Here are some recent happenings from around the industry.

  • Falcon Waterfree Technologies, manufacturer of water-free urinals, announced that Capricorn Management, the investment arm of eBay's Jeff Skoll, has completed a major investment resulting in a 25% stake in the privately held company.

  • Plumbing products firm Viega North America announced it will invest $85 million in a three-year expansion plan that includes a massive new plant in Kansas and relocation of the company's headquarters from Bedford, MA, to Wichita, KS. The announcement comes roughly seven months after Viega acquired extruder Vanguard Piping Systems Inc. of McPherson, KS, and Midtec Inc., its injection-molding unit. The first phase of the plan will be completed by Oct. 2007.

  • Tyco Fire & Building Products announced the opening of its newest Grinnell Mechanical Products warehouse in Norristown, PA. Close to company headquarters in Lansdale, PA, this warehouse will hold a complete inventory of mechanical grooved couplings, fittings, valves and accessories, including Grinnell copper and stainless steel products.

  • Flowserve Corp., a global provider of fluid motion and control products and services, announced the launch of new Learning Resource Center (LRC) instructional labs, which offer hands-on technical facilities for pump, valve and seal system optimization and maintenance training. The LRC labs offer hands-on training in a simulated plant environment that features complete pumping systems and equipment from both Flowserve and other manufacturers.