Name

Thorite

Legal name

Fluidpower Group UK Ltd

Website

https://thorite.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of pneumatics and hydraulics parts including compressors, fittings, valves, pumps, tubing, and accessories. Customers can purchase online or through trade accounts with tailored pricing.
2. Service & Maintenance: Aftermarket service, maintenance, and repair services for industrial equipment.
3. Systems Solutions: Technical consultation, solutions design, and build services for custom system requirements.
4. Training Courses: Thorite Academy training courses for upskilling engineers, delivered through dedicated academy platform.
5. Rental & Pre-owned Equipment: Rental and hire services plus pre-owned equipment sales to minimise downtime.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thorite distributes pneumatics and hydraulics parts from over 100 leading global brands, offering access to more than 30,000 SKUs spanning industrial air compressors, fittings, tubing and hose, valves, actuators, pumps, filters/regulators/lubricators, and related consumables. The company supplements product distribution with aftermarket services including maintenance and repair, custom system design and build, training courses, and rental/used equipment. Distribution is delivered through a National Distribution Centre, a UK branch network with Click & Collect, and an e-commerce platform with trade account pricing.

Product overview

Thorite is a UK-based distributor and supplier of pneumatics and hydraulics parts, operating as part of the Flowtech group (acquired by Flowtech in 2024). The company offers access to over 30,000 products from over 100 leading brands including Norgren, Festo, SMC, Parker, HPC, Hydrovane, and Bauer. The core product portfolio centers on industrial compressed air systems (Industrial Air Compressors, Workshop Air Compressors), fluid power components (Hydraulics, Pneumatic Valves & Controls, Pneumatic Actuators), and consumables/accessories (Fittings with 1,443+ variants, Tubing & Hose, Air Prep/FRL units, Quick Release Couplings, Pumps, Vacuum & Blowers). Additional offerings include Electro-Mechanical Drives, Ring Main Systems, Spray Equipment, and Process/Ball Valves. Beyond product distribution, Thorite provides complementary service offerings including Service & Maintenance, Thorite Systems Solutions (technical consultation and custom system design/build), Thorite Academy (training courses), Thorite Capital (rental/hire/used equipment), and Click & Collect (branch pickup). The company holds ISO 9001 certification and serves industrial customers across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Air Compressors A range of industrial air compressors including rotary screw, piston, rotary vane, and breathing air compressors from brands such as HPC, Hydrovane, Jun-Air, and Bauer, sold to industrial and manufacturing buyers.
• Workshop Air Compressors Workshop-grade compressors for industrial and commercial applications requiring reliable compressed air solutions.
• Fittings Pneumatic and fluid fittings including push-in, compression, threaded, cam & groove couplings, and twin ferrule fittings from brands such as Norgren, Festo, SMC, and Parker.
• Tubing & Hose Tubing and hose products for fluid power applications including layflat delivery hoses and specialised hose assemblies.
• Pneumatic Filters, Regulators & Lubricators (Air Prep) Air preparation equipment including filters, regulators, and lubricators to deliver clean, conditioned compressed air to pneumatic systems.
• Fluid Power & Hydraulics Comprehensive hydraulic components and fluid power solutions for industrial machinery and equipment.
• Pneumatic Valves & Controls Pneumatic valve products and control systems used to manage compressed air flow in industrial applications.
• Pneumatic Actuators Pneumatic actuators that convert compressed air energy into mechanical motion for industrial automation.
• Quick Release Couplings Quick release couplings for efficient connection and disconnection of compressed air and fluid lines.
• Process Pumps Industrial process pumps for moving fluids in manufacturing and processing applications.
• Vacuum & Blowers Vacuum pumps and blowers for industrial vacuum and pneumatic transport applications.
• Industrial Air Treatment Industrial air treatment products for processing and conditioning compressed air systems.
• Ring Main Systems Complete ring main systems for distributing compressed air throughout industrial facilities.
• Electro-Mechanical Drives Electro-mechanical drive systems and components for industrial automation applications.
• Assembly & Automation Technology Automation and assembly technology components for manufacturing and industrial automation applications.
• Process & Ball Valves Process valves and ball valves for fluid control applications in industrial settings.
• Spray Equipment Industrial spray equipment for coating, cleaning, and painting applications.
• Air Powered Tools Pneumatic and air-powered tools for industrial and workshop use.
• PPE & Maintenance Supplies Personal protective equipment and maintenance supplies for pneumatic and hydraulic systems.
• Service & Maintenance Aftermarket maintenance, repair, and servicing of pneumatic equipment for industrial operators.
• Thorite Systems Solutions Technical consultation, solutions design, and build services for custom pneumatic and fluid power systems.
• Thorite Academy Training Courses Training courses designed to upskill existing engineers and train new engineers, delivered through a dedicated academy platform.
• Thorite Capital (Rental, Hire & Pre-Owned Equipment) Rental, hire, and used equipment services that allow customers to minimise downtime by accessing equipment without outright purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standard next-day delivery from National Distribution Centre
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Flowtech: Flowtech is Thorite's parent group and a larger UK-wide fluid power and process distributor. It is directly comparable because it operates the same pneumatics/hydraulics wholesale model across an overlapping product portfolio, and now incorporates Thorite within its group structure.
• Festo UK: Festo is a global pneumatics and automation OEM with a UK sales operation that sells both direct and through distribution (including Thorite). It is comparable as the principal supplier of pneumatics components that Thorite resells, and as a direct competitor on branded parts.
• SMC UK: SMC is one of the world's largest pneumatics manufacturers and operates direct sales in the UK. It is comparable to Thorite as another major supplier of pneumatic components and as a competitor whose own direct channel overlaps with Thorite's distribution offering.
• Norgren (IMI): Norgren, part of IMI plc, is a leading global pneumatics and fluid control brand carried by Thorite. It is comparable as a major principal supplier whose own UK direct and distribution channels overlap with Thorite's product set.
• Parker Hannifin UK: Parker's UK division sells pneumatic and hydraulic components through direct sales and authorised distributors. It is comparable to Thorite as both a key supplier (Parker fittings) and a broader industrial competitor in fluid power distribution.

Direct peers

• Camozzi Automation: Camozzi is a European pneumatics manufacturer that sells both direct and through distribution in the UK. It is comparable to Thorite as a competing supplier/distributor of pneumatic cylinders, valves, and FRL equipment to UK industrial customers.
• Bibus UK: Bibus UK is a pneumatics and hydraulics distributor operating in the UK, carrying brands such as Camozzi and other European principals. It is a direct competitor to Thorite with similar product range and customer base in industrial MRO.
• Air Engineering Controls: Air Engineering Controls is a UK-focused pneumatics distributor and systems integrator. It is directly comparable to Thorite in selling pneumatic components, fittings, and air preparation equipment to industrial customers across the UK.
• Fluid Controls Ltd: Fluid Controls is a UK distributor of pneumatics, hydraulics, and process control components. It is comparable to Thorite in its broad multi-brand distribution model serving UK industrial and process customers.
• Kempston Controls: Kempston Controls is a UK-based industrial distribution business supplying electrical, pneumatic, and process control components. It is comparable to Thorite as a multi-line industrial MRO distributor serving UK manufacturing customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thorite

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Thorite