According to Global Water Treatment Equipment & Chemicals, a new industry study from The Freedonia Group, the worldwide water treatment industry was a fragmented $87.8 billion industry in 2018, with the top three suppliers representing less than 8% of all sales.

While the bulk of demand for live plants, shrubs, and trees is generated by rural and suburban homeowners with large yards and high incomes, a new Freedonia Group analysis of the $10.7 billion US market for these goods identifies a number of rising environmental trends among urban dwellers that are expanding sales opportunities in cities – including: • green/vegetative roofing systems and living walls • urban greenspace, park, and community garden and farming projects

Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the production of hemp (or industrial hemp) is legal nationwide, and hemp is removed from the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana, on the other hand, remains illegal at the federal level.

A new Freedonia Group analysis finds that global demand growth for alternating current (AC) electric motors will accelerate through 2023, outpacing gains for direct current (DC) types. While integral horsepower AC motors are to expand at the faster pace, fractional horsepower types will continue to account for a higher volume of AC motor sales.

Global demand for gasket and seal products is expected to rise 3.3%, reaching $10.3 billion by 2023, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group. This mature market is not generally dominated by fast growing product segments.

A new Freedonia Group study finds that the 3.9 billion metric ton global cement market will return to slight growth through 2023 after posting marginal declines from 2013 to 2018. Global Cement provides key context for understanding where the global market is headed, and which countries, innovations, and other key factors will drive it.

In 2018, the US commercial market for ceilings totaled 92% of value demand, a share that is projected to remain consistent going forward, according to a new Freedonia Group study. However, while baffles, clouds, and other costly, high-performance ceiling products keep commercial sales high, design innovation and evolving consumer trends are turning traditionally commercial-only products like ceiling tiles into must-have items for homeowners.

According to The Freedonia Group’s new study on the US landscaping products market, consumers are crazy about outdoor living, and it’s positively impacting demand for higher value hardscape products and outdoor heating implements. Outdoor living can be characterized by such activities as: • lounging (e.g., reading or watching TV) • cooking and dining • entertaining guests • gardening and landscaping • tailgating

Global demand for bonded abrasives is forecast to rise 5.0% per year to $16.9 billion in 2023. Growth will be driven by durable goods manufacturing industries worldwide, with particularly strong gains expected in the Asia/Pacific region.

China is home to two of the loudest cities in the world – Guangzhou and Beijing. According to a recent article in The Guardian, “Guangzhou, China, ranked as having the worst levels of noise pollution in the world, followed by Cairo, Paris, Beijing and Delhi.”