Unibloc Pump, a leader in the manufacture of positive displacement pumps, strainers, valves, bubble traps, and other solutions for sanitary flow control applications, recently acquired Flotronic Pumps, a UK-based manufacturer of specialized, air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps, and associated accessories.
Founded in 1990, Flotronic is recognized globally as the inventor of the ‘One Nut’ AODD pump. Flotronic’s pioneering, single-bolt design reduces process downtime by simplifying pump assembly and disassembly, providing savings in maintenance costs, along with best-in-class air pump performance, Unibloc said. Flotronic 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 will be solely owned by U.S.-based Unibloc while retaining its name, Flotronic Pumps. Joining the leadership team at Flotronic as chief executive officer is Chris Stevens, the CEO of Unibloc. 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.”
“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,” Jones said. “These qualities will ensure that Unibloc Pump and Flotronic Pumps will be successful moving forward by flourishing through common bonds.”
Added Whitehouse: “Important to this acquisition is that both companies share complementary market footprints. 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.”
Unibloc 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’s investment in Flotronic will provide resources to allow both companies to continue to grow and strengthen their global businesses, the companies said.
The acquisition will allow Flotronic to leverage Unibloc’s operational, manufacturing, sales, and distribution capabilities in North America out of its Kennesaw, Ga., facility. Likewise, Unibloc will utilize Flotronic’s 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.