CRANBERRY TWP — MSA announced Wednesday that net sales for the second quarter of 2012 were $295 million, up slightly when compared to the second quarter of 2011, and a record for the quarter.

Sales increased $16 million, or 6 percent. Net income for the second quarter 2012 was a record $28 million, or 76 cents per basic share, an increase of $8 million, or 43 percent, compared with $20 million, or 53 cents per basic share, for the same period last year.

“MSA’s consolidated second quarter results reflect further advancement in executing our corporate strategy,” said William M. Lambert, MSA president and CEO in a news release.

“When you exclude the impact of weakening foreign currencies, our quarterly revenue from our global core product groups, which include Head Protection, Fall Protection, Portable Gas Detection, Fixed Gas and Flame Detection, and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), increased 10 percent, with core product group sales to emerging markets up 18 percent.”

Second quarter sales in the company’s North American segment increased $8 million, or 6 percent compared to the same period of 2011.

Sales increased $11 million in gas detection products, $2 million in head protection products and $1 million in fall protection products on higher shipments to industrial markets.

Partially offsetting these increases was a decline of $5 million in sales of advanced combat helmets and ballistic vests.