What Richards Industries does

Richards Industries, operating through its legal entity Richards Industrials, Inc., is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based manufacturer of industrial valves, pressure regulators, control valves, ball valves, instrument hand valves, and steam traps serving chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and energy end markets. The company is organized as an eight-brand portfolio — Jordan Valve, Steriflow Valve, Steriflow Food & Beverage, LowFlow Valve, Marwin Valve, Hex Valve, Bestobell Steam Traps, and Equilibar — each targeting specialized application niches, with notable proprietary features including Equilibar's dome-loaded multiple orifice pressure control technology, Steriflow's industry-only Lifetime Diaphragm Warranty, and LowFlow's Quick Change trim design. Manufacturing is centralized at a 100,000+ square-foot Cincinnati facility with in-house CNC machining, painting, assembly, testing, and material traceability under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system.

The company sells primarily through a global network of over 200 technical sales representatives and distributors, supplemented by owned sales offices in Beijing, China and Thane, India. Pricing is quote-based with a $100 minimum order and net-30 terms, reflecting a project/spec-in sales motion rather than a transactional e-commerce model. Since August 2019, Richards has been owned by Astor Place Holdings, the private investment arm of Select Equity Group, L.P. (~$26B AUM), with the current leadership team headed by CEO Jordan Bast (appointed July 2020) and CFO John Samoya (appointed May 2024). The platform has executed at least one strategic add-on acquisition (Equilibar LLC, May 2021), consistent with a buy-and-build thesis in industrial flow control. Safety and operational discipline are notable, with over 4 million hours without a lost-time injury since 1999 and nine MANNY "Best Place to Work" recognitions in eleven years.

Name

Richards Industries

Legal name

RICHARDS INDUSTRIALS, INC.

Website

https://richardsind.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Richards Industries is a Cincinnati-based, PE-owned manufacturer of industrial valves, pressure regulators, control valves, ball valves, and steam traps, organized as an eight-brand portfolio serving chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and energy end markets globally through a 200+ rep distribution network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Valves and Flow Control

NAICS

Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors) (IMAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves) (IMAEACAL), Pressure Vessels, Columns & Storage Tanks (ASME/Process Vessels) (IMAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Industrial valves
• Pressure regulators
• Flow control products
• Control valves
• Steam traps

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Valve and Flow Control Product Sales: Richards Industrials generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of industrial valves, pressure regulators, control valves, ball valves, instrument hand valves, and steam traps. The company sells through its eight distinct brands: Jordan Valve, Steriflow Valve, Steriflow Food & Beverage, LowFlow Valve, Marwin Valve, Hex Valve, Bestobell Steam Traps, and Equilibar. The minimum order requirement is a net invoice charge of $100. Payment terms are net 30 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Richards Industrials manufactures and sells industrial valves, pressure regulators, control valves, ball valves, instrument hand valves, and steam traps under eight distinct product brands (Jordan Valve, Steriflow Valve, Steriflow Food & Beverage, LowFlow Valve, Marwin Valve, Hex Valve, Bestobell Steam Traps, and Equilibar). The company operates a 100,000+ square foot manufacturing facility in Cincinnati, Ohio with complete in-house CNC machining, assembly, and testing, serving chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and energy industries through a global network of over 200 technical sales representatives.

Product overview

Richards Industrials is a manufacturer of industrial valves and flow control products organized as a multi-brand portfolio. The company operates as a parent holding eight distinct product lines: Jordan Valve (pressure regulators and control valves including sliding gate and globe-style designs), Steriflow Valve (sanitary regulators and control valves for pharmaceutical applications with Lifetime Diaphragm Warranty), Steriflow Food & Beverage (3A-certified sanitary products for food and beverage processing), LowFlow Valve (high pressure and extreme low flow regulators for laboratory/pilot plant use with Quick Change trim), Marwin Valve (quarter-turn ball valves including specialized metal-seated, cryogenic, and control variants), Hex Valve (instrumentation hand valves and manifolds), Bestobell Steam Traps (steam traps and steam specialty equipment), and Equilibar (dome-loaded multiple orifice pressure control products acquired in 2021). Key markets include chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and industrial applications. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio with over 100,000 square feet of CNC machining capability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jordan Valve: Pressure regulators and control valves for industrial applications including sliding gate regulators, gas & tank blanketing regulators, temperature regulators, and control valves.
• Steriflow Valve
• Steriflow Food & Beverage
• LowFlow Valve
• Marwin Valve
• Hex Valve
• Bestobell Steam Traps
• Equilibar

Products and services

• Jordan Valve Pressure regulators and control valves for demanding industrial applications, including sliding gate regulators, gas and tank blanketing regulators, temperature regulators, and sliding gate control valves in globe-style and wafer style designs.
• Steriflow Valve Sanitary regulators and control valves for pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical markets, including pressure regulators, back pressure regulators, gas pressure regulators, control valves, steam traps, check valves, sample coolers, sight glasses, and sample valves. Features the industry's first and only Lifetime Diaphragm Warranty.
• Steriflow Food & Beverage 3A-certified sanitary products for food and beverage markets, including back pressure regulators, pressure regulators, air-loaded pressure and back pressure regulators, control valves, safety relief valves, ball valves, diaphragm valves, and steam traps for plant steam, filtered steam, clean steam, and pure steam applications.
• LowFlow Valve High pressure and extreme low flow regulators and control valves for laboratory and pilot plant applications. Features Quick Change trim design with threaded seats and free-floating plug for simple maintenance without removing the valve from the line. Includes fractional flow control valves, pneumatic control valves, high pressure control valves, and diaphragm sensed regulators.
• Marwin Valve Quarter-turn ball valves and automated accessories including two-piece, three-piece, flanged, and multiport valves. Specializes in non-standard ball valves such as metal-seated, cryogenic, control, and special-seated valves for unique application requirements.
• Hex Valve Instrumentation hand valves and manifolds designed for reliability and durability in instrumentation applications, including 2-3-5 manifold valves, instrument ball valves, monoflange valves, monoweld valves, needle valves, and power valves.
• Bestobell Steam Traps Steam system products including steam traps, float and thermostatic traps, thermodynamic disc traps, leak detectors, condensate return pumps, vacuum breakers, check valves, line strainers, and complementary steam specialty products for U.S. steam system applications.
• Equilibar Dome-loaded multiple orifice valves and regulators providing precision pressure control for challenging applications. Products include back pressure regulators, sanitary control valves, supercritical back pressure regulators, flow control valves, vacuum regulators and valves, electronic pressure regulators, and pressure reducing regulators. Acquired by Richards Industrials in May 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million hours of no lost work time (no lost time injury since 1999)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Fluid Controls Institute (FCI)minorOthersRichards Industrials is a proud member of the Fluid Controls Institute. FCI provides standards and educational materials to assist purchasers and users in understanding and using fluid control and conditioning equipment.
• Valve Manufacturers Association (VMA)minorOthersRichards Industries is a proud and active member of the Valve Manufacturers Association. The company sends employees to attend VMA events including the Valve Industry Knowledge Forum and the Valve Careers Initiative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KITZ Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of industrial valves (ball, gate, globe, check, butterfly) serving chemical, petrochemical, and HVAC applications globally. Directly comparable product portfolio and end-market overlap with Richards' Jordan, Marwin, and Bestobell lines.
• Spirax-Sarco Engineering: Global specialist in steam and thermal energy management, including steam traps, control valves, and condensate management products. Highly relevant peer to Richards' Bestobell Steam Traps brand and Steriflow clean steam products.
• Crane Co. Diversified industrial manufacturer with a significant engineered materials and fluid handling segment producing specialty valves and fittings for chemical, pharmaceutical, and general industrial applications. Closely aligned with Richards' multi-brand, application-specific valve strategy.
• Samson Controls: German-headquartered specialist in control valves, regulators, and automated fluid control for process industries including chemical, petrochemical, and power. Directly comparable as a mid-sized specialist competing in precision pressure and flow control.
• Flowserve Corporation: One of the world's largest manufacturers of industrial pumps, valves, seals, and flow control automation. Directly comparable as a multi-brand industrial valve supplier serving chemical, petrochemical, power, and general industrial end markets.
• Velan Inc. Canadian manufacturer of industrial valves including ball, gate, globe, check, and severe-service valves for chemical, petrochemical, power, and oil & gas. Comparable as a mid-sized specialty valve manufacturer competing in the same specification-driven end markets.

Emerging players

• Swagelok Company: Privately held manufacturer of fluid system components including valves, fittings, regulators, and instrumentation for chemical, petrochemical, semiconductor, and analytical instrumentation markets. Comparable in private, specialty, multi-product fluid control positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Watts Water Technologies: Broadly diversified manufacturer of water and plumbing products, including valves, regulators, and flow control for plumbing, HVAC, and industrial markets. Comparable to the extent its industrial valves serve overlapping chemical and general industrial specifications.
• ITT Inc. Diversified manufacturer with a motion Technologies and industrial process segment that produces highly engineered valves, pumps, and connectors for chemical, energy, and general industrial markets. Overlaps with Richards' chemical and general industrial exposure.
• Emerson Electric (Emerson Automation Solutions): Global automation and control conglomerate offering Fisher control valves, regulators, and final control elements across chemical, refining, and power industries. A larger incumbent whose bundled valve-plus-instrumentation offering competes head-to-head with Richards' control valve brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RichardsIndustrials
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richards-industries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Richards Industries