Hydro Intl Share Discussion Threads

[gac100] 04/3/2009 08:37

Morning folks

Riv, that £3.2m is adjusted operating profit, not adjusted PBT. Finance cost was £159k, so adjusted PBT £3.05. Not a lot lower, and still beat broker forecast, but perhaps explains why there was no "ahead" trading statement?

Challenging environment for the comig year, but the closing order book 25% up bodes well.

Off for a read of the detail.

[rivaldo] 04/3/2009 07:39

The results were excellent - they considerably beat expectations and based upon adjusted PBT HYD could in theory have issued an "ahead" trading statement.

The outlook is naturally cautious, as it should be, but the closing order book tells a different story.

The really interesting part is that almost 40% of sales are now US and foreign (mostly US) - HYD will reap the benefit of the pound's fall in full this year rather than just for the last 3-4 months as it did last year.

KBC forecast 16.3p EPS this year.

[stegrego] 04/3/2009 07:34

Not great, not terrible.
Outlook gloomy(ish), but then again, the price (hopefully) reflects that already.

[rivaldo] 04/3/2009 07:24

Results ahead of expectations :o))

13.98p EPS compared to 13.6p forecast.

£3.2m adjusted PBT compared to £2.8m forecast.

Eutek has proved a genius acquisition...

A 3p divi.

And the closing order book up 25% to £8.8m...

Off to read the rest.

[mrbt] 04/3/2009 07:12

4 March 2009 CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT


Highlights


* Revenue increased 16% to GBP30.0m



* Operating profit (excluding exceptional items and amortisation of acquired
intangible assets*) increased 41% to GBP3.2m



* Closing order book up 25% to GBP8.8m



* The acquisition of Eutek Systems, Inc. in May 2008 strengthened our presence in
the US Wastewater market.



*Exceptional items in 2007 included exceptional other operating income from
licence agreements

[rivaldo] 01/3/2009 10:24

Another US appointmnent:



"New Regional Stormwater Sales Manager
Download file [1.41MB]
23-Feb-2009

PORTLAND, Maine – February 11, 2009 - Hydro International, a leading provider of environmentally sustainable products and innovative solutions that control and treat stormwater, wastewater and combined sewer overflows, today announced the hiring of Kim Jordan as a Regional Stormwater Sales Manager."

[rivaldo] 23/2/2009 12:11

Nice project news flow:



"Hydro SUDS Road Drainage Scheme Helps Minimise Central Basingstoke Flood Risk
18-Feb-2009

A major new sustainable road drainage scheme is being installed by Carillion to provide stormwater control and reduce flooding risk as part of the £9.5 million improvement of the A340 Aldermaston Road, Basingstoke using Hydro International's Stormbloc®, infiltration blocks and Downstream Defender® silt protection units.

Control of stormwater flow from impervious surfaces, including roads, has been identified by the Pitt report and DEFRA's Future Water strategy as a major priority in the management of flood risk. In addition, the reduction of pollution and sediment, and the improvement of groundwater reserves through infiltration, are also significant requirements. By using Hydro's Downstream Defender® and StormBloc® products with the new infrastructure, Hampshire County Council is taking the opportunity to invest in the sustainability of the project.

The existing A340 Aldermaston Road layout was constructed in the late 1960s with drainage ditches and soakaways to distribute surface water from the road and new ring road around the centre of Basingstoke.

Subsequent developments in the surrounding area have resulted in a number of modifications to the original drainage scheme; some of these have resulted in regular flooding of the pedestrian underpass.

The replacement and supplementary drainage on the A340 and the Aldermaston roundabout will comprise in-kerb surface water drainage systems which collect and direct water to carrier drains. The drains channel the stormwater through Hydro's Downstream Defender® hydrodynamic silt and oil separators to Hydro's Stormbloc® modular blocks which provide a storage and infiltration blanket over the underlying chalk formation.

In total, four Downstream Defender®s and over 5,000 cu.m. of Stormbloc® modular infiltration blocks (the largest project to date) have been installed. The Hydro products are located under soft landscaped areas within the perimeter of the Aldermaston roundabout (at the North, South East and South West points) and to the West of the A340. In all, the infiltration blankets provide storm drainage for around 500m of carriageway, and 700m of roundabout circulatory carriageway.

Hydro's Downstream Defender® is designed to provide effective silt and sediment separation at all levels of flow up to its designed maximum, with no power requirements and maintenance reduced to sump emptying. It is thus ideal for dealing with first flush and fluctuating flows occurring in high rainfall areas. Its patented internal components also prevent re-entrainment, with full retention of all captured sediments and floatables over a wide range of flows and through multiple storm events.

Hydro's Stormbloc® is a modular system which provides a 95% void ratio, and requires only shallow excavation; its load bearing characteristics allow landscaping or vehicle loading above it. In addition, Stormbloc® features access for CCTV inspection and water jetting through patented tunnels, and offers low maintenance requirements.

Over the 15 month project, the new A340 Aldermaston scheme will enable better management of traffic through signalisation and remote monitoring, provide more reliable travel times and will improve road safety. Carriageway widening, a proposed dual carriageway and a bus lane on the A340 are also part of the planning investigations.

Additional pedestrian footways and new access are being included in the proposed 50 hectare new homes development at Merton Rise and will include the installation of surface and foul water drainage (including further SUDS drainage /infiltration blankets) to serve the new development."

[rivaldo] 18/2/2009 14:01

HYD highlighted as one of ten things to see at Ecobuild in early March:



"Go with the flow: Stormwater drainage and control products will be demonstrated by Hydro International. New initiatives on show will be rainwater harvesting systems, stormwater pollution control and surface water control solutions. The surface water products include its new flow control device and modular storage and infiltration systems.

Visitors will also be able to check out its commercial rainwater harvesting system, which is an extension of its domestic system."

[rivaldo] 04/2/2009 19:54

More news:



"21st Century School Harvests Welsh Rain
30-Jan-2009

OPENED in September 2008, a new 420 pupil primary school, Ysgol Clawdd Offa, has been built in Prestatyn for Denbighshire CC, and is designed for optimum sustainability, including a StormBank® Pro rainwater recycling system from Hydro International.

"The StormBank® Pro system recycles rainwater collected from almost 2,500 sq.m. of pitched roof, filters it and pumps it to the pupil and staff toilets, providing an estimated 90% of the flushing needs," says Neill Hughes, Project Engineer for Denbighshire CC .

"Recycled rainwater for use in the school toilets is stored in a 150,000 litre tank. Any surplus water not stored for reuse in the school toilets is directed to a 240 cu.m. Hydro Stormbloc® modular attenuation tank prior to discharge into an existing water course. This attenuation tank is located under the school playing field which is enclosed in an impermeable liner providing a shallow, load bearing storage system. This system also provides storm water attenuation for surface water run off from the school car park and 'drop off' area."

"In addition, a third 370 cu.m of Stormbloc® module tank located near the school provides attenuation prior to discharge for surface water run off from the school's new access road, ensuring the development meets its very constrained discharge consent." he added.

Gwen Heap, Project Manager for David Mclean Contractors added: "The site conditions are extremely difficult for underground installations as they comprise extensive sands and gravels combined with a very high water table. The Hydro Stormbloc® modular block system has proved its worth as it enables a high volume to be installed in a very shallow excavation and spreads the load of the stored water across the site."

David Evans, Project Leader for Denbighshire County Council explained the thinking behind the school:"Denbighshire needed to invest in additional primary education places in the Prestatyn area, to supplement existing facilities for new housing developments. We took the opportunity to provide 420 places in a new school building designed by Denbighshire Design and Development (the architectural service of Denbighshire CC) to meet our sustainability and environmental requirements, while offering the best in education and community facilities.

"Hydro's Stormbank® Pro system provides the rainwater harvesting we specified to meet toilet and urinal flushing needs, and its versatility in installation has helped the completion of the project by the September 08 opening. The many other sustainability measures include: recyclable aluminium doors, windows and roof; solar voltaic panelling for electrical heating supply; sunpipes, rooflights and internal courtyards to maximise daylight use; landscaping to improve control of surface water runoff; bicycle facilities to discourage use of cars and timber sourced from sustainable forests." "

[rivaldo] 01/2/2009 10:49

HYD at EcoBuild - note the themes of flooding, SUDS and rainwater harvesting:



Ecobuild & Futurebuild 2009Category February Features 2009 Ecobuild 2009 Is Set To Almost Double In Size

The huge success of Ecobuild back in February confirmed its status as the world's biggest event dedicated to sustainable design, construction and the built environment.

Along with co-located event, Futurebuild, the UK's most important event for innovation in construction, Ecobuild 2009 is set to almost double in size over the previous event.

Running between 3 – 5 March 2009, Ecobuild will attract in excess of 30,000 visitors to London's Earls Court, and the exhibition will feature over 800 suppliers of sustainable construction products and services making it an unrivalled resource for specifiers and built environment professionals. From the biggest names in the industry, such as Saint Gobain, DuPont and Wienerberger, to an impressive array of start-ups and grass-roots innovators, Ecobuild presents the most comprehensive showcase of sustainable construction products available anywhere.

Providing a valuable context for the thousands of products on display, Ecobuild's free seminar programme will offer practical advice and case study based learning on all the key topics including low and zero carbon construction, building regulations, micro-renewables, energy efficiency and more.

The renowned Ecobuild Conference will take place at the same time, focusing on emerging policy, the latest thinking and best practice for the sector. Over 500 of the most highly-regarded speakers will present more than 100 conference and seminar sessions, all of which are free for visitors to attend.

The inaugural UK

Green Building Council Conference will also take place at Ecobuild in 2009. Attendees will be first to hear a plethora of announcements on policy direction, including consultation on the code for sustainable homes, the setting out of the basis for a code for sustainable buildings and the inclusion of the existing stock in the government's policy agenda.

One of the most popular new initiatives, the Ecobuild Arena, is back for 2009, with a programme that promises to be even more inspiring and entertaining than before. Hear from Michael Portillo, Matthew Parris, Dan Cruickshank and others, with sessions chaired by the best in their field, including James Naughtie, Roger Harrabin and Mark Lawson.

Spontaneous, often controversial and always entertaining, the Arena's debates, interviews and keynotes will cover design, politics, science, philosophy, art and the environment.

Over a dozen live attractions at Ecobuild will bring the learning to life, including the immensely popular Cityscape, returning with a water theme for 2009.

Entitled 'A River Runs Through', Cityscape 2009 will address the role of water in a sustainable urban environment, using natural, recycled and recyclable materials to create a series of thought-provoking spaces for visitors to consider and enjoy.

Highlighted in the Pitt Review into the 2007 UK floods, SUDS is a theme that will be explored extensively at Ecobuild. Manufacturers such as Alumasc, Bauder, Hydro International and Blackdown Horticultural Consultants will be exhibiting the full spectrum of water management solutions, from green roofing and walling to urban landscaping and stormwater treatment devices.

Dedicated seminars taking place every day at Ecobuild will target SUDS and flooding, as well as topics such as water management in the public realm and rainwater harvesting."

[rivaldo] 29/1/2009 13:10

I see the US stimulus package was passed yesterday. Theer appears to be $15 billion of water-related expenditure up for grabs. Given HYD's extensive US expansion, and the purchase of Eutek Systems, let's hope they grab a small slice of it:



"The Water Design-Build Council also said Obama's call for investing $15 billion of the stimulus bill in 2,680 water/wastewater infrastructure projects is "an important step," but the group also notes that the U.S. Conference of Mayors has identified 4,029 "shovel-ready" water/wastewater projects totaling $23.4 billion. The mayors say that local governments now contribute 98 percent of the nation's total investment in wastewater projects and 95 percent in water projects.

In a separate statement, the American Society of Civil Engineers released a report January 28 that rated as "D-" the current condition of the nation's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure sectors, according to CNN. The group called the proposed stimulus program a good start, but said that, even with that, the nation would still be facing a $1.1 trillion gap in providing adequate funding for upgrades of all types of infrastructure."

[rivaldo] 23/1/2009 12:30

Interesting situation at present online - you can only buy 1,500 shares max at the full offer price, whereas you can sell 10k shares at 108p, well above the bid...

And a 2k buy pushed the price up 5p today.

Looks like any demand at all will have a nice effect.

[rivaldo] 23/1/2009 09:14

More US expansion:



"Hydro Intl. Lists Henry P. Thompson Co. as Representative
08-Jan-2009

Ohio-based company to exclusively represent Hydro`s wastewater and wet-weather products in portions of the Midwest

Hydro Intl., a provider of environmentally sustainable products and innovative solutions that control and treat storm water, wastewater and combined sewer overflows, has announced that The Henry P. Thompson Co., Milford, Ohio, will be the exclusive representative of its wastewater and wet-weather management products for sections of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Founded in 1910, The Henry P. Thompson Co. is the Midwest's oldest manufacturer's representative of engineered lowest-total-cost and least-risk systems for the conveyance, treatment and disposal of water, wastewater and their residuals. The company will represent Hydro products throughout the state of Indiana, excluding Porter and Lake counties; the state of Kentucky, excluding Crittenden, Caldwell and Trigg counties; and southern Ohio.

Since the early 1970s, The Henry P. Thompson Co. has acted as the exclusive distributor for Eutek Systems Inc., a supplier of municipal grit management products until Eutek's May 2008 acquisition by Hydro Intl. The Henry P. Thompson Co. had provided the Eutek brand grit equipment to a number of municipal wastewater and water treatment plants in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

The Henry P. Thompson Co. will now market the full range of municipal grit management solutions provided by Hydro's wastewater business based in Hillsboro, Ore.

"We are thrilled to be working with The Henry P. Thompson Co.," said Steve Tansley, director of operations for Hydro's U.S. wastewater business. "Through the continuation of this partnership, we are certain Hydro Intl.'s wastewater business will continue to establish itself as the leading supplier of municipal grit management solutions in these states."

Hydro Intl.'s U.S. wet-weather business, based in Portland, Maine, has also appointed The Henry P. Thompson Co. as the exclusive representative for its municipal wet-weather management solutions in the same territory.

"We are excited to be working with Hydro Intl.," said Bill Cantwell, president of The Henry P. Thompson Co. "Hydro's innovative products, combined with our expertise, provide a winning combination for customers looking for a comprehensive wastewater and wet-weather portfolio in our territory.""

[masurenguy] 22/1/2009 01:29

From The Times
January 22, 2009

Ecologists warn the planet is running short of water
Leo Lewis in Tokyo

A swelling global population, changing diets and mankind's expanding "water footprint" could be bringing an end to the era of cheap water. The warnings, in an annual report by the Pacific Institute in California, come as ecologists have begun adopting the term "peak ecological water" - the point where, like the concept of "peak oil", the world has to confront a natural limit on something once considered virtually infinite.
The world is in danger of running out of "sustainably managed water", according to Peter Gleick, the president of the Pacific Institute and a leading authority on global freshwater resources. Humans - via agriculture, industry and other demands - use about half of the world's renewable and accessible fresh water. But even at those levels, billions of people live without the most basic water services, Dr Gleick said.

A key element to tackling the crisis, say experts, is to increase the public understanding of the individual water content of everyday items. A glass of orange juice, for example, needs 850 litres of fresh water to produce, according to the Pacific Institute and the Water Footprint Network, while the manufacture of a kilogram of microchips - requiring constant cleaning to remove chemicals - needs about 16,000 litres. A hamburger comes in at 2,400 litres of fresh water, depending on the origin and type of meat used.

The water will be returned in various forms to the system, although not necessarily in a location or at a quality that can be effectively reused. There are concerns that water will increasingly be the cause of violence and even war.

Dan Smith, the Secretary-General of the British-based peacebuilding organisation International Alert, said: "Water is a basic condition for life. Its availability and quality is fundamental for all societies, especially in relation to agriculture and health. There are places - West Africa today, the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, and Peru within ten years - where major changes in the rivers generate a significant risk of violent conflict. Good water management is part of peacebuilding." David Zhang, a geographer at the University of Hong Kong, produced a study published in the US National Academy of Sciences journal that analysed 8,000 wars over 500 years and concluded that water shortage had played a far greater role as a catalyst than previously supposed. "We are on alert, because this gives us the indication that resource shortage is the main cause of war," he told The Times. "Human beings will definitely have conflicts over this."

Although in theory renewable sources of water were returned to the ecosystem and their use could continue indefinitely, Dr Gleick said, changes in the way water was exploited and how its quality degraded meant that methods of processing it would become more expensive. "Once we begin appropriating more than 'peak ecological water' then ecological disruptions exceed the human benefit obtained," Dr Gleick said. Defined this way, many regions of the world had passed that peak and were using more water than the system could sustain.

A significant part of the problem is the huge, and often deeply inefficient, use of water by industry and agriculture. UN calculations suggest that more than one third of the world's population is suffering from water shortages: by 2020 water use is expected to increase by 40 per cent from current levels, and by 2025, according to another UN estimate, two out of three people could be living under conditions of "water stress". The World's Water report sounds a particularly strong note of alarm over the state of water usage and pollution in China, where rampant economic expansion has overtaxed freshwater resources and could even begin to threaten stability. "When water resources are limited or contaminated, or where economic activity is unconstrained and inadequately regulated, serious social problems can arise," wrote Dr Gleick, "and in China, these factors have come together in a way that is leading to more severe and complex water challenges than in any other place on the planet."

Water footprint calculations are still only rough. They differ around the world and depend on climate, soil types, irrigation methods and crop genetics. The water footprint of different meats depends on what the animals are fed and the relative "thirst" of the crops used to feed them. The amount of water required to produce a single litre of soft drink may be only three or four litres, but vast quantities are used to produce the sugar and corn syrup feedstocks. For example, one kilogram of paper requires 125 litres of water to process, but that excludes the water needed to grow the tree

[rivaldo] 18/1/2009 10:21

Thx sg31, I'm afraid it's (imo anyway) PapalPower, aka Prosolenes. The guy has way too much time on his hands and too little to do with that time :o))

[sg31] 17/1/2009 17:54

OT,rivaldo,someone appears to be pumping shares using a very similar name to yours...riivaldo.See OSU thread posts 353/354/355.Also TMC.Just thought you might be interested.

[rivaldo] 17/1/2009 08:01

More news - sounds like all these products are finding demand and interest in the marketplace:



"Hydro Showcases SUDS and Stormwater Treatment Solutions at Ecobuild
09-Jan-2009

Hydro International's range of sustainable stormwater drainage and control solutions will be demonstrated on Stand 1258 at Ecobuild 2009, 3-5 March, Earls Court. New Hydro initiatives for 2009 include innovative SUDS surface water control solutions, a range of rainwater harvesting equipment including commercial and industrial, and the unique Up Flo™ Filter sustainable stormwater pollution control to help meet Water Framework Directive requirements.

Hydro SUDS solutions include the latest design of the Hydro-Brake® Flow Control, the first and only BBA Certified vortex flow control device, and the modular Stormcell® and Stormbloc® storage and infiltration systems. These are now being installed in major building and commercial developments across the UK as part of the increased pressure for stormwater control within the framework of the water management cycle as well as at source flood prevention.

Hydro's unique Up-Flo™ Filter is a proven system providing the most effective and cost efficient stormwater filtration available in the smallest footprint, and is vital in meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive implementation and improving the quality of stormwater discharges, offering sediment and specific pollution filtration media in a low maintenance package.

Hydro's StormBank® Pro commercial rainwater harvesting system has been exciting much interest from sustainably orientated commercial and institutional specifiers. Extended from the successful StormBank® domestic rainwater harvesting system, StormBank® Pro reinforces the message of the Save The Rain™ campaign, aimed at persuading Government to include rainwater recycling in the Building Regulations for new buildings of any size (www.savetherain.info)"

[rivaldo] 15/1/2009 20:50

This also sounds good - as with rainwater harvesting it's the way of the future. New home builds may be not exactly flavour of the month short-term, but in a perverse way that may be good news for HYD as when housebuilding recovers the industry may have had the time to prepare to incorporate HYD's drainage and anti-flooding solutions wholesale:



"Sustainable Drainage `Made South Coast New Homes Scheme Economically Feasible`
09-Jan-2009

A FORWARD-looking sustainable drainage solution has helped make the development of 400 much-needed new homes on the South Coast economically viable by using infiltration basins and a wetland pond with Hydro's Stormbloc® to manage stormwater runoff.

With growing demand to meet the UK's ambitious new homes targets the Bryant Homes Southern Counties, George Wimpey South West Thames and David Wilson Homes development at Eden Park near Littlehampton, provides a national example of how a vision of sustainable drainage can solve the creation of additional impermeable surfaces when freeing up land for development.

As there were no public surface water sewers or watercourses in the vicinity of the site, a conventional solution to meet Environment Agency requirements would have involved costly works including a surface water pumping station and substantial storm sewer installations off-site. The alternative solution using Stormbloc® infiltration technology has delivered a much lower cost solution, and enabled low maintenance and easy access to the infiltration system once installed.

The installation is the outcome of a surface water disposal strategy and was developed for the site to meet Arun District Council's preference for a solution based on SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) principles with maximum infiltration. First phase completion was due at the end of 2007.

Dean Frosoni of Consultants Cole Easdon said: "After investigating the soil and groundwater presence, we recommended providing three underground infiltration basins and a fourth incorporating open water with reeds to provide a total 3000cu.m storage volume. This would be sufficient to cope with total impermeable catchment area of access roads, roof, driveway and pavement covering an area of some 4.5 hectares.

"We recommended Hydro's Stormbloc® infiltration for its performance, value and lifetime costs after comparing four different systems. Stormbloc® is a modular system which provides a 95% void ratio with load bearing characteristics sufficient to permit pedestrian and vehicle loading above it. Stormbloc®'s accessibility channels and chambers for CCTV inspection and water jetting offered low maintenance over its 50-year design life.

"The solution has many cost benefits. By having four smaller basins we were able to maximise the available land for the developer and eliminate excessive invert depths required for long pipe runs. Basin excavations could be kept shallow with cost and Health and Safety benefits as well as ease of access for future maintenance."

"A further factor was that EA (Hampshire) had recently approved the use of Stormbloc® for complementary flood storage at a development at nearby Lymington."

[rivaldo] 14/1/2009 10:29

It's good to see HYD's rainwater harvesting systems finding commercial acceptance and being installed in schools.

Not only ecologically sound, but must save them a ton of money too:



"North Wales school is raining champion
Jan 14 2009 by Martin Williams, Daily Post

A PRIMARY school in North Wales has been given an award for its environmentally-friendly efforts in saving water.

A rainwater harvesting system has been introduced at Ysgol Clawdd Offa, Prestatyn, as part of the sustainability elements of the school's design, and a water recycling system from Hydro International has been installed to save the water.

It is estimated that as much as 277,000 gallons of water will be saved each year due to the installation of the harvesting system.

The system recycles rainwater collected from 2,700 square yards of pitched roof, filters the water and pumps it into the school toilets, providing an estimated 90% of the flushing needs.

Recycled rainwater for use in the school toilets is stored in a 33,000 gallon tank.

The school has been awarded with a certificate from Hydro International for its environmentally-friendly efforts."

[rivaldo] 05/1/2009 14:25

LPF, the disclosure tests are based on historic figures, not forecast ones. Last year's group turnover was £25.96m, so it just squeezes in!

Great news - as stated above, a validation of one of HYD's biggest products and their ability to deliver.

[mrbt] 05/1/2009 13:56

Nice to see some good news amongst the gloom everywhere