The petrochemical industry utilizes fans in many different areas of the plant. Each of these custom applications requires quality fans designed for durability, ease of maintenance and dependability. Some of the areas where fans are used include forced draft fans and induced draft fans. Buffalo Fan Co. has extensive experience providing air movement solutions involving all areas of petrochemical processing. and has worked with numerous companies throughout the United States and worldwide, serving more than 60 petrochemical facilities and counting.

Buffalo Fan Co. provides fan testing and validation services at the in-house laboratory, as well as on-site. We also offer scheduled maintenance, including balance, alignment and operational training. Buffalo Fan services and repairs all brands and types of fans. The fan services offered is an extension of Buffalo Fan’s commitment to provide the customers with the highest level of service and support.

Buffalo Fan and its assotiated companies have vast experience in meeting the extremely stringent requirements of the American Petroleum Institute (API). With engineers sitting on the API task force, project management, test procedures and worldwide installations, Buffalo Fan Co. has the experience and expertise to meet the API 560 and 673 specifications without exceptions. Typical requirements are:

Fan sleeve bearings, wither anti-friction or hydrodynamic
Constant level oilers
Single or double carbon ring shaft seals
Corrosion resistant shaft sleeves with strict runout tolerances
Heavy-duty inlet silencers with minimum 15′ height requirements
NDE-Dye penetrant inspection of rotor welds
Fan mechanical run test & performance shop test

Special features of chemical duty fans are:

Cast iron access doors
External linkage radial vane damper
Tubular base
Lateral & torsional analysis complete to the bottom of the sub base

Buffalo Fan is an industry leading designer and manufacturer of the highest quality industrial fans throughout the world. Our products are known for their rugged construction and reliable operation. Buffalo Fanr offers unmatched flexibility and fan customization, coupled with superior service before and after the sale. Buffalo Fan also have the capability to provide parts and service for products not manufactured by Buffalo Fan Co.

Biomass boiler packages service the wood industryburning waste products ranging from excess wood, wood chips, coconut husks, or even cocoa bean shells to create steam that can then be used to generate power. Fans serving these types of industrial applications need to have a rugged construction to be able to handle the harsh operating environment introduced by the high-temperature biomass boilers, and Buffalo fans continue to stand up to the test. All housings are continuously welded using heavy gauge, reinforced steel, and suitably braced to prevent pulsation. Wheels and blades are manufactured with a heavy-duty, robust design.
In addition, the range of products used in the boilers means that the fans must handle often-dirty airstreams. In these cases, straight radial blade designs are used to alleviate the potential operational problems that can be caused from buildup on the blades from materials coming through the fan. Twin City Fan also understand the importance of designing a product that could meet the needs of varying climates and other environmental challenges. Buffalo fans are designed to be prolific throughout the word, from varying climates in South America, Europe, Canada, and all throughout the U.S. to ensure uninterrupted, consistent operation.

Buffalo Fan has the engineering and manufacturing capabilities to accommodate virtually every conceivable application,after completing thousands of successful installations worldwide and have a proven track record for tackling the most technically complex and unique applications. Buffalo Fan offers a great breadth of products and quickly adapting to the needs of the customers.

Despite the lull in the real estate sector and the subsequent reduced demand, the asbestos cement sheet industry has managed to record a healthy growth rate of 10-12% per annum.

The slowdown in construction activity has failed to dampen the spirits of SMEs that constitute the bulk of the sector as they continued to receive a steady flow of business.

Experts believe that the high growth rates clocked by the sector have been mainly possible due to the sustained demand in the rural sector, which accounts for over 50% of the market for the asbestos industry.

Succeeding despite odds

Though last year saw a spurt in campaigns against the use of asbestos products in India, SMEs in the industry continued to witness a surge in the demand for their products. Small vendors providing roofing material to the rural population remained relatively unfazed by the adverse effects of the downturn and the campaigns.

Even though the construction sector has taken a hit due to the slowdown, the demand for asbestos products has not been affected. We have continued to see good margins and increased offtake despite worsening economic conditions, said T Sohangpurwala, proprietor of Calcutta Asbestos & Belting Company, a small-sized asbestos supplying firm in Kolkata.

The asbestos industry in India is projected to see a steady demand in the next few years as well. A new report from the Asbestos Cement Products Manufacturers Association (ACPMA), the chief organisation aimed at promoting chrysotile asbestos cement in India, predicts good times ahead for the SMEs in the sector.

Despite campaigns seeking a ban on the use of chrysotile asbestos, the demand for asbestos cement will remain steady as very few products can compete with it in terms of price and durability when it comes toroofing houses, said A Modi, Chairman of India Asbestos Manufacturing Company, a small-sized asbestos cement manufacturing unit in Jaipur. Asbestos is one of the best roofing options in rural India as it costs less than a third of the equivalent quantity of steel sheeting.

Although the outlook of the asbestos cement sheet industry looks positive, small vendors need to exercise prudence at present. They must also ensure that their manufacturing processes are clean to guarantee the safety of their Products.

Natural mineral water
According to American and European Regional Codex Standard, natural mineral water:
is obtained directly from natural or drilled sources from underground water – bearing strata.
is collected under conditions which guarantee the original natural bacteriological purity.
is bottled at the point of emergence of the source with

particular hygienic precautions is not subjected to any chemical treatment.

Indian bottled Water Industry

The bottled water industry in India is estimated at about Rs 1,000 crore and is growing at 40 per cent. “By 2010, it will reach Rs 4,000 – 5,000 crore with 33 per cent market for natural mineral water.

The formal bottled water business in India can be divided broadly into three segments in terms of cost: premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water.

It is estimated that the global consumption of bottled water is nearing 200 billion litres – sufficient to satisfy the daily drinking water need of one-fourth of the Indian population or about 4.5 per cent of the global population at the fourth World Water Forum held in Mexico City in March 2006.

In India, the per capita bottled water consumption is still quite low – less than five litres a year as compared to the global average of 24 litres. However, the total annual bottled water consumption has risen rapidly in recent times – it has tripled between 1999 and 2004 – from about 1.5 billion litres to five billion litres. These are boom times for the Indian bottled water industry – more so because the economics are sound, the bottom line is fat and the Indian government hardly cares for what happens to the nation’s water resources. Since 1991-

1992 it has not looked back, and the demand in 2004-05 was a staggering 82 million cases.

Mineral Water Market in India

For example, the per capita consumption of mineral water in India is a mere 0.5-liter compared to 111 liter in Europe and 45-liter in USA.

But over the last ten years, it has witnessed tremendous growth. The change is very much evident. Once a product found mainly at railways stations, mineral water today occupies a place on the shelf in most superstores, grocers and even paanwalas. From a mere 60 towns in the year 1997, it is predicted that mineral water is today available in more than 1000 towns and cities across India. With a compounded annual growth rate of close to 30% over the last decade, the mineral water market has witnessed a large growth in terms of volumes.

The market is highly competitive with the entry of MNCs like Pepsico and Coke. There are a lot of brands available in the market, each with its own proclaimed differentiation.

2.2 Player in the market

In natural mineral water there are very few company like Himalayan, Aava, Evian is playing in the market. 50% of the market is captured by Himalayan.
While a thousand bottled water producers, the Indian bottled water industry is big by even international standards. There are more than 200 brands, nearly 80 per cent of which are local.
Most of the small-scale producers sell non-branded products and serve small markets.
Despite the large number of small producers, this industry is dominated by the big players – Parle Bisleri, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Parle Agro, Mohan Meakins, SKN Breweries and so on.

Consumption of bottled water in India is linked to the level of prosperity in the different regions. The western region accounts for 40 per cent of the market and the eastern region just 10. However, the bottling plants are concentrated in the southern region – of the approximately 1,200 bottling water plants in India, 600 are in Tamil Nadu. This is a major problem because southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, is wate starved.

Mineral water business is restricted only to big hotels & Restaurants. This field has lot of scope because of unawareness in the market and people are becoming health conscious.

In late May, the Santa Clara County, Calif. District Attorneys Office charged a former escrow officer with 32 counts of embezzlement and grand theft for allegedly living high on the hog on the tab of her clients.

Melanie Melim, a former escrow officer with Alliance Title Co., faces up to 21 years in prison for allegedly stealing more than $1 million from client escrow accounts funds that were considered to be guarded by a neutral third-party to the real estate transaction.

Instead, Melim used the funds to attend concerts and sporting events, take trips to Las Vegas and go on shopping sprees, authorities alleged.

As much as the allegations against Melim are personally troublesome, they also raise questions about the security of the escrow industry, a staple of the real estate business in California for more than a century.

But as the California escrow industry juggles confronting incidents such as these, waiting for the filing of a controversial rulemaking that would drastically cut its rates and pacing the floor of the state Capitol, one trade group has hinted that the industry may be gearing up for its toughest challenge yet.

An aligning of the stars
Members of the Escrow Institute of California (EIC), a trade group that represents the states licensed, independent escrow industry, are laying the groundwork for a cross-industry meeting of the minds to bring stability to an industry confounded by a confusing maze of uneven regulatory oversight.

The EIC has officially opened the door for formal discussion of a proposal to bring Californias escrow practitioners who, depending on their primary real estate business, must answer to one of five different state regulators under the umbrella of a comprehensive, uniform escrow law with a single regulator.

According to EIC President P.J. Garcia, its a system that could do much to solve the escrow industrys problems and relieve it of the burden of a regulatory structure that just doesnt make sense.

There is a broad array of bureaucracries that regulate escrow in California, to the extent that not even the regulators have an integral grasp of the picture, Garcia said. If that is the case, how can the consumer possibly understand it and know who to turn to? Its a question of enhancing consumer protection and streamlining government, both of which we think are good goals.

However, its an idea that has been tossed around before, without much agreement. Still, Garcia describes initial discussions among the various affected industries and regulators as encouraging.

Theres the sense that there is an aligning of the stars, she said. But the devil is in the details. What we have to do is build a consensus.

In the beginning
Independent escrow corporations have been providing closing services to California consumers in California since the late 1940s. The state Escrow Law, which was enacted in 1947, defines escrow providers as neutral, third-party agents for all principals in a real estate transaction.

The Escrow Law requires all corporations engaged in the escrow business as escrow agents to be licensed as independent escrow companies by the California Department of Corporations (DOC). However, in order to reach Californias more rural consumers, the state began to allow other real estate practitioners to provide escrow services to give consumers greater flexibility.

Thus, the state excluded the following groups from the licensure requirements of the Escrow Law:

Any person whose principal business is that of preparing abstracts or making searches of title that are used as a basis for the issuance of a policy of title insurance by a company doing business under any law of this state relating to insurance companies. These individuals are regulated by the Department of Insurance (DOI).

Any real estate broker licensed by the real estate commissioner while performing acts in the course of or incidental to a real estate transaction in which the broker is an agent or a party to the transaction and in which the broker is performing an act for which a real estate license is required. These individuals are regulated by the Department of Real Estate (DRE).

Any person doing business relating to banks, trust companies, building and loan or savings and loan associations. These individuals are regulated by either the DOC or the DRE.

Any person licensed to practice law in California who has a bona fide client attorney relationship with a principal in a real estate transaction and who is not actively engaged in the business of an escrow agent. These individuals are regulated by the state bar.
Garcia argued that while the current regulatory structure may have made sense when it was created, times have changed, and so should the system.

I think the market has changed over the last 60 years or so, particularly in the last 10 or 15 years, she said. Technology has made a lot of changes. Were no longer a predominantly rural state. Even the rural areas arent just rural anymore.

Moreover, escrow practitioners licensed by the DOC are subject to a higher regulatory standard than those who are exempt from the Escrow Law, Garcia said. DOC licensees undergo background checks and fingerprinting by the Department of Justice and are bonded by the Escrow Agents Fidelity Corp., while those who are exempt from the Escrow Law get the all-clear from their primary industry regulator.

Such uneven standards may be a factor contributing to incidents such as the one involving Melim, Garcia said.

Whenever something is reported, it is just reported as escrow. There is no distinction made as to who the regulator is, Garcia said. We all sort of get painted with the same broad brush, and that is not something we have been happy about.

Mike Belote, legislative advocate for the California Escrow Association (CEA), a trade group representing all escrow practitioners, agreed change is needed, but said the discussion has been simmering for 25 years without coming to a boiling point.

We think if you were creating an escrow regulation system from scratch, you wouldnt do it this way, Belote said. Everyone understands its a weird system we have now, but its been this way for over 50 years. The question is, how do you conform all of that if there is no political will to do that?

Winds of change
Its no secret that for more than a year, the DOI has been focused on implementing regulations to drastically reduce title insurance premiums and escrow rates by $1 billion annually. The DOI has been colorful in its depiction of the title insurance industry as a system rife with illegal kickbacks and gratuities, and the department was generous enough with its brush to paint the escrow industry as middlemen who only further drive up prices for consumers.

This included DOC licensees, who were baffled that they were lumped into a regulation proposed by a regulatory authority other than their own. The EIC spent most of last year fighting the proposal and standing beside the group was the California Land Title Association (CLTA), which linked arms with the EIC on many occasions, including a contentious day-long DOI hearing last August.

Bridges built and alliances formed, the EIC is hopeful it will be able to bring the CLTA, the California Association of Mortgage Brokers (CAMB) and the California Association of Realtors (CAR) together to hash out a proposal in time to introduce legislation in the 2008 session. While details are still sketchy at this point, Garcia said one suggestion is to bring all escrow providers under the DOCs jurisdiction.

Logistically speaking, all of the people who know escrow best are at the Department of Corporations, Garcia said. But again, the devils in the details. I couldnt give any commitment on how that might look in the end. Of course, it will have to be done collaboratively because if the other industries are flat-out opposed to it, it would obviously be a lot more difficult to do.

Craig Page, executive vice president and counsel of the CLTA, and Jack Williams, president of CAMBs executive board, both said their groups are open to the discussion, but as pen hasnt yet been put to paper, they declined to state formal opinions on the proposal. Garcia said the DOC and DOI have also been receptive to initial talks.

CAR and the DRE, which historically have been the most resistant to the idea, did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

The process of going through the Department of Insurance hearings really brought home to us once again that this is a very fractionated and confusing process, Garcia said. 2007 is paving the way. Were pleasantly surprised by the response we have received so far.

When thinking about the future of your children, it is important to consider what they are capable of in order to ensure that you are leading them into the right direction. However, there is an argument between having to go with nature versus nurture when choosing which path to take in the skills development phase of your kid. To put it simply, the question is whether you should hone the skills that are in your child’s nature, innate skills that are, figuratively speaking, in your blood, or should you let your child choose what he or she want to be and let him or her take up a special course to develop that skill. Nature

By default, it has always followed even in ancient times that a family’s trade is being passed on from generation to generation. Given the exposure your child has to a particular industry your family is in, you can give him the option to continue just that.

Family Business

A lot of people consider it their destiny to pass on the family business to their children and expect their children to do the same to theirs. It is a good plan to keep the business in the family as long as the child is up for the job. If you see that your kid is keen enough to take on the family business, then see to it that he or she has everything he needs to learn and eventually run the trade on his own someday.

Talent

Another thing that you cannot easily teach someone is an inborn talent. If you find out that your child has a unique knack for something, it is rather wise to support and develop that talent. It is a very unique thing to have and when properly developed, it can be something worthwhile and profitable that he or she can do with his or her life in the future.

Nurture

People who neither have the talent nor the exposure to a specific trade still have a fighting chance in the labor market and this is through education. A lot of people build their future on this as not everyone is blessed with the talent, nor do they come from families with skilled trades that are passed on. The good thing about being able to nurture your child into doing something is that they can be whatever they want to be. They can choose their profession and achieve their dreams. Special training courses and education are tools that are readily laid out to hone them and train them to be the professionals they eventually want to be.

By choosing the right career pathway for your child, you can rest assured that they are going to be set for life. Proper guidance and support from parents will go a long way in molding the child to be the person that they will be, and want to be in the near future.