration for sealed vacuum cleaner systems and filter components used in residential and commercial settings.

The task group will focus on standards that will provide both retail buyers and consumers a means of comparing manufacturer filtration claims and filtration benefits. All interested parties, particularly residential and commercial vacuum cleaner manufacturers, are invited to take part in the standards developing activities of the new task group and F11.23.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

The Census Bureau reported March housing starts were at 1,036,000, up 7.0 percent from the revised February estimate and up 46.7 percent from March 2012. This is the highest level since 2008. Multi-family starts drove March's increase, rising 31% from February. Single-family housing starts were down 4.8% from February.

New residential construction fell 5.8% in the Northeast last month, but showed gains in the rest of the country led by a 10.9% rise in the South. Construction was up 9.6% in the Midwest and 2.7% in the West.

Building permits in March 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 902,000, down 3.9 percent from the revised February rate but up 17.3 percent from March 2012.

Continuing operations January-March 2013 compared with January-March 2012

• Net sales EUR 255.3 million (EUR 260.3 million).

• Operating profit EUR 8.3 million (EUR 10.7 million).

• Operating profit excluding non-recurring items EUR 6.5 million (EUR 10.6 million).

• Operating margin excluding non-recurring items 2.5% (4.1%).

• Profit before taxes EUR 4.0 million (EUR 6.0 million).

January-March 2013 in brief

• Net sales and profitability improved from the weak fourth quarter of 2012, but remained below the comparison period.

• Ahlstrom entered into a collaboration agreement with Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), a business unit of the Dow Chemical Company, on using Ahlstrom's Disruptor® technology in drinking water applications.

• The company made changes to its financial segment reporting as of January 1, 2013 as the former Filtration business area was divided into two separate segments: Advanced Filtration and Transportation Filtration. In addition, a new reporting segment called Trading and New Business, has been added.

Outlook for 2013

• The outlook published on January 31, 2013 remains unchanged. Net sales from continuing operations are expected to be EUR 980-1,140 million. The operating profit margin excluding non-recurring items from continuing operations is expected to be 2-5% of net sales.

Jan Lång, President & CEO

- Our net sales and operating profit improved sequentially, but remained below the relatively strong comparison period. Regionally, annual sales growth in Asia was supported by the introduction of new products. In Europe, sales were flat in a very difficult market environment, particularly in the southern part of the continent. In North America, we experienced fluctuations in demand despite some positive macroeconomic signals.

- I am pleased with the financial performance of our Advanced Filtration business area, and with the integration of Munktell, which is moving ahead as planned. Transportation Filtration also improved despite regional variations. The Food and Medical business was a disappointment, and we are taking firm measures to address the situation and improve performance in this area.

- We have worked relentlessly on our product development process and our product pipeline is strengthening. This year we are planning to double the number of new product introductions.

London, UK-based Fiberweb, a manufacturer of high performance, technical nonwoven fabrics, has announced a $15 million expansion at their Middle Tennessee location.

This follows their $12 million investment in 2010/2011 to build a state-of-the-art research and development center designed to solidify Fiberweb's position a leader in materials technology. And a 2009/2010 investment of $25 million to construct an onsite shale-gas powered utility plant, placing the company's four-year investment in the site at $50 million.

Fiberweb will celebrate this expansion with a ground breaking ceremony on May 17, 2013, at 1 pm central, held at 70 Old Hickory Blvd., Old Hickory, TN, where Fiberweb executives will share information about the company's plans for growth. A reception will follow the groundbreaking.

The company will also show its appreciation to its employees, their families and guest from neighboring businesses, with an on-site carnival taking place Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18.

"This $15 million capital project strengthens Fiberweb's position as a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-tech materials, and demonstrates our commitment to doing this in Middle Tennesse," says Gary Dies, vice president operations. "The manufacturing industry plays a vital role in the economic development of Tennessee, contributing more than 360,000 jobs to communities throughout the state. Fiberweb is proud of the part we play in the overall economic health of the communities in which we live and work."

The two-year expansion project will include the construction of a new 300,000-square foot warehouse and distribution center. This will concentrate all operations into one location, streamlining processes, and reducing the company's carbon footprint.

Fiberweb's operations in Old Hickory include a state-of-the-art research and development center and the manufacturing of high-performance technical fabric products, such as water filtration fabric, breathable membranes for homebuilding, geotextiles and home care products.

AAF International announced that it has completed an acquisition of all assets of Thailand's largest filter distributor, Chaimitr Engineering International Co., Ltd. (CEI). The new entity will be named AAF International (Thailand) Co., Ltd. This acquisition will position AAF to become the number one filtration company in Thailand.

It is estimated that the air filtration market in Thailand will reach approximately $50 million by 2015, making it one of the largest and fastest growing areas in Southeast Asia. AAF firmly believes that Thailand presents a great opportunity to continue expanding its business. By establishing a direct presence in Thailand, AAF can provide solutions to all critical clean air needs and be much more responsive to local market needs, thereby providing excellent localized services to its valued customers. This acquisition will also strengthen AAF's overall position in Asia, following recent investments in its facilities in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India.

"AAF is actively expanding our business globally to better serve our customers on a local level. CEI is a great fit with AAF's growth strategy as we now have a dedicated, experienced team on the ground in Thailand to introduce our innovative products to the Thai markets," said Peter M. Kurto, AAF Global Chief Operating Officer.

AAF International, based in Louisville, Kentucky, has more than 3,000 employees, 22 manufacturing facilities, and five R&D centers worldwide. AAF designs, develops, and manufactures air filtration solutions for commercial, industrial, cleanroom, transportation, and nuclear power applications. AAF also provides inlet air cooling and sound attenuation solutions for high-speed rotating machinery. For more information, visit www.aafintl.com.

CECO Environmental Corp has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Met-Pro Corp in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately US$210 million.

New York Stock Exchange-listed Met-Pro is a global provider of product recovery, pollution control, fluid handling and filtration solutions, including pumps and filters, while Nasdaq-listed Ceco Environmental specialises in air pollution control technology systems, product recovery and filtration technology.

CECO will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Met-Pro common stock for US$13.75 per share, a 43% premium on Met-Pro’s share closing price on 19 April 2013. The consideration includes US$7.25 per share in cash and US$6.50 per share in CECO common stock.

The CECO and Met-Pro boards of directors have unanimously approved the acquisition.

The acquisition creates a global leader in air pollution control, product recovery and fluid handling technology with pro forma revenues of approximately US$300 million. CECO chief executive officer (CEO) Jeff Lang will be CEO of the combined company, while Met-Pro president and CEO Raymond De Hont will become chief operating officer.

"We believe this combination creates significant organic and inorganic opportunities to support continued growth in revenues, profitability and overall shareholder value, " said CECO’s Lang. "Importantly, the combined businesses will be uniquely positioned to capitalize on fast growing end markets and secular trends supported by increasingly stringent levels of pollution control regulation, increasing global energy demand, emerging market dynamics, most notably in China and India, and a low cost natural gas environment, driving new plant construction in the US and globally," said CECO’s Lang.

"Joining forces with CECO will greatly enhance our product portfolio depth, while improving both our global reach and our ability to serve our customers. Met-Pro’s platform aligns well with CECO’s family of companies and we believe it is truly a great fit that brings together two high quality organizations with exceptionally talented people and complementary business models, capabilities and cultures," added Met-Pro’s De Hont.

Buckeye Technologies Inc. and Georgia-Pacific LLC have reached a definitive agreement for Georgia-Pacific to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Buckeye Technologies' common stock for $37.50 per share in cash. The transaction, subject to completion, is valued at approximately $1.5 billion, including debt.

Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by both companies' boards of directors, stockholders of Buckeye Technologies will receive $37.50 in cash per share, representing a premium of approximately 29% based on the average closing price of Buckeye Technologies' common stock over the last week.

Buckeye Technologies, based in Memphis, TN, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of specialty fibers and nonwoven materials made from wood and cotton. The company's manufacturing assets include a specialty pulp mill at Perry, FL; cotton cellulose mills at Memphis, TN, and Lumberton, NC; and mills producing nonwovens at Mt. Holly, NC, and Steinfurt, Germany. Buckeye Technologies also has global sales offices in Beijing, the UK, France, Italy and Switzerland. The company has approximately 1,200 employees worldwide.

"This transaction enables our stockholders to realize significant value, while also representing an important next step in the growth of Buckeye Technologies," says John Crowe, chairman and CEO. "We are pleased that Georgia-Pacific recognizes the significant value of our company's special and unique assets, talented employees, and research and development capabilities. Georgia-Pacific's acquisition of Buckeye will provide our company and our employees with exciting future growth opportunities. We will continue to execute on our business plan in partnership with a committed new owner that has a long history of delivering superior business performance through its dedication to operational excellence and innovation."

"Buckeye Technologies' competitive assets and capabilities strongly complement Georgia-Pacific's existing cellulose business and products. The talented employees, innovation capabilities, advanced technologies, and specialty fibers and nonwovens businesses of Buckeye Technologies will provide a significant platform for continued growth and success," says Jim Hannan, CEO and president, Georgia-Pacific.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper, cellulose and related chemicals. The company employs nearly 35,000 people worldwide.

Georgia-Pacific expects to launch a cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of Buckeye Technologies' common stock. The tender offer is subject to the expiration or termination of any waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, other regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and requires at least 75% of the outstanding shares of Buckeye Technologies' common stock to be tendered, consistent with the threshold for approval of a merger specified in Buckeye Technologies' certificate of incorporation. The transaction is not conditioned on financing. In certain circumstances, the parties have agreed to complete the transaction through a merger, subject to receipt of stockholder approval.

Barclays is serving as exclusive financial advisor and Dechert LLP is serving as legal advisor to Buckeye Technologies. UBS and Blackstone are serving as financial advisors to Georgia-Pacific.

Freudenberg has opened a new CNY36 million production facility in Chengdu, Sichuan Province to serve the growing demand for automotive filters in Western China.

Freudenberg Vilene Filter (Chengdu) Co Ltd, a joint venture established last March by Freudenberg Filtration Technologies and Japan Vilene Co Ltd, will produce engine air intake filters and cabin air filters for the Chinese automotive industry and serve as a logistics and service centre for industrial filtration components and systems.

The 12 000 sq m manufacturing site is situated at Xindu Industrial Park in Chengdu. Sixty employees will be working at the new site by the end of 2013.

"This is an important step. Together we will deliver state-of-the-art filtration technology to the growing automotive industry in Chengdu with companies like Volkswagen and Geely Volvo," said Dr Joerg Sievert, a member of the Freudenberg Filtration Technologies management board and chairman of the Freudenberg Filter China board.

"The project from the ground breaking to start of production took only seven months and I am very pleased to inform that we had no accidents during the construction phase," said Jianmin Lion Li, general manager of Freudenberg Vilene Filter (Chengdu) Co Ltd.

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies already has plants in Changchun and Suzhou and started its first production site in China in 1998.

Bosch Rexroth has expanded its product portfolio in the UK market to include its own range of filtration systems.

The range expansion is the result of Bosch Rexroth’s acquisition of K & H Eppensteiner GmbH & Co in 2009, one of Europe’s most established filter manufacturers. As a result, the Eppensteiner range of filtration products is now being rebranded Bosch Rexroth and being made available in the UK.

The breadth of the range covers all aspects of filtration with high flow rates and several pressure ranges in return and pressure types such as inline, manifold, tank mounted, duplex and all with indication options. They can be applied to a range of applications, from agriculture through to rail, mobile and industrial. The new product portfolio also contains all filter accessories, including filter programs, oil purification, measuring instruments and specific condition monitoring systems.

Crucially, the expanded range will include the award winning LE (N) 0040-0400 series filtration system, which has an innovative filter head design resulting in a ‘cyclone effect’ which diverts the inlet flow in a specific direction which enhances the flow properties and dirt absorption capacity. In addition, the filter also boasts a newly designed bowl which improves element mounting and stability which keeps the element in place ensuring constant pressure distribution.

Chris Gray, Filtration Product Manager for Bosch Rexroth, commented: "The expansion of the Bosch Rexroth product portfolio into filtration enables our UK customers to access a complete hydraulic package from a single source. Filtration has been a clear gap in the Bosch Rexroth hydraulics portfolio which I am delighted to say has now been filled with the highest quality filtration products."

Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) presented TopSpin HD, the company's newest air pre-cleaner, at Bauma 2013 in Munich, Germany.

The all-metal TopSpin HD is built for high-dust and heavy-debris environments, such as mining, construction, oil and gas and agriculture. Its high efficiency design delivers low restriction and enables it to separate and eject up to 80% of incoming contamination before it can reach the engine's air cleaner.

"Pre-cleaning air before it enters an air cleaner can dramatically improve the life of an air filter, and help avoid costly engine failure," said John Fitzgerald, Product Manager, Donaldson Engine Air Filtration. "TopSpin HD is a cost effective solution that is designed specifically to perform in punishing conditions where pre-cleaners can really take a beating."

TopSpin HD is offered in eight sizes, so the end user can choose one that is appropriate for their air filtration system.

Eastman Chemical has launched the new and innovative Eastman Cyphrex microfibers at IDEA13. These microfibers offer tunable fiber properties of size, shape and material that provide the wet-laid nonwoven producers with advantages that aren’t currently available says the company. The microfibers have demonstrated nearly drop-in compatibility with existing wet-laid nonwoven processes. Cyphrex microfibers have the potential to be used in such markets as air, water or fuel filtration; specialty papers; and battery separators.

"The technology behind Eastman Cyphrex microfibers and the functionality it enables is unique and revolutionary, unlike anything else on the market," says Mark Costa, executive vice president, Eastman Chemical Company. "These microfibers unlock possibilities that provide innovation in the nonwovens marketplace by allowing cost-effective access to a previously unavailable size range of highly uniform synthetic fibers. Consequently, we believe these new possibilities will result in breakthrough product performance, quality and value for specialty nonwovens."

Eastman has invested in growing its application development expertise to help address specific customer and market needs. This experience, combined with the capability to manipulate the size, shape and material of Eastman Cyphrex microfibers, enables what it says are market-changing solutions for a new level of performance.

Eastman Cyphrex microfibers, which are less than 5 microns in diameter, deliver a high surface-to-mass ratio and offer a narrow diameter distribution. They provide optionality of fiber cross-sections in shapes such as round, flat and wedge. The fiber material can consist of different polymer types, such as PET, PP and nylon, and has consistent properties that enable new formulations and design flexibility.

The ability to customize size, shape and material offers functional and competitive advantages for nonwovens media in areas such as strength, uniformity and targeted permeability.

"To satisfy challenging industry needs, the technology behind Eastman Cyphrex provides a revolution in microfibers," says Fred Dulin, director, microfibers platform, Eastman Chemical Company. "Our innovation allows precise, consistent and unique fiber designs that are thoughtfully and purposefully created for varied applications across numerous markets."

Eastman has long had an investment in research and development and manufacturing for many successful products. To support the Eastman Cyphrex microfibers, at its Kingsport, TN, headquarters, Eastman has a world-class synthetic fibers developmental spinning line as well as a nonwoven and specialty paper research lab.

Web site:  www.mcilvainecompany.com