Pump Market to Reach $38 Bil. By 2011

Sales of industrial pumps will reach an annual level of $38 billion in 2011, an all-time high, according to a report by the McIlvaine Company (www.mcilvainecompany.com). Centrifugal pumps are expected to account for over 70 percent of the revenues, with diaphragm, reciprocating, and rotary pumps accounting for the balance.

McIlvaine predicts municipal wastewater will be the largest application segment followed by municipal drinking water, refineries, and power, respectively.

Asia is expected to increase its lead as the largest regional purchaser, as the region is expected to lead spending in every major category except pharmaceutical. In the coal-fired power segment specifically, McIlvaine predicts Asia will outspend the rest of the continents combined. China alone is expected to spend more for pumps for coal-fired power plant applications than all of Europe and Africa combined.

Centrifugal Pump Sales for Power
($ Millions)
World Region 2007 2008 2009 2010
Africa 35 34 34 35
CIS 72 72 72 78
East Asia 573 577 615 591
Eastern Europe 55 56 56 61
Middle East 21 16 17 17
NAFTA 261 280 287 303
So. & Cen. America 26 23 27 24
West Asia 90 118 107 90
Western Europe 137 149 152 182

According to McIlvaine there are some other very high growth subsegments in the pump market, including desalination, ethanol, LNG, oil sands, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD). One of the big long-term changes in the market will be the reduction in pump sales for conventional oil and gas and refining applications and the growth of sales in nontraditional applications.

According to McIlvaine, more than 10,000 companies make industrial pumps. Five companies achieve pump sales in excess of $l billion.

2005 Company
Company Pump Sales Ranking by Sales
($ Millions)
ITT $2,047 1
Grundfos $1,330 2
Flowserve $1,303 3
Ebara $1,190 4
KSB $1,065 5


Sulzer achieves pump sales close to $1 billion. But the sales of the other 500 companies ranked by McIlvaine are much smaller, with less than 20 companies have sales of pumps exceeding $500 million.