VALVE MAGAZINE Fall 2023

aligned to GDP, so it may still see fluc tuations. LNG demand is still positive globally, and if natural gas prices start to rise substantially, there could be faster growth of LNG. And even with the push toward clean energy and decarbonization, Halloran says coal isn’t dead, particularly because of strong markets for it in developing mar kets and countries like India and China. He’s also bullish on nuclear as a good source of clean energy. In closing, Halloran says, “In a world that has more debt than it’s ever had, funding is a challenge and returns are vital. It’s so important for you to be able to show ROI for [management’s] willingness to spend. Demographic fixes don’t have a return, but automation and productivity do. We need to think outside those boundaries.” WATER AND WASTEWATER ARE STILL BOOMING Tom Decker, a consultant with more than four decades of experience in water and wastewater, calls the outlook

Pipelines are being built across the country and around the world for petroleum products, as well as LNG and hydrogen.

purchases to reduce their supply chain risks, and that the workforce shift is a massive driver toward widespread automation. When it comes to specific market verticals, oil and gas production levels are still quite high and he’s optimistic they’ll remain that way for a while. Chemical production is more closely

upside of any recession in the next 18 months. He believes the U.S. is in better shape than most of Europe and even China as far as workforce challenges and demographic shifts, but it’s still some thing that industrial companies need to anticipate. As part of supply chain control, he also predicts that customers will trend toward system and subsystem

FALL 2023 VALVE MAGAZINE

A municipal water system under construction — a sight in many cities and towns with the influx of government funding.

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