In July alone, quote requests landed in our Houston inbox from 16 countries on five continents — Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Spain, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Mozambique, Canada, Ecuador, Malaysia, Thailand, El Salvador and the USA. The brands they asked for: Fisher, Cameron, Rotork, Max-Air, Biffi, Ledeen, Bettis, Limitorque, Grove, Magnetrol and more. Why do [...]

The world has stopped for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — quarterfinals this week, a semifinal in Dallas on July 14, the final on July 19 in New Jersey. But your control valves don't take halftime, and July–August is peak summer turnaround season. There's a second reason turnarounds are the story this month: WTI crude [...]

Brand Spotlight Summer is turnaround season. It's when the control valves that ran hard all year finally come apart on the bench — and it's exactly when the parts to put them back together are hardest to get. A Fisher rebuild that should take days can stall for 12 weeks waiting on OEM trim. It [...]

Brand Spotlight Crude pulled back near $90/bbl on the Strait of Hormuz reopening — a roughly $15 give-back from May's peak. That changes the conversation for upstream capex planning, but not the urgency. Because June 1 also marked the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA forecasts below-normal activity (8–14 named storms, 3–6 hurricanes) [...]

Brand Spotlight Three things moved the market this spring: WTI crude broke $105/bbl, copper hit a 28% year-over-year high, and Baker Hughes called the upstream rebound on its Q1 earnings call. The translation for anyone running a Q3 project schedule is simple — if your plan depends on automated valve packages, OEM lead times are [...]

WTI crude oil surged past $111 per barrel in April 2026 — the highest level since June 2022. For plant managers, procurement teams, and engineers in the oil and gas industry, this price spike has immediate consequences for your valve and actuator supply chain. Why $111 Oil Changes Your Procurement Timeline When oil crosses the [...]

The global energy transition is accelerating — and it's not replacing the valve industry. It's expanding it. From hydrogen pipelines to carbon capture plants, geothermal facilities to LNG terminals, renewable and transitional energy projects require the same critical flow control equipment that oil and gas has relied on for decades. Renewable Energy Needs Valves Too [...]

Guide to Choosing Smart Valves Valves are a vital, yet often overlooked, component of any industrial operation that uses liquids or gases. This has historically been the case because, at their most fundamental, valves have a very basic purpose: to open and close. Smart valves have changed that simplistic outlook. They offer capabilities that afford automation [...]

Guide to Choosing Electric and Pneumatic Valve Actuators Imagine an industrial process that operates like a well-oiled machine, with every valve opening and closing smoothly on cue. The secret behind this seamless operation? The often-overlooked valve actuators that power the entire system. They provide the necessary mechanical force to open and close valves, which allows you to [...]

How to Select Positioners for Control Valves to Measure Position and Control Selecting the right positioners for your control valves can be confusing. Not sure which type of positioner to choose for your control valve? Confused about how they work? Don't worry, we're here to help. In this article, we'll explain the basics of positioners and how [...]