Nicor Inc

What Nicor Inc does

Nicor Inc is a Dripping Springs, Texas-based manufacturer of water meter endpoint solutions that integrate and optimize AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) networks for water utilities. The company's product portfolio centers on three pillars: Read-Rite® polymer meter box lids and covers (round, rectangle, oval) engineered to be virtually RF-transparent for unobstructed radio communication; Hydroconn® Series III (AMR) and Series IV (AMI) waterproof inline connectors rated for submersion to 30 meters; and the patent-pending Modular Meter Box™ underground enclosure with ANSI Tier 15 load rating. Supporting accessories include mounting brackets engineered for every major AMI platform (Aclara, Badger, Honeywell/Elster, Itron, Kamstrup, Master Meter, Mueller, Neptune, Sensus, Zenner), a 900 MHz Remote Omni Antenna, and a GT Field Splice Kit. Core technology is built around virgin polymer injection molding, molded-on (rather than adhesive-bonded) connector seals, and modular flat-pack enclosure design that enables 4.5x more units per pallet and sub-1-minute field assembly.

The company operates a B2B hardware sales model with revenue generated through one-time product purchases and no subscription or recurring component. Distribution combines a national wholesale distributor network with a direct overlay of eight named regional sales representatives covering all 50 US states, targeting municipal and private water utilities. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer segment is exclusively water utilities, with no individual customer logos publicly named. The firm is a privately held subsidiary of Hubbell Corporation — branded "A Hubbell Brand" — which provides corporate backing and access to Hubbell's electrical and utility infrastructure platform. The firm has 1-10 employees, was founded in 1986, and operates as a focused niche manufacturer in the water utility infrastructure supply chain.

Name

Nicor Inc

Legal name

Nicor Inc.

Website

https://nicorinc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nicor Inc designs and manufactures polymer meter box lids, waterproof inline connectors, mounting brackets, and modular enclosures that improve RF performance for water utility AMR/AMI networks, selling B2B hardware to municipal and private water utilities across all 50 US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dripping Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Meter Infrastructure Hardware Sales: B2B hardware sales of polymer meter box lids, inline connectors, brackets, and accessories to water utilities deploying AMR/AMI systems. Products are sold through distributors and direct sales representatives. Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases with no subscription component.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nicor Inc designs, manufactures, and sells physical infrastructure products for water utility AMR/AMI (Automatic/Advanced Meter Reading) endpoints. The portfolio includes Read-Rite® RF-transparent polymer meter box lids and covers (round, rectangle, oval, customized, rings, inserts), Hydroconn® Series III and IV waterproof inline connectors, AMR/AMI mounting brackets for all major endpoint vendors, a 900 MHz Remote Omni Antenna, a GT Field Splice Kit, and a patent-pending Modular Meter Box™ underground enclosure. Products are sold B2B to water utilities and installation contractors via a U.S. distributor network and direct field sales representatives to improve radio frequency propagation and protect endpoints in meter pit environments.

Product overview

Nicor Inc is a hardware manufacturer providing physical infrastructure products for water utility AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) and AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) networks. The product portfolio centers on RF (Radio Frequency) improvement solutions: Read-Rite® polymer meter box lids and covers (round, rectangle, oval shapes) that are RF-transparent for unobstructed meter communication; Hydroconn® Series III and Series IV waterproof inline connectors for cable connections in submerged meter pits; and the Modular Meter Box™ as an underground enclosure. Supporting products include AMR/AMI mounting brackets for major meter reading platforms (Itron, Sensus, Badger Meter, Neptune, Aclara, etc.), the Remote Omni Antenna for 900MHz radio transmission, GT Field Splice Kit for waterproof wire connections, and polymer rings and inserts for specialized installations. The company is a Hubbell brand focused exclusively on water utilities seeking to optimize their meter reading network RF performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Read-Rite®: Registered trademark product line featuring polymer meter box lids and covers that are RF-transparent for AMR/AMI water meter systems.
• Hydroconn®

Products and services

• Read-Rite® Round Lids Polymer circular meter box lids available in various diameters and thicknesses. Provides a virtually RF-transparent lid for water meter endpoints, enabling unobstructed AMI data collector communication. Available in multiple locking styles including worm gear, spring lock, and hinge lock. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Read-Rite® Rectangle Lids Polymer rectangle meter box lids popular for new construction and retrofitting older meter installations. H20 rated yet weigh up to 80% less than concrete. Significantly improves RF propagation when replacing old-style lids during AMI system deployment. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Read-Rite® Oval Covers Polymer oval meter box covers for retrofitting existing oval meter boxes or new installations. Virtually RF-transparent for clear radio-read metering system transmission. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Hydroconn® Series III AMR Connectors Waterproof inline connectors designed for rugged field applications such as meter pits and underwater deployments. Waterproof up to 30 meters underwater. Features molded-on connector design rather than adhesive bond for reliable sealing. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Hydroconn® Series IV AMI Connectors Rugged AMI cables and connectors designed for challenging environments of meter wells and pits, which are often submerged in water. Mates with Itron connectors with improved performance. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Modular Meter Box™ An underground enclosure independently tested to ANSI Tier 15 load rating of 22,500 lbs. Features patent-pending flat-pack design that ships panels flat, assembles in under 1 minute, and allows 4.5x more units per pallet. Made from RF-friendly materials that can mount AMR/AMI devices to any side wall. Sold to water utilities.
• AMR/AMI Mounting Brackets Mounting brackets for attaching AMR and AMI endpoints to meter boxes. Compatible with Aclara, Badger Meter, Honeywell/Elster, Itron, Kamstrup, Master Meter, Mueller Water Products, Neptune, Sensus, and Zenner meter reading systems. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Remote Omni Antenna Omni-directional antenna for meter reading radio transmission. Operates on unlicensed 900 MHz radio frequency, compatible with existing AMR radio-read systems. Installs to underside of Read-Rite® lids to protect from harsh meter pit conditions. Sold to water utilities.
• GT Field Splice Kit Quick wire splicing solution for water meter endpoints. 100% waterproof and submersible up to 30 ft. Field-installable in under 1 minute using impact punch down tool. No wire stripping or liquid epoxy required. Proprietary waterproof gel ensures secured connection. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.
• Read-Rite® Customized Lids Custom meter box lids with utility branding. Water utilities can emboss lids with utility name, logo, emergency phone number, or other information. Customized colors available to indicate water type (purple for irrigation, blue for culinary/potable water, green for sewer). Sold to water utilities.
• Read-Rite® Rings Polymer rings for meter pit coils designed for water utilities in harsh winter regions with deep meter pit coils (4-6 ft deep). Ensures radio water meter endpoint transmits as clearly as possible. Supports attachment of any endpoint to the ring. Sold to water utilities.
• Read-Rite® Inserts Lid inserts that plug the antenna opening during gradual meter replacement projects. Creates a level, safe pedestrian surface while preventing slips and falls. Simple to remove when the metering system endpoint is ready to be installed. Sold to water utilities and installation contractors.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HubbellcoreOthersNicor Inc is a brand under Hubbell Corporation, a major electrical and utility infrastructure company. The Hubbell logo appears on the company website confirming this ownership relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Zenner: Zenner is a Germany-based manufacturer of water meters and AMI endpoints (including the Stealth Reader MIU) that install under Nicor lids using Nicor's threaded adaptor. Comparable as a regional player serving primarily European water utilities with overlapping AMI endpoint and meter reading offerings.
• Kamstrup: Kamstrup is a Denmark-based manufacturer of smart water meters and AMI systems whose endpoints integrate with Nicor brackets for drive-by meter reading. Comparable as a regional player serving primarily European water utilities with overlapping product capabilities in the AMI ecosystem.

Others

• Aclara: Aclara is a Hubbell-owned sister brand that manufactures AMI endpoints and electric/gas/water utility communication solutions. It is comparable as a sibling utility infrastructure business under the same parent, with complementary (not competing) AMI endpoint products that integrate with Nicor's polymer infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Badger Meter: Badger Meter is a major US manufacturer of water flow measurement and control products including AMI endpoints (Orion, BEACON) that integrate with Nicor's lids and brackets. It targets the same water utility customers and serves as both an integration partner and a benchmark for the broader AMR/AMI ecosystem in which Nicor competes.
• Sensus (Xylem): Sensus, a Xylem brand, is a leading AMI network provider for water utilities including the FlexNet system, which uses Nicor's recess option lids. Sensus directly serves the same municipal water utility customers as Nicor and is one of the major AMI vendors Nicor's products are designed to interoperate with.
• Itron: Itron is one of the largest global AMI/AMR solution providers serving water, electric, and gas utilities. Its ChoiceConnect and Riva platforms are explicitly supported by Nicor's brackets and Hydroconn® Series IV connectors, making Itron a key integration partner and ecosystem comparable for Nicor's target market.
• Master Meter: Master Meter manufactures water meters and the Allegro AMI system, with embedded radio endpoints that mount on Nicor lids and brackets. As a smaller, water-focused AMI vendor, Master Meter is closely comparable in scope and customer base to Nicor's target market.
• Neptune Technology Group: Neptune Technology Group, owned by Roper Technologies, is a major water AMI endpoint and meter reading system provider. Nicor offers brackets specifically designed to mount the Neptune R900 MIU under its lids, making Neptune a direct comparable in the same water utility AMI ecosystem serving overlapping municipal customers.
• Mueller Water Products: Mueller Water Products is a leading manufacturer of water infrastructure products including the Hot Rod AMR system and MiNet endpoints, which mount under Nicor lids. Mueller targets the same water utility customers and serves as a vertically broader comparable in the water AMI infrastructure space.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell (Elster): Honeywell's Elster business has historically supplied water AMI endpoints and meter reading systems that integrate with Nicor lids and brackets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the wider utility metering space, though Honeywell's water metering focus has fluctuated with corporate strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Nicor Inc