Flow Control Acquisition & Valuation

Flow Control was acquired by KKR for $1B in February 2021.

Flow Control acquisition price

$1B

Acquired by KKR ยท Feb 2021

Key investors in Flow Control

Flow Control Overview

About Flow Control

Flow Control Group is a Houston-headquartered distributor of valves, actuators, and instrumentation for industrial manufacturing. It supplies products from brands like ASCO and Spirax Sarco to oil refineries, chemical plants, and power utilities across the Gulf Coast. The company maintains 15 warehouses stocking over 50,000 SKUs, providing assembly services and repair centers in Texas and Louisiana.


Founded

2014

HQ

United StatesCharlotte, NC

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Product sales, Services

Valuation

$1B (acquired Feb 2021)

Flow Control Acquisition

Flow Control was acquired by KKR for $1B on 17 February 2021.

Flow Control Group is a leading distributor of mission-critical flow control and industrial automation products, serving over 10,000 customers and 2,000 suppliers across North America with products including pumps, valves, air equipment, filtration, instrumentation, and related on-site services such as repair and calibration. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company acts as a value-added advisor providing engineering expertise and technical support to diverse end markets. On February 17, 2021, KKR agreed to acquire Flow Control Group from Bertram Capital through its KKR Americas XII Fund, with all employees becoming owners in the company; transaction terms were not disclosed across multiple announcements. Under Bertram Capital's prior ownership, Flow Control Group achieved rapid growth through strategic add-on acquisitions like Cimtec, AutomaTech, and CB Pacific, organic initiatives, operational improvements, and executive hires, exceeding $1 billion in revenue by early 2021. KKR's investment supports continued expansion in flow control and industrial automation sectors. Post-acquisition, Flow Control Group pursued further bolt-ons, such as Smith Cameron Group and Components and Controls, Inc., to broaden its North American footprint.

Flow Control acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePrice
17 Feb 2021PE buyout$1B

Flow Control Funding History

Flow Control has 1 recorded secondary share sale and no primary funding rounds.

Flow Control funding rounds
DateStageInvestors
Apr 2026SecondaryKKR; Neuberger Berman

Who has invested in Flow Control?

2 investors have backed Flow Control across its funding rounds, including KKR and Neuberger Berman.


Flow Control Investors

Investors in Flow Control by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Flow Control Competitors

Flow Control competitors include listed companies like Mesnac, SKF India, Palfinger and Comer Industries, and private ones like Sealink and New Motion Labs.

Public and private companies comparable to Flow Control
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
MesnacChinaChinaPublicly listed$1.2B$128M$872M-
SKF IndiaIndiaIndiaPublicly listed$379M$49M$794M3.2x
PalfingerAustriaAustriaPublicly listed$2.7B$304M$1.3B0.7x
Comer IndustriesItalyItalyPublicly listed$1B$167M$1.5B1.3x
SealinkSouth KoreaSeoulPrivate--$17M-
New Motion LabsUnited KingdomExeterPrivate--$12M-

Flow Control Public Comps

Flow Control is no longer listed, but its public comps include Graham, Manitou BF, ASTA Energy Solutions, Astec Industries, Quanex, ITM Power, Aebi Schmidt Holding, Scanfil, Nano Nuclear Energy and Maschinenfabrik Berthold.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Graham$245M$22M3.9x3.6x43.0x30.8x
Manitou BF$3B$237M0.4x0.4x5.5x4.9x
ASTA Energy Solutions$815M$57M1.1x1.0x15.8x13.2x
Astec Industries$1.4B$105M0.9x0.8x12.0x8.0x
Quanex$1.8B($85M)0.9x0.9x(20.2x)7.8x
ITM Power$35M($63M)19.7x11.3x(10.9x)(20.2x)
Aebi Schmidt Holding$1.5B$97M1.1x0.8x16.5x9.1x
Scanfil$918M$89M1.2x1.0x12.2x10.2x

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Common questions about Flow Control

When was Flow Control founded?Flow Control was founded in 2014.
Where is Flow Control headquartered?Flow Control is headquartered in Charlotte, NC, United States.
Is Flow Control publicly listed?No, Flow Control was acquired by KKR in February 2021.
Who acquired Flow Control?Flow Control was acquired by KKR in February 2021.
How much was Flow Control acquired for?Flow Control was acquired for $1B in February 2021.
Who are Flow Control's investors?Flow Control's investors include KKR and Neuberger Berman.
Which companies are comparable to Flow Control?Companies comparable to Flow Control include Mesnac, SKF India, Palfinger, Comer Industries, Sealink and New Motion Labs.

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