August 1, 2019 – Rutherford, NJ
Earlier this month, Airtech Inc., a leading developer of vacuum pumps, blowers and valves, acquired Champion Valves Inc. and Valve & Pump Specialties Inc. Champion is based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and was founded in 2003 by Gary and Linda Spangler. The company designs, assembles and distributes industrial check valves and butterfly valves. Its products include a wide variety of dual disk check valves, single door wafer check valves and axial flow check valves, among others, that are sold into diversified end markets such as refrigerant gases, ethanol, mining, and water.
The acquisition represents an exciting complement to Airtech’s existing valve portfolio within its US Valve subsidiary. US Valve has been a manufacturer of check valves, ball valves and specialty valves since 1999 and is a well-known brand in a wide range of markets, including the medical industry. The Champion transaction follows a successful integration of Techno Check Valves which was acquired in 2016. US Valve’s products are extensively used by Airtech to provide integrated blower and vacuum pumps solutions.
“Champion is a great addition to our valve portfolio. This investment is an important step in the scaling and diversification of our valve offerings to new end markets, applications and geographies,” said Mike Sutter, CEO of Airtech. “Gary and Linda Spangler have built a phenomenal business and we are excited to help grow Champion’s presence in existing and into new markets. We looking forward to the integration into the Airtech platform and development of novel solutions for our customers.”
Stephen Lovell, President of US Valve LLC, commented: “We are very excited to partner with our newest team members at Champion Valves Inc. I have known Gary for almost 10 years and know that our company cultures are very similar in that both companies are driven to provide the best in quality products and customer service to our respective customers. The talent and enthusiasm that Champion employees bring to U.S. Valve will be a welcome addition to our group”.
Gary Spangler, Founder and CEO of Champion, said: “Over the past 16 years, Champion has earned a reputation in the industry and among its customers for high quality valve solutions and the highest levels of service. We are thrilled to be able to expand on that reputation under Airtech.”
About Airtech Group
Airtech Group designs and manufactures highly engineered specialty industry blowers, vacuums, pumps and valves. Headquartered in Rutherford, NJ with approximately 150 employees, the company’s engineering-first culture drives customized solutions for customers in diversified end markets including alternative energy, food processing, medical, packaging and transportation. Airtech is owned by affiliates of EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based investor. For more information, please visit www.airtechusa.com or contact Jin Kim, VP of Strategy, at jkim@airtechusa.com.