Despite Global Economy, Valve Market Booms

Years ago, "plastics" was the hot investment area (according to the movies). But today, even with depressed economies in many places, "hydraulic valves" might be the place to invest. Take Sun Hydraulics for example. The company is booming, even in the U.S., with valves designed for oil rigs, bucket trucks, and mining equipment. Internationally, "we can't pull metals and ores and gases out of the earth fast enough," says Rich Arter, Sun spokesman, "hydraulics are used in all this stuff." Sun sees hydraulic valves as a $3.5 billion global industry, likely to grow at a single-digit rate along with gross domestic product (GDP).