Ecolab Inc., the St. Paul-based cleaning and pest-control giant, says its net sales jumped 74 percent to $3 billion in the third quarter, RTTNews.com reports. Net income was also up 54 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.

Minnesota-based Ecolab Inc. has introdcued a new environmentally friendly line of bio-based cleaners for commercial uses designed for hard surfaces like glass and bathroom surfaces. The company says the products are made from "plant-derived natural resources" and don't require protective equipment for use.

St. Paul-based Ecolab plans to buy Houston-based Champion Technologies Inc. for about $2.2 billion in cash and stock to complement last year’s purchase of Nalco Holding Co. and grab a larger share of the oilfield-chemicals business, Bloomberg News reports.

St. Paul-based Ecolab plans to close its Grand Forks office next July, the Herald reports. The facility has 144 full-time employees who support accounting, customer service, human resources, information technology and other administrative functions related to Ecolab's Pest Elimination business. Layoffs could begin as soon as January. Some employees may be able to work from home or take other jobs at Ecolab locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois or Indiana.

Ecolab has entered into an agreement with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust and other investors to allow Gates to acquire up to 25 percent of the St. Paul-based maker of cleaning products. Gates currently holds 11 percent of the company.