Ingersoll Rand to acquire intelligent pump expertise

Ingersoll Rand¡¯s €431.5 million acquisition of German positive displacement pump manufacturer Seepex GmbH ¨C announced this week ¨C is as much a digital play as a pumps acquisition.

It is the latest in a string of chunky cross-border acquisitions in the pumps market this year, and follows Ebara Corporation¡¯s $108 million acquisition of Turkey¡¯s Vansan Makina, and IDEX Corporation¡¯s purchase of Germany¡¯s Abel Pumps for $104 million.

Seepex has invested heavily to stay ahead of its competitors by building an Industrial Internet-of-Things offering around the progressive cavity pumps it manufactures. While the concept of intelligent pumps is not unique to Seepex, it has helped the company to build a robust recurring revenue base equivalent to around 40% of annual sales.

The deal will boost Ingersoll Rand¡¯s addressable market by $1.7 billion, and on completion, the company plans to roll out Seepex¡¯s digital capability across its entire Precision and Science Technologies segment.