Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
(Operator Instructions). Your first question comes from the line of Charlie Brady of BMO Capital Markets.
Charlie Brady - BMO Capital Markets
Hi, thanks. Good morning guys. And congratulations on a pretty strong quarter and hitting that 15% margin, though... the much earlier than we thought.
I just had a question, Mark, on the... can you give us a little more detail with regards to gross profit improvement, gross margin improvement, kind of breakdown... how much of that is coming from the higher volume versus pricing and CIP initiatives and then specifically to pumps, the impact on the specialty pumps shipments in the quarter and is that something that those type kind of pump products are going to be shipped throughout the remaining of 2009 or was that a one-off type of event.
Mark Blinn
Let me start with the latter one. No, those aren't one-off. If you recall, we've been talking about specialty pump equipment over the last couple of years. And if you would respect to loose comments around complex recovery and complex processes, these specialty pumps and specialty equipment are becoming more prevalent around refineries and some of the caustic opportunities, cryogenic, all the things that we've been talking about, for example the CALDER technology that we have is around the complex process.
As to your question around gross margin, a significant contributor is still operational excellence in this business. We have seen a benefit from pricing and volume leverage in our business. But we've seen a significant contribution from operational excellence. So we still have a lot of opportunity in terms of our gross margin because we're still levering the initiatives that we have on the operational excellence side.
Charlie Brady - BMO Capital Markets
Thanks. I'll get back in queue.
Mark Blinn
Thanks.
Operator
Your next question comes from the line of Scott Graham of Ladenburg.
R. Graham - Ladenburg Thalmann
Hey, good morning.
Unidentified Company Speaker
Good morning, Scott.
R. Graham - Ladenburg Thalmann
Hey. Just really, one question, one follow-up. The bookings number in the pumps business was obviously a number that we were somewhat disappointed and if you can kind of maybe get us little bit behind. I know the thrusters bookings on the OEM side, I suspect had an impact on that minus 50. But, what does that minus 50 look like on the OEM side, ex that? And what would you say that the pick up in March makes that number look like now?
- To read the full transcript on Seeking Alpha, click here »
