As a leading flow solutions provider enabling safe and sustainable transport of fluids, GF Piping Systems, a division of Georg Fischer AG (GF), says it was able to maintain operations at a high level during the Covid-19 pandemic, as most of the division’s sites were declared essential businesses.

The division, which generated sales of CHF 1,708 million ($1,837 million) and employed 6’893 people in 2020, now accounts for more than a half of GF’s sales, according to a company statement.

GF Piping Systems focuses on piping systems made of plastics and metal system solutions and high-quality components. The product portfolio of fittings, valves, pipes, automation, and jointing technologies covers all applications of the water cycle.

A global expert for the safe and reliable transportation of water, chemicals and gases, GF Piping Systems specialises in plastic piping systems and system solutions plus services in all project phases. The company has its own sales companies in 31 countries and production sites in 36 locations in America, Europe, and Asia.

GF Piping Systems: overcoming the crisis

“The ongoing focus on higher value businesses and digitalised solutions, together with a broad customer base in diversified market segments, have further increased the division’s resilience,” the company said.

Sales of the division’s customised solutions, data center as well as its microelectronic segments remained strong globally. Sales were also strong in Asia, in particular China, Korea and Japan, while in the Americas, sales were impacted by the low activity in the utility business, it said.

During the year, GF Piping Systems continued to build on its strategy to expand its global presence.  Expanding its footprint in South America, GF Piping Systems, announced the acquisition of the leading piping systems manufacturer FGS Brasil Indústria e Comércio Ltda. (FGS), based in Cajamar (Brazil).

With two production sites now in the country and an already existing partnership, GF Piping Systems can benefit not only from the government initiative to improve water and gas distribution across Brazil, but also from growth opportunities in neighbouring markets.

The acquisition of FGS is fully in line with GF Piping Systems’ strategy to expand its global presence in the fifth largest populated country in the world. Brazil is undergoing a major governmental initiative that includes the development of the country’s infrastructure, especially in the water and gas utility sectors. In cooperation with a domestic water utility company, both FGS and GF were already part of a large water loss improvement program by replacing the São Paulo region’s piping network. As the leading supplier of HDPE systems, GF and FGS will be best positioned to serve existing and new customers.

Andreas Müller, CEO GF, said: “We warmly welcome FGS and its employees to the GF family. The acquisition is a milestone in concluding our strategy 2020 and commencing the next strategy cycle. As a specialist in sustainable solutions for the safe transport of fluids and in reducing water losses, we are looking forward to realising the growth opportunities together with FGS.”

FGS CEO Roberto Gadotti stated: “We are excited to join the GF family. This transaction will derive positive synergies and will provide a strong foundation that supports accelerated growth within numerous markets and product segments.”

Becomes SDIA partner

The leading flow solutions provider also announced that it has become a Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA) partner. The company joins the SDIA to partner with the association of companies, individuals, and governments aiming to highlight the importance of digital infrastructure facilities contributing to a reduction in the global carbon footprint.

SDIA is a non-profit association with a key objective to optimise data centres’ design. Funded primarily by the EU and individual company membership contributions, the SDIA assembles partners from the digital economy to create a roadmap towards a more sustainable digital economy. Members include, among other companies, Siemens, Vattenfall, EMPA.

“We share the common goal of the SDIA, to initiate technical improvements that help improve the efficiency of mission-critical facilities, like data centers, and support the United Nations sustainable development goal of more responsible consumption and production,” said Richard Trevaskis, Head of Data Centers, GF Piping Systems.

“We’re excited to contribute our technical know-how built up over our 217-year history to help reduce the power consumption required for cooling the IT servers within data centers,” he added.

Data centers consume approximately 3 per cent of the world’s electricity, about 40 per cent for cooling. Hence any small improvement in efficiency can have powerful benefits for the environment. The SDIA will establish demo data centers with the best possible technical equipment in Switzerland, as a part of the Nest project, supported by EMPA, as well as other initiatives in Holland, Sweden, and Germany. Efficiency benefits will be evaluated and benchmarked by independent laboratories and government bodies.

Advanced cooling systems will be developed, using liquid- and air-cooling technologies to improve the efficiency of the data center as a whole. The cooling systems will be connected to district heating & cooling grids, using GF Piping Systems’ technology, to ensure energy recovery of the heat generated by the IT equipment. As a global leader in flow solutions, GF Piping Systems’ high-value and value adding piping technologies will contribute to the project’s success.

GF comprises three divisions: GF Piping Systems, GF Casting Solutions and GF Machining Solutions. The company is headquartered in Switzerland and present in 33 countries with 142 companies, 56 of them production facilities.

GF reported a stronger performance in the second half of 2020, compared with the first half.

“While the Covid-19 pandemic is still disrupting daily life across the world, GF can count on its strategic positioning, financial stability and innovation focus to overcome the crisis,” the company said in a statement.