Filtration Mergers & Acquisitions Review 2023

A look back at filtration-related mergers and acquisitions announced or completed during 2023 with links to Filtration+Separation’s original coverage.

Image © Murrstock - stock.adobe.com.
Image © Murrstock - stock.adobe.com.

First Quarter 2023

Grundfos adds to Water Treatment Solutions platform

MECO, a Grundfos company, acquired San Diego, California-based Water Works Inc to strengthen its ultrapure water treatment portfolio for life science and biopharmaceutical customers.

 

Ingersoll Rand acquires SPX Flow’s Air Treatment business

Ingersoll Rand Inc completed the acquisition of SPX Flow’s Air Treatment business in an all-cash transaction of approximately US$525 million.

The Air Treatment business, which is now part of Ingersoll Rand’s Industrial Technologies and Services (IT&S) segment, brought a highly complementary product portfolio of energy efficient compressed air dryers, filters and other consumables, with brands including Hankison, Pneumatic Products, Jemaco, Deltech and Delair.

 

Dutch flow technology company joins Indutrade

Indutrade bought the Dutch trading company Siersema Komponenten Service BV (SKS).

Waalwijk-based SKS specialises in process components, including valves, tubes, pumps, filters and heat exchangers, for the food & beverage and pharmaceutical process industries. Products are sold primarily to customers in the Benelux markets. The company has annual sales of approximately €35 million and 50 employees.

 

Donaldson buys early-stage biotech company

Donaldson Co Inc acquired Isolere Bio Inc, an early-stage biotechnology company that develops novel and proprietary IsoTag reagents and accompanying filtration processes used for the purification and streamlined manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals.

 

Axius Water adds to platform

Axius Water acquired Napier-Reid, a supplier of custom-engineered water and wastewater treatment systems located in Ontario, Canada.

Napier-Reid carries a full range of products for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, from SBR (Sequencing Batch Reactor), RBC (Rotating Biological Contactor), DAF (Dissolved Air Flotation) and gravity clarifiers, to sludge heat exchangers, and grit removal systems. On the clean water side, Napier-Reid also designs and supplies gravity and pressure filtration trains, membrane filtration and ion exchange systems for drinking water and industrial process water applications.

 

Mott buys US filtration company Digested Organics

Mott Corp acquired Digested Organics, a Michigan, USA-based engineering company that manufactures advanced filtration solutions to help customers reduce wastewater disposal costs, reclaim clean water for reuse, and produce valuable co-products.

 

Second Quarter 2023

- Image copyright © kubais - Adobe Stock.

Xylem acquires Evoqua Water Technologies in US$7.5bn deal

Xylem Inc has completed its acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies Corp in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately US$7.5 billion.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, the combined company becomes the world’s largest pure-play water technology company, with US$7.3 billion in pro forma revenue and more than 22,000 employees globally.

 

Ceco Environmental adds to separation and filtration platform

Ceco Environmental Corp has acquired Transcend Solutions LLC, a Houston, USA-based process filtration solution design and manufacturing company with applications in hydrocarbon and chemical processing.

 

Gerard Daniel acquires Wire Cloth Manufacturers

Gerard Daniel Worldwide, a provider of wire mesh and filtration solutions, has acquired Wire Cloth Manufacturers Inc (WCM), a US manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh.

 

Indutrade acquires Danish filter company Safematic

Indutrade has bought Safematic A/S, a Danish specialist in process and ventilation filtration.

 

Schenck Process to sell its Food and Performance Materials business to Hillenbrand

The Schenck Process Group has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Food and Performance Material (FPM) business to the industrial company Hillenbrand Inc.

 

Desotec completes acquisition of Evoqua’s carbon reactivation business

European mobile filtration solutions provider Desotec has completed the acquisition of Evoqua Water Technologies’s carbon reactivation and exchange services business.

 

Third Quarter 2023

- Image copyright © motorolka - Adobe Stock.

Donaldson expands in Life Sciences with acquisition of Univercells Technologies

Donaldson Co Inc has acquired Univercells Technologies, a Belgian producer of biomanufacturing solutions for cell and gene therapy research, development and commercial manufacturing.

Univercells Technologies’ product offering includes the unique scale-X single-use structured fixed-bed bioreactor for the intensified production of viruses used in cell and gene therapy, viral vaccines and other therapeutics. The company’s automated NevoLine Upstream platform incorporates industry-standard filtration to provide integrated up- and mid-stream processing capabilities in a single unit driving productivity improvements, reduced operational footprints and greater consistency of results.

 

Mikisew Group increases its investment in Canada's JL Filtration

Mikisew Group, through its private investment division, has purchased ATB Private Equity’s equity holdings in Canada’s JL Filtration.

With this transaction, Mikisew Group adds to its ownership from the initial transaction struck in 2020 alongside ATB Private Equity, Altos Partners LLC and JL Filtration's management. Mikisew Group now holds a majority interest in the business.

Headquartered in Edmonton, JL Filtration provides industrial filtration equipment, consumables and services across Canada.

 

Micronics acquires dry filtration specialist AFT from FLSmidth

The Micronics Engineered Filtration Group has acquired FLSmidth’s filter media division AFT.

AFT, which specializes in dry filtration solutions, was started by FLSmidth in 1999 and was known previously as Advanced Filtration Technologies.

The acquisition of AFT significantly expands Micronics’ portfolio of engineered filtration solutions for customers’ baghouse filtration needs in industries such as cement, lime, coal-fired power utilities, energy from waste, co-generation, mining, and minerals, where the demand for high-temperature technical felts, woven filter media, and membrane finishes is required to maintain environmental compliance with stringent PM2.5 emission requirements.

 

Nederman buys Danish filter company Aagaard

The environmental technology company Nederman has added the Danish company Aagaard A/S to its Extraction & Filtration Technology (E&FT) division.

Headquartered in Hadsund, Denmark, Aagaard develops, produces, markets and mounts complete turnkey systems for the wood working and furniture globally with a focus on the European market. Aagaard’s products include dust extraction and filter systems as well as silos, which are sold through selected dealers or via proprietary sales offices also controlling installation and service jobs. The company has approximately 34 employees and will continue to operate under the Aagaard brand.

 

Mann+Hummel to acquire majority share in China’s U-Air

With rising demand for cleaner air solutions in China, Mann+Hummel is acquiring a majority stake in the Chinese air filtration products manufacturer Suzhou U-Air Environmental Technology, part of Zisun Technology Co Ltd.

The acquisition strengthens Mann+Hummel’s presence in China and Southeast Asia, and will also serve customers globally.

 

Newterra acquires Environmental Site Solutions

Newterra Inc has acquired the assets of Environmental Site Solutions LLC (ESS), a Seattle area-based supplier of filtration systems tailored to water treatment solutions.

Founded in 2018, ESS delivers solutions across several markets, including municipal drinking water, construction dewatering, remediation, food and beverage, power, microelectronics and refining. Offerings include water filtration equipment, system rentals and leases, system integration, supply of filter media, and turn-key filter media change-out services.

 

Sun Capital Partners to acquire Koch Separation Solutions

An affiliate of private investment firm Sun Capital Partners has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Koch Separation Solutions (KSS) from Koch Engineered Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc.

Sun Capital says the acquisition will pave the way for KSS to strengthen its market presence and improve its economies of scale.

Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA, KSS offers membrane filtration, ion exchange, evaporators, dryers, and proprietary cheesemaking technologies to the industrial, food, beverage, dairy and other markets. The business employs more than 700 people. Once the transaction is completed, KSS will operate as a standalone business that includes all of its current operations and will continue under the existing management team.

 

Timken acquires filter maker Des-Case

The Timken Company has acquired Des-Case Corp, a Nashville, Tennessee-based manufacturer of specialty filtration products for industrial lubricants.

The acquisition adds filtration solutions to the bearing company’s Industrial Motion portfolio.

Des-Case’s products include breathers, filter elements, condition monitoring, lubrication storage and filter systems that are used throughout the entire lubricant lifecycle.

 

Rensa Filtration makes two acquisitions

Rensa Filtration has completed two strategic acquisitions: APC Filtration, in Ontario, Canada, and RP Fedder in Rochester, New York.

“Both APC and RP Fedder bring decades of experience and complementary capabilities to our high efficiency air filtration business,” said Brandon Ost, CEO and founder of Rensa Filtration. “We plan to operate APC and RP Fedder together with our Custom Filter business, creating a bigger and more capable business that will serve our customers with mission-critical high efficiency air filtration products.”

 

Bain to buy US distributor Harrington Process Solutions

US specialty distributor Harrington Process Solutions is being acquired by Bain Capital Private Equity.

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Chino, California, Harrington distributes piping and other engineered fluid process products such as valves, fittings, tanks, tubing and hose, pumps, filtration and instrumentation.

With over 60 locations across the United States, Harrington provides solutions for a range of industries, including semiconductors, water and wastewater management, chemicals, manufacturing, life sciences, and food and beverage processing.

 

NSI Mobile Water Solutions buys part of Pall Water’s European mobile fleet

Nijhuis Saur Industries’ NSI Mobile Water Solutions has acquired a segment of Pall Water's European mobile water fleet, which includes Pall Aria containerized units.

The acquisition expands NSI Mobile Water Solutions’ fleet and further strengthens Nijhuis Saur Industries' position in the industrial water market segment.

NSI Mobile Water Solutions' fleet of mobile water treatment solutions is one of the largest and youngest in Europe.

 

Ceco Environmental acquires Kemco Systems

Ceco Environmental Corp has acquired Kemco Systems Co LLC, a Florida-based company that specializes in the design, manufacturing and support of custom-engineered industrial water recycling and energy conservation solutions for North American industrial markets.

The Kemco acquisition enhances Ceco Environmental's North American presence, adding new energy conservation and water recycling solutions, and expanding the addressable market into new high-value food processing, commercial laundry, and ready-mix concrete markets.

 

Finish Thompson acquires US filter systems manufacturer

Finish Thompson Inc has acquired southern California-based Penguin Pumps Inc, parent company of Filter Pump Industries.

Penguin Pumps is a 24-person company that manufactures corrosion-resistant pumps, mixers, filter systems and filter chambers primarily used in the surface finishing, chemical processing, and chemical manufacturing industries.

 

Fourth Quarter 2023

Mesh metal - Image © warloka79 - Adobe Stock.

Rensa Filtration buys Smith Filter

Rensa Filtration is expanding into metal air filters with the acquisition of Smith Filter, based in Moline, Illinois, USA.

 

Axius Water acquires lagoon solutions company Triplepoint Environmental

Axius Water has acquired Colorado-based Triplepoint Environmental, a supplier of wastewater lagoon systems for rural communities.

 

H2O Innovation to be acquired by Ember Infrastructure

H2O Innovation Inc has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Ember Infrastructure Management LP, a New York-based private equity firm, in a C$395 million deal.

 

Job Group acquires UK’s DRM Industrial Fabrics

Sweden’s Job Group is acquiring DRM Industrial Fabrics Limited, a provider of specialist technical textile solutions for the filtration and industrial laundry industries based in Bury, Lancashire, UK.

 

Celeros Flow Technology completes the sale of its Filtration business

Celeros Flow Technology (Celeros FT) has sold its Filtration business unit to the London-headquartered private equity firm PX3 Partners.

 

North American Filtration buys Filtrex Inc

North American Filtration (NAF) has acquired Filtrex Inc, a Wayne, New Jersey-based manufacturer of regenerative media filter systems and components.

 

Mann+Hummel completes acquisition of China's U-Air

The Mann+Hummel Group has acquired a majority stake in Chinese air filtration company Suzhou U-Air Environmental Technology.

 

Kymera International acquires KDF Fluid Treatment

Specialty materials company Kymera International has acquired a majority of the assets of KDF Fluid Treatment Inc, a provider of sustainable media for water and industrial treatment systems.

 

Paques and SKion Water invest in India’s Sanpure Systems

Paques Environmental Technology India, part of the Dutch multinational Paques that is owned by SKion Water, is now a majority shareholder in Sanpure Systems.

 

Clean Solutions Group acquires filter media company HDK Industries

Clean Solutions Group (CSG), a provider of nonwoven filtration media and cleaning products, has acquired HDK Industries, a producer of wire back and self-supporting media for air and liquid filtration, and specialty medical materials.

 

Motion & Control Enterprises buys filter distributor from Parker Hannifin

Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE) has acquired Pasadena, Texas-based Parker Hannifin Filtration (Houston) LLC (doing business as Filter Resources Inc), an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Parker Hannifin Corp.

 

Franklin Water Treatment acquires Action Manufacturing & Supply

Franklin Water Treatment has acquired the assets of Action Manufacturing & Supply Inc, a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of residential water conditioning, filtration and indoor/outdoor aeration systems with operations in Florida and North Carolina.

 

Porvair acquires European Filter Corporation

Porvair has acquired 100% of the share capital of European Filter Corporation NV (EFC), a filtration business based in Lummen, Belgium.

 

Micronics acquires Solaft Filtration Solutions

The Micronics Engineered Filtration Group has acquired Solaft Filtration Solutions from Enviro Technologies Pty Ltd.