Eaton Forms Customer Focused Industrial Hose Unit

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. ... Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation today announced the formation of a new Eaton Industrial Hose Unit to enhance Eaton's presence in the industrial rubber and thermoplastic hose markets. "Industrial hose has been part of Eaton's fluid conveyance product line for many years," said Eaton Vice President of Fluid Conveyance Jeff Finch, "but our customers want a more focused approach and we have responded with the creation of the Industrial Hose Unit. "Industrial hose customers have different expectations than hydraulic hose customers," Finch said. "While hydraulic hose and accessories tend to be ordered for stock, by specific part numbers, industrial hose tends to be ordered by need and by specific application or size. This requires a different kind of operator on our end to make sure customers get what they need." The Industrial Hose Unit is supported by inside sales people located in Cleveland, Tenn., the primary distribution location for industrial hose, said Business Unit Manager Joe Mika. "They have extensive hose experience," he said. "They are supported by additional product experts in Guelph, Ontario, dedicated product sales managers tasked with helping Eaton regional and local sales managers service the Industrial Hose market, and dedicated product and market development personnel." Mika is a former president of the National Association of Hose and Accessories Distribution (NAHAD) and has worked for both distributors and manufacturers during his career. Technical support for Industrial Hose Solutions is provided by the Eaton Fluid Conveyance technical team in Maumee, Ohio. "Industrial delivery requirements also tend to be much more critical than is typically the case for hydraulic products," Finch said. "This is a rapid response business, and distributors want to keep minimal inventory of any one type of hose because of the variety of hose used in industrial applications. "It's also a very diverse market," he said, "covering construction, petrochemical processing, tank trucks, oil exploration, mining, and many other application areas." The Eaton Industrial Hose Unit will handle the full range of products currently part of the Fluid Conveyance industrial line, plus the recently acquired hose products from Arrow(TM) and Durodyne(TM). Many of these products will be re-branded as Eaton Industrial Hose(TM). Those with strong identities including certain Boston brand products will continue to carry existing product identifiers. "A good example of the branding strategy is the re-naming of our popular ChemCat® chemical hose as Eaton® ChemCat®," Mika said. "In general, Eaton will be the major brand identity for all of these products and the well-recognized names will become product identifiers. "There will be exceptions. For example, the existing Bulldog®, Bulldog Gold, and Marathoner® hose styles will continue to carry the Boston name." Mika said that the Newbern manufacturing facility has been expanded to accommodate new products that will be added to support expected growth. Other Industrial Hose Solutions manufacturing locations include Mountain Home, Ark., and Guelph. Various industrial hose products are also manufactured in Eaton hose facilities in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. "Our goal is to profitably grow our market position for industrial hose globally," Mika added. We will provide intimate customer service from the first point of contact on through our field sales, regional sales, marketing, plant, and management organizations." "The Boston product line marked Eaton's entry into the industrial hose market," he said, "and validated the decision to enter this arena. We now are focused on further penetrating the market with all our newly branded Eaton industrial hose styles." Eaton's Hydraulics Group is a segment of the company's Industrial Sector. The business is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of a comprehensive line of reliable, high-efficiency hydraulic systems and components for use in mobile and industrial applications. Mobile and industrial markets include agriculture, construction, mining, forestry, utility, material handling, earthmoving, truck and bus, machine tools, molding, primary metals, automotive, power generation, port machinery and entertainment. Eaton's Hydraulics Business provides customer-driven solutions under product names such as Aeroquip®, Boston®, Char-Lynn®, Eaton®, Hydro-Line®, Synflex®, Vickers®, Walterscheid(TM), and Weatherhead®. For more information, visit www.eaton.com/hydraulics. Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2008 sales of $15.4 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 75,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Eaton Corporation Hydraulics Business 14615 Lone Oak Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 tel: (952) 924-7992 lynnmsoule@eaton.com