Unibloc Pump, a 37-year business in the manufacture of positive displacement pumps, strainers, valves, bubble traps, and other solutions for sanitary flow control applications, has announced the acquisition of Flotronic Pumps, a UK-based manufacturer of specialized, air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps and associated accessories. Founded in 1990, Flotronic Pumps has a global reputation as the inventor of the "One Nut" AODD pump. Flotronic Pumps’ pioneering single bolt design significantly reduces process downtime by simplifying pump assembly/disassembly, providing savings in maintenance costs along with best-in-class air pump performance. Flotronic Pumps serves more than 1,000 global companies operating manufacturing facilities of iconic brands in food and beverage, consumer product goods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other critical process manufacturing applications.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Flotronic Pumps will be solely owned by U.S.-based Unibloc Pump while retaining its name, Flotronic Pumps Ltd. Joining the leadership team at Flotronic Pumps as chief executive officer will be Chris Stevens, the CEO of Unibloc Pump. Stevens will provide commercial leadership with strengths in business-to-business marketing, channel management, sales, and overall business management.
“This acquisition is a perfect hand-in-glove fit for Unibloc Pump,” Stevens said. “Unibloc Pump and Flotronic Pumps are ready to drive accelerated growth by offering customers products and solutions fueled by our passions for innovation, safety, and simplicity in maintenance to avoid downtime and increase efficiencies,” Stevens added.
Through the leadership of owner Stuart Whitehouse and the deep expertise of Director of Sales Leighton Jones, Flotronic Pumps has witnessed significant growth in Europe, as well as North America.
“What we really like most of all about joining the Unibloc Pump family is that we share many of the same cultural values of simplicity in product design, quality in products, unabashed customer-focus, deep industry expertise, and a penchant for strong innovation,” said Jones. “These qualities will ensure that Unibloc Pump and Flotronic Pumps will be successful moving forward by flourishing through common bonds,” added Jones.
“Important to this acquisition is that both companies share complementary market footprints,” commented Whitehouse. “The combination will enable Unibloc Pump to grow its UK and European business, while also giving Flotronic Pumps an unmatched North American foothold. That should pay off in greater market coverage and increased overall value delivered to the customer,” Whitehouse added.
Unibloc Pump seeks to expand its vision to build a global sanitary flow control platform that delivers operational excellence, while targeting highly regulated hygienic end market applications, such as food and beverage, meat and poultry, and pharmaceutical processing. Unibloc Pump’s investment in Flotronic Pumps will provide resources to allow both companies to continue to grow and strengthen their global businesses.
The acquisition will allow Flotronic Pumps to leverage Unibloc Pump’s operational, manufacturing, sales, and distribution capabilities in North America out of its Kennesaw, GA facility. Likewise, Unibloc Pump will utilize Flotronic Pumps’ operations, manufacturing, sales, and distribution footprint in the United Kingdom and other European markets to further complement Unibloc’s existing European operation, Unibloc-R&H GmbH, based in Beckum, Germany.
Unibloc Pump is a portfolio company of May River Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm devoted to helping high-caliber, lower middle-market industrial businesses grow and thrive. May River Capital takes pride in its unique approach and track record of building businesses through long-term partnership and collaboration. Its leadership team has broad experience helping promising companies become successful mid-size industrial businesses.
