GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Water pump and
filtration equipment manufacturer Pentair, Inc. (NYSE: PNR) today reported it
has established pump and filtration task forces to aid emergency response
organizations helping Gulf Coast areas cope with the devastation and chaos
caused by Hurricane Katrina.
"Pentair is taking quick action to make pump and filtration equipment --
and the necessary technical expertise -- available to agencies supporting
disaster relief efforts," said Pentair Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Randall J. Hogan. "In addition, the Pentair Foundation is disbursing immediate
financial aid to national organizations supporting humanitarian aid in the
affected areas."
The Pentair task forces are making pump and filtration equipment available
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, and emergency response organizations including the Louisiana State
Emergency Management Agency. Priority services related to pump engineering and
application support, in the form of engineers and service specialists, are
also being provided through this company task force.
"We have been in touch with FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to advise
them of our capabilities and our ability to support repair and recovery
efforts," said Charles M. Brown, Pentair president and chief operating
officer. "New Orleans' flood control pumps -- the majority of which are
Pentair's Fairbanks Morse pumps -- are used to move water out of the city to
the waterways behind the levees. When the levees were breached, the flood
control pumps were intentionally shut down to protect them. Our technical
teams stand ready to work with the Corps and other agencies to help return the
pumps to service once the levees are repaired."
Meanwhile, Pentair's philanthropic arm, the Pentair Foundation, has made
an emergency donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross. This contribution
includes a provision for additional donations as needs and circumstances
warrant. In addition, the Pentair Foundation is matching employee and contract
employee contributions to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army dollar-for-
dollar, up to $2 million to help defray the costs of the relief efforts now
underway.
Pentair also has partnered with a water relief organization called Water
Missions International ( www.watermissions.org ) in a unique effort to
meet immediate demands for potable water. Initially, this partnership will
serve to build and deploy three Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems/Reverse
Osmosis units each capable of purifying water for at least 4,000 people daily.
Subsequently, the partnership will include necessary volunteer resources,
logistical support, and product donations. The three filtration units
sponsored by Pentair will be used in Mississippi. Water Missions has other RO
filtration units that have been earmarked for use in Louisiana.
"We're committed to sponsoring an additional 11 Living Water(TM) Treatment
Systems as needs develop," Hogan said. "Our partnership with Water Missions is
critical because, together, we can deliver safe, clean water to the areas
where it is needed the most."
Hogan noted that numerous smaller relief efforts are underway throughout
Pentair's operations, many driven by the actions of individual employees and
employee groups. For example, Pentair Pool Products in Sanford, North Carolina
donated a truckload of chainsaws, fuel, hardhats, safety glasses, and gloves
to assist customers in Louisiana, and employees at Pentair Pump operations in
Ashland, Ohio are donating a truckload of goods to assist employee families of
Pentair's Delta Environmental operation located in the Baton Rouge, LA area.
"One of our Delta Environmental employees took personal action to rescue
six senior citizens from the New Orleans area and is now housing them, and
some 20 other disaster victims, in his home," Hogan noted. "Our organization
and employees responded to the Tsunami disaster earlier this year by opening
both their hearts and their pocketbooks. It's apparent that our people and our
businesses are once again stepping up to help meet the crushing need for aid."
About Pentair, Inc.
Pentair ( http://www.pentair.com ) is a diversified operating company
headquartered in Minnesota. Its Water Group is a global leader in providing
innovative products and systems used worldwide in the movement, treatment,
storage and enjoyment of water. Pentair's Enclosures Group is a leader in the
global enclosures market, designing and manufacturing standard, modified and
custom enclosures that house and protect sensitive electronics and electrical
components. With 2004 revenues of $2.28 billion, or $2.76 billion on a pro
forma basis, Pentair has approximately 13,000 employees worldwide.
Pentair Contact:
Mark Cain
Tel.: (763) 656-5278
E-mail: mark.cain@pentair.com
SOURCE Pentair, Inc.