Amcast Industrial Corp. announced it completed the sale of most of the assets of its Flow Control operation to a U.S. subsidiary for the Dutch group Aalberts Industries.

Oregon Steel Mills Inc., of Portland, began in late June to idle indefinitely its large-diameter pipe mill in Napa, Calif.

Emerson Process Management has received the 2004 Process Control and Automation Customer Value Enhancement award from the global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

Calgary-based CE Franklin Ltd. has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Smith International, Inc., to acquire all of the common stock of Wilson International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Smith, in exchange for common shares of CE Franklin issued from treasury.

Northwest Pipe Co. reported receiving a letter of intent from Garney Construction of Kansas City, Mo., for approximately $9 million of welded steel pipe for the Green Bay Parallel Raw Waterline Phase I and II, a project for the city of Green Bay. Delivery is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Industrial PVF prices have been so volatile this year, the biennial IPD Commodity Reports, published in July by the Industrial Piping Division of the American Supply Association exclusively for IPD members, was acknowledged by its authors to be largely out of date in the weeks it took from compilation to printing and distribution to the membership.

Flowserve Corp. and Wood Group Gas Turbine Holdings Inc., part of the Gas Turbine Services Div. of John Wood Group PLC, have announced an alliance to deliver a wide range of field- and shop-based services for the maintenance, repair and upgrade of pumps and related equipment throughout the United States and Canada.

U.S. manufacturing executives forecast increases in economic growth, new investments and hiring in the next 12 months, according to the second quarter 2004 PricewaterhouseCoopers Manufacturing Barometer survey.

Northwest Pipe Co. reported receiving a letter of intent from Garney Construction of Kansas City, Mo., for approximately $9 million of welded steel pipe for the Green Bay Parallel Raw Waterline Phase I and II, a project for the city of Green Bay. Delivery is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Milwaukee Valve Co. has acquired the high-performance butterfly valve line from Shaw Valve (Little Rock, Ark.).