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October 30 - Johnson Controls and York Announce Special Meeting

(November 10, 2005) Johnson Controls, Inc. and York International Corp. announced today that the York Special Stockholders Meeting to vote upon the merger agreement with Johnson Controls will be held on Friday, December 9, 2005, at 10 A.M. E.S.T. The meeting will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton BWI Airport, at 7032 Elm Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21240. Stockholders of record at the close of business on November 7, 2005 will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Stockholders Meeting. Johnson Controls and York also announced that they currently expect to complete their merger on December 9, 2005, immediately following the York Special Stockholders Meeting, subject to York stockholder approval of the merger agreement and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. On November 10, 2005, the companies received clearance of their merger from the European Commission. This clearance was preceded by the expiration, on October 19, 2005, of the applicable waiting period for the merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

October 27 - ARBS 2006 Exhibition, Australian HVAC Show

Australia will host the 2006 Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Services Exhibition (ARBS) in Sydney from 14 to 16 August, 2006. The ARBS exhibition will occupy over 15,000 square metres of space at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, providing complete coverage of the latest developments and state of the art technologies and products. These include commercial, industrial and residential air conditioning systems, commercial and industrial refrigeration equipment, building management and control systems, fans, motors/ instrumentation, insulation, filters, pipes and pumps.
Exhibition manager Sue Falcke said ARBS provides the ideal environment for international exhibitors and visitors to exhibit and view the latest technologies all under the one roof. "The ARBS exhibition has built a strong reputation as the most authoritative and comprehensive HVAC event in the Southern Hemisphere. It provides an important platform for technology exchange between manufacturers around the world.
"It is the ideal platform to bring together all facets of our industry, from manufacturers and suppliers through to decision makers, buyers and end users. It's a true industry showcase," said Ms Falcke.
ARBS 2006 is expected to attract over 250 national and international exhibitors, and around 8000 visitors. Nearly a year out, the exhibition has already sold 80 per cent of the floor space.
ARBS 2006 will be held parallel to the 13th International Heat Transfer Conference, a prestigious event which attracts a large contingent of international visitors. For further information on the Conference, visit www.ihtc-13.mech.unsw.edu.au/ The Sydney Exhibition Centre is located in Darling Harbour, part of the city's famous tourist precinct situated in a prime waterfront location.

October 24 - Tecumseh India inaugurates India's 1st Rotary Compressor plant

September 16, 2005 was a red-letter day for India's compressor manufacturing industry because Tecumseh India commenced operations of the first rotary compressor plant in the country. To begin with Tecumseh India will be offering six models of Rotaries, catering to the 1.5 ton and 2 ton room airconditioner segment. The RN range of rotary compressors will be super tropicalised and can hence operate at extreme conditions of 54^°C. Currently more than 80% of the 1.2 million RAC domestic market uses rotary technology with all compressors imported from China or South East Asia.
The rotary compressor market in India has been growing by 30-35% each year over the last three years.
The plant located in Balanagar near Hyderabad will be the only rotary compressor plant of Tecumseh in the entire AsiaPac region including China.
Tecumseh India is a 100% subsidiary of Tecumseh Products Co., USA and recently became the first compressor company to export one million compressors from India to Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Turkey and China.

October 21 - Sanyo Releases Restructuring Plan: "Evolution Project"

Sanyo Electric Co. has released details of its restructuring plan ranging from the closure of factories in Japan and China.
As the first step of its 3-year reform plan called the 'SANYO EVOLUTION PROJECT', Sanyo announced a company-wide program called 'Program Alpha'.
Under the plan, the company will shut down by the end of the current fiscal year a semiconductor plant in Gunma Prefecture, as well as a plant in Kasai, Hyogo Prefecture where the company started its business in 1947.
In China, accoding to Sanyo, it has decided to dissolve Shenzhen Sanyo Huaqiang Energy Co. and transfer its battery production operations to other Sanyo footholds in the country in order to improve production efficiency.
Sanyo also said it will seek to sell or securitize its headquarters and other buildings and dispose of 68 marketing offices in Japan.
In addition to the head offices in Osaka and Tokyo, a global headquarters will be created to focus solely on global strategies, Sanyo said.
The consumer electronics firm will designate three growth potential areas - commercial air conditioning, batteries, and electronics products such as cell phones and digital cameras - as core operations. The reconstruction plan fleshes out earlier measures presented in July by the new leadership headed by Chairwoman and CEO Tomoyo Nonaka.
Sanyo aims to slash costs by 170 billion yen over three years by reducing inventories and consolidating distribution bases - a revision from the 70 billion yen reduction unveiled in July.

October 19 - AHR EXPO to Host Energy-Saving House on Show Floor

CHICAGO, IL…October 17, 2005 - AHR Expo will be hosting "Radiant House" with installation demonstrations during the show at McCormick Place in Chicago. Designed to provide attendees with the latest information on energy-efficient products, the event, which will be held on the show floor from January 23rd through January 25th 2006, will feature a wood frame structure in which various radiant heating suppliers will give live demonstrations of their products being installed.
"The Radiant House is a wonderful opportunity for our exhibitors to showcase their latest products to a very focused target market," said Clay Stevens, President of IEC, producers of AHR Expo.
Installations in the Radiant House will include radiant floor tubing, electric elements, pre-manufactured floor and wall panels, ceiling installations, insulation, controls and more. A complete list of companies showcasing their products, and installation, with a schedule of demonstrations, will be displayed at the house on the AHR Expo show floor.
"Companies participating in Radiant House enjoy the added benefit of being able to fully illustrate their products' practical use to potential buyers through an hour-long live installation demonstration," said Vance Sherwood, Radiant Panel Association. "We're delighted to bring the Radiant House to AHR Expo 2006."
The products showcased in the Radiant House will be on display from the time they are installed through the end of the Expo on January 25, 2006. Participation eligibility is limited to Radiant Panel Association members that are also exhibiting at AHR Expo 2006. The total number of participants will also be limited, based on available space within the Radiant House. Exhibitors who are interested should visit www.RadiantPanelAssociation.org or call 970.613.0100 to sign up for participation in the Radiant House before the December 15th deadline.

October 17 - Petra Brings Low-Noise to a New Level

Due to increasing awareness of noise as an environmental pollutant, Petra Engineering Industries Co. developed the Ultra Low Noise chillers with the lowest dbA level on the market today geared towards noise-sensitive design requirements.
Petra designed the Ultra Low noise chillers using their 'Patented Design' for the compressor compartment. In addition, the chillers use the highly efficient, low noise screw compressor and cast aluminum sickle-shaped fans with high efficiency external rotor motor, to further reduce noise levels.
When measured against the ARI standard, the highest dbA of Petra's chillers is lower than the minimum dbA requirement for the same tonnage listed in the ASHRAE standard. Also, these chillers can be supplied in systems up to 500 tons and take into consideration the chiller C.O.P. in both part load and full load values.
Petra Ultra-Low Noise chillers have been installed in projects that have strict sound regulations such as schools, universities, libraries and large commercial projects in residential areas of the USA, UK and other countries, where noise control is imperative. The chillers were installed near the building with minimal noise disruption to its occupants and its surrounding neighbors.

October 15 - McQuay Wins Series of Projects

After being awarded the contract to provide air-conditioning system for Beijing Television Center (BTC), the tallest building in Beijing, on July 18, McQuay has won a series of important projects in the high-end building market in Beijing, Tianjin, and Wuhan, which demonstrates its strength in the central AC market.
The buildings in the west district of Beijing financial street have more than 500,000 square meters of floor space.
The air-conditioning system for them is the largest such project in the last two years in Beijing. It has ordered 16 centrifugal compressor water chillers (about 15,000 RT) and some terminals from McQuay. Negotiations for the purchase of other AC terminals from McQuay are still in progress.
The Swan Lake Project, one of the largest air-conditioning projects using air-source chillers in Tianjin, selected the MAC series air-source chillers produced by McQuay. In July, 2005, the phase II project of Wuhan Sports Center Stadium selected McQuay chillers and terminals for its air-conditioning system. The floor space of the phase II project of the stadium is about 40,000 square meters. The project will use two centrifugal chillers and one single screw chiller produced by McQuay.
The total refrigeration capacity will be 1,200 RT. The center also selected McQuay MDM series air handling units and MCW series fan coil units.
The accessory rooms of the stadium, such as stores, selected McQuay water source heat pumps for their air-conditioning systems. The Sports Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the Second Library of Huazhong Agricultural University, a classroom building of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and a building in the Huangshi Institute of Technology also selected McQuay for their air-conditioning systems.
The McQuay Wuhan factory celebrated its 10th anniversary on August 8, 2005. Registered in 1995 and put into operation in 1996, the factory covers an area of more than 80,000 square meters. Its products include a full range of centrifugal compressor water chillers, single screw chillers, and other products that can be used in residential and commercial ACs, process cooling/ refrigeration products, thermal storage AC units, and products related to the heat reclamation field. The cooling capacity of its single unit can be as high as 2,600 tons of refrigeration.

October 13 - Trane Announces Contract with Carrefour for 38 Stores in Asia

Trane, a global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions, won a competitive bid process with Carrefour, the world's second largest retailer, for 38 new stores in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.
Trane will supply its industry-leading high efficiency R123 direct drive centrifugal chillers, and service and maintenance for five years, establishing Trane as the sole supplier of chillers for Carrefour in China.
Trane's R123 systems offer a balance of low global warming potential and near-zero ozone depletion potential. "Our R123 systems are the most balanced, environmentally-responsible refrigerant choice in large chillers available on the market today," said Jim Wolf, vice president and chairman of Environmental Policy for Trane.
Trane has supplied Carrefour with HVAC equipment, systems and services in China since 1995. In 2002, Carrefour enlisted a third-party accreditation company to evaluate HVAC equipment and system providers in China in order to identify a single, long-term supplier to provide reliable, energy efficient chillers and service support for all Carrefour stores in China.
"Carrefour is committed to improving the living standard and consuming habits of customers worldwide," said Jean-Michel Fleury, Carrefour procurement assets manager, Asia. "Our selection of Trane chillers is based on our long-standing relationship and their ability to provide energy efficient solutions with low maintenance and operating costs."

October 11 - Hisense Hitachi Heads for New Target

Hisense Hitachi Air Conditioning System Co., Ltd. has set a goal in the dealer convention held in Hainan in February this year, which is to become one the top 3 VRF players and to have a 12% VRF market share in China.
The company has started a series of projects in order to accomplish the goal. On business philosophy, Hisense Hitachi began to focus on sales promotions from the beginning of 2004.
It has set up 4 sales companies and more than 20 business branches across the nation.
As a result, it quintupled its sales income in the year 2004 and set up a series of sample projects all over the country.
The main product of Hisense Hitachi is the SET-FREE VRF, which has 9 models ranging from 5 HP to 30 HP.
Their inverter control and independent fresh air handling systems make it suitable for the medium-high level market.
The SET-FREE mini residential central AC system produced by the company uses the DC inverter scroll compressor and R407C environmental-friendly refrigerant. It is a healthy, energy-saving product that is suitable for the home with an area ranging from 50 to 300 square meters. Outdoor units are available in 4 HP, 5HP, and 6 HP units. At present the company is focusing on the development of new products using R410A.
On market development, all the activities are focused on the HVAC industry and the subsections of the market.
The company has held many seminars on HVAC and attended almost all AC industry events. Besides, it also paid much attention to the real estate market.
Hisense Hitachi also increases its market share by setting up "Hisense Hitachi Show Room Shop", which will be finished at the end of this year in all the important cities in China.

October 9 - Saginomiya and Danfoss sign distributor agreement

As of January 1, 2006, Saginomiya will assume responsibility for sales and support of Danfoss products, which have been offered by Danfoss K.K., a Japanese affiliate of Danfoss A/S. Danfoss K.K. will close for business on December 31, 2005.
The agreement is part of a joint global strategy under which both companies are reinforcing their sales capabilities by combining strengths in increasingly competitive markets around the world. Saginomiya and Danfoss entered into a partnership in 2002 and established a joint venture in Poland as part of forming a global partnership in the fields of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.
In 2003, Danfoss became Saginomiya's sole distributor in Europe, where Danfoss has a sales network. Also in 2003, Danfoss reached an agreement for the distribution of Saginomiya products in the US and South America. The two companies expect that the current agreement will reinforce the potential of both companies' products in the Japanese market.
Comment by Jorgen M.Clausen, president and CEO of Danfoss A/S:"After operating directly in Japan for more than 40 years, we concluded that the best way to expand our business in Japan is to provide our products through the powerful sales and service network of Saginomiya Seisakusho. We have established strong partnerships in the European and the US and South American markets, so today's announcement will drive our partnership even further.
"Comment by Yuichiro Nishimi, president of Saginomiya Seisakusho Inc.:"We have 65 years of experience in the automatic controller market and have established a global partnership with Danfoss covering major markets such as Europe, the US and South America. We are pleased that today we have reached our third partnership agreement with Danfoss, this time in the Japanese market. Based on this agreement, we will assume responsibility for the sale of Danfoss products and will provide enhanced support to current Danfoss clients. Our solutions will closely fit the needs of Danfoss customers. We are excited to expand our product line-up with Danfoss products, which are highly rated by customers worldwide. We believe that this will help us respond to customer needs more precisely. We are confident that today's agreement will lead to business growth for Danfoss and Saginomiya in Japan".

October 7 - Trane Executives Address Energy Conservation at FEBRAVA

Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions, announced that two of its global environmental policy executives spoke at the FEBRAVA 2005 Trade Show.
James Wolf, vice president and chairman of Trane's Environmental Policy Council, and Jeff Moe, Trane program director for environmental policy, shared perspectives on the role that heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies can play in meeting environmental priorities. "We work on a customer-by-customer approach, consulting and designing the right HVAC system solution that balances application requirements and environmental priorities," said Wolf. "Further, the 'green building' trend in Brazil and other regions provides great opportunities for environmentally responsible companies, like Trane, to assist customers in lowering emissions, improving energy efficiency and reducing the threat of global warming."
In seminar presentations, Wolf and Moe discussed ozone depletion, global warming and greenhouse gases and provide an update on the status of global environmental regulations. The potential global warming and ozone depletion impacts of every major refrigerant used by the HVAC industry was also presented.
"Our customers want to know about global and regional perspectives on refrigerant alternatives and those that are scheduled for phase-out," stated Moe. "And also how refrigerants, such as HCFC-123, when integrated with state-of-the-art HVAC technology from Trane, enable cooling systems to operate with significantly less energy usage and reduced environmental impact."
As part of Trane's environmentally responsible initiatives at the FEBRAVA Show, Trane introduced its newest, energy efficient HVAC solution for the Brazil market, Impression II. The Impression II system uses a unique condensation unit and several evaporator units which work in with Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF). With its energy efficient design and flexible installation requirements it fits well into the commercial market.

October 5 - Bitzer Australia Opens New Tech and Training Centre

Bitzer Australia has been providing compressor equipment and heat exchange products to the refrigeration industry for over forty years. At all times, they have worked to attain and maintain market leadership. As part of the Bitzer foundation principles, they have achieved this by remaining ahead with new products based on extensive research and development.
As the world moves into a new era of environmentally benign processes where possible, Bitzer worldwide has kept pace with technology and brought products to market that facilitate energy efficient refrigeration.
On this basis, Bitzer Australia has opened a Technology and Training Centre at its headquarters in St. Marys, Sydney.
Over 160 people with an interest in seeing such a venture, attended the opening in May 2005. German-Australian trade officials, local dignitaries, technical teachers, contractors, engineers and suppliers to the refrigeration industry came to see the new facility built specifically for training on the latest in environmentally benign refrigeration applications.
Managing Director for Bitzer Australia, Mr. Ruediger Rudischhauser, enthusiastically welcomed all visitors, including Bitzer International Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Senator.
Peter Schaufler and his wife Christine.
After acknowledging the efforts of the company's R&D and Production departments Mr. Rudischhauser also thanked the following Bitzer partner companies: Alfa Laval, Danfoss Australia, Natural Refrigerants Transition Board, Strathbrook Industrial and Ziehl-ebm for their support and assistance with this exciting development.

October 3 - Panasonic Develops Heat-Pump Drying System for Washer

Panasonic, the leading brand name for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is best known, on September 27 unveiled its innovative tilted-drum washer-dryer that uses no heater or water during the dry cycle. Incorporating a heat-pump dryer for the first time in the world, the new model NA-VR1000 completes a cycle of washing and drying using half the energy, water and time required for its conventional model. The new model will be available in Japan from November 28, 2005.
Conventional drum-type washer-dryers use heater dryers. During the dry cycle, they consume a large amount of electricity to heat the air and many litters of water to cool the hot air and carry away moisture from the drum.
Panasonic's heat-pump drying system has revolutionized the dry cycle, completely eliminating the need for a heater and water. The new drying system dries clothes by exchanging heat via heat-pump unit. As it does not let heat or moisture escape outside the dryer drum, it is highly energy efficient. Also, the superior drying and moisture removing capability dries garments more quickly. For example, three dress shirts will dry in 20 minutes (one-third of the time) and a bulky blanket in one and a half hours (one-half of the time), compared to other conventional dryers.
The reduction in the consumption of electricity, water and time provides significant savings of almost 24,000 yen a year.
As the heat-pump drying system pumps warm air at the temperature of about 65 degrees centigrade, it is gentle to garments, preventing shrinkage and damage that can be caused by dryer heat. Furthermore, users can open the door anytime during the dry cycle to take out or add garments - conventional dryer doors are locked as the dryers get hot.
The new product also features the newly-developed "warm water jet and foam washing system." The warm water jet adds more cleaning power to the foam washing system that is used in the current models. Combined with concentrated detergent foam, it eliminates bacteria and odor more effectively than cold-water washes. Cold-water wash can also be selected according to need.

October 1 - Growing Electronic Parts Production in ASEAN

Japanese electronic parts manufacturers are beginning to expand their business in the ASEAN countries. They intend to change their overseas strategy to avoid one-sided dependence upon China. The move towards utilizing various business facilities in the ASEAN countries where various knowhow has been accumulated and creating a major supply center is surfacing. They keep an eye also on India which is expected to grow into a major market. A solid international business system is being built up in the ASEAN countries as an arena by having Singapore serve as the hub of technology, manufacture, sales and physical distribution, and having the neighboring countries undertake production.
To avoid the risk of "concentration into China"
For the last few years, Japanese electronic parts manufacturers have attempted to build up an extensive business system in China. However, being faced with various problems and in view of the country risk, they are beginning to recognize the importance of ASEAN countries. The Japanese electric parts manufacturers had developed their operations in the ASEAN countries earlier than in China. They increasingly expect that, by training local people so that they may undertake factory management, adopting improved technologies, effectively applying knowhow which has been accumulated since some 20 years ago, and also utilizing the delivery-oriented physical distribution system and advanced infrastructural industries, it will become possible to form a supply center comparable to China.
Growing digital devices
Production of electronic appliances in the ASEAN countries is expected to grow in 2005 centering around driving units such as those mounted on vehicles and HDDs. While the scale of production differs between the ASEAN countries, it is generally seen that industries related to PC peripherals and automobiles are growing in these countries, in sharp contrast to China where production of home electric appliances, PCs and mobile phones is mainly increasing.
According to a survey conducted by the Japan Electronic Information Technology Association (JEITA), production of color TVs in Thailand and Indonesia in 2005 will show an increase over 2004, and that of DVD recorders in Malaysia is likely to top 10 million units. AV unit manufacturers have fully shifted production from Malaysia and Indonesia to China. For the last several years, these manufacturers have been engaged in production of promising products such as color TVs, DVD recorders, digital cameras and car audio units based on sophisticated production technologies such as high-density mounting technology.
Expanding production
In Thailand, HDDs, white goods (home electric appliances) and automobile components form the three major market segments. In the white goods segment, major Japanese manufacturers including Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Melco), Toshiba and Fujitsu General have been operating for a long time. The manufacturers of components for home appliances such as motors, transformers and reactors are also expanding their production.
In the Philippines and Vietnam, many Japanese electronic/electric components & parts manufacturers have been operating, forming a center of home electric and digital appliances.

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