Control Devices

What Control Devices does

Control Devices, LLC is a US-based designer and manufacturer of engineered flow control solutions founded in 1963 in St. Louis by Joseph Krechel and headquartered in Fenton, Missouri. The company manufactures specialty valves and flow control devices spanning pneumatic safety valves, condensate traps, float valves, refrigerant distributors, high-pressure cylinder valves, solenoid valves, medical gas pressure regulators, dry-disconnect couplings, check valves, and specialty gas regulators, organized across ten acquired sub-brands including BOB/BOBBY (RMC), Drain-All, Keepflo, Dry Link, Harrison Valve, and AFC Advanced Fuel Components. Differentiated technologies include patented Drain-All zero-loss magnetic condensate traps, Dry Link butterfly valve dry-disconnect couplings with verified 1-2 drop cumulative leakage per Factory Mutual Research testing, and ASME Section VIII safety relief valves.

The company operates a B2B sales-led go-to-market targeting industrial OEMs, manufacturers, and commercial customers through a direct sales team paired with a quote-request system, supported by industrial distributors and big box retail for aftermarket and SMB demand. End markets span air compressor OEMs, pressure washer manufacturers, HVAC/R refrigeration OEMs, medical gas companies and healthcare facilities, industrial manufacturing plants (chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage), agriculture, and oil and gas. Multiple industry certifications including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, ASME Code, National Board, NSF International, and EU Pressure Equipment Directive serve as both regulatory compliance and competitive barriers.

The business model is anchored in hardware sales of valves and flow control devices, augmented by replacement parts and refurbishment services, with no public pricing and quote-based commercial terms. Control Devices has been a portfolio company of HBM Holdings since October 2021 and has executed a sustained acquisition strategy, completing four acquisitions since 2021 (Dry Link 2021, Essex Medical 2022/2024, Gilmore 2024, Sherwood Valve 2026), the most recent adding approximately 75 employees and two manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Current leadership includes President and CEO Jim Norris.

Name

Control Devices

Legal name

Control Devices, LLC

Website

https://cdivalve.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Control Devices is a US-based designer and manufacturer of engineered flow control solutions serving industrial OEMs, medical gas, HVAC/R, oil and gas, and agricultural customers with specialty valves, condensate traps, and dry-disconnect couplings across ten acquired brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Flow Control and Specialty Valves

NAICS

Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911), Metal Valve Manufacturing (33291), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332919)

SIC

Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control) (IMAHAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC), Refrigeration Components & Controls (Compressors, Valves, Sensors) (IMAHAKAH), Gas Handling Equipment & Storage (Cylinders/Tanks/Valves) (IMAEACAL)

Keywords

• Specialty valve manufacturing
• Flow control devices
• Pneumatic safety valves
• Condensate trap systems
• Medical gas regulators

Headquarters

HQ city

Fenton

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Valve and Flow Control Device Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling specialty valves and flow control devices including pneumatic safety valves, float valves, condensate traps, solenoid valves, dry disconnect couplings, refrigerant distributors, medical gas regulators, and cylinder valves. Revenue generated from product sales to OEMs, industrial customers, and through distribution channels.
2. Replacement Parts and Accessories: Sales of replacement parts, repair/refurbish services, and accessories for installed valve products. Repair manuals, videos, and replacement parts available through distributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Control Devices designs and manufactures specialty valves and engineered flow control devices for compressed air, compressed gas, liquid, and specialty gas applications. Its portfolio covers pneumatic safety valves, zero-loss condensate traps, corrosion-resistant float valves, refrigerant distributors, high-pressure cylinder valves, solenoid valves, medical gas regulators and VIPRs, dry-disconnect couplings, check valves, and casing relief valves. Products are engineered in the United States and sold primarily to industrial OEMs, with supporting aftermarket distribution.

Product overview

Control Devices is a manufacturer of engineered flow control solutions comprising multiple product categories and acquired brands. The core product portfolio includes Pneumatic Safety Valves, Condensate Traps (Drain-All brand), Float Valves (including BOB and BOBBY branded products), Refrigerant Distributors (Keepflo brand), High Pressure Cylinder Valves (Harrison Valve brand), Solenoid Valves (including AFC brand), Medical Gas Pressure Regulators and VIPRs, Casing Relief Valves, Dry Link Dry Disconnect Couplings, Check Valves, and Specialty Gas Valves and Regulators. These products serve compressed gas, compressed air, oil and gas, and liquid controls markets for applications in air compressors, HVAC/refrigeration, medical gas delivery, industrial process control, agriculture, and vehicle systems. The company has grown through strategic acquisitions including RMC (2010), Drain-All (2011), Keepflo (2012), Kerick Valve (2015), Gadren Machine (2016), Flexi-Hinge (2017), Harrison Valve (2017), AFC (2018), Dry Link (2021), Essex Medical (2024), and Sherwood Valve (2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dry Link®: Dry-disconnect dry break hose couplings and high-containment split-butterfly valves for bulk transfer of liquids and powders. Used in hazardous, high viscosity, high-flow, and sanitary applications.
• Drain-All®
• Kerick Valve
• RMC
• Gadren Machine Company
• Keepflo
• Flexi-Hinge
• Harrison Valve
• AFC Advanced Fuel Components

Products and services

• Pneumatic Safety Valves Pneumatic safety valves for air compressor systems, pressure washers, fire suppression, and vehicle systems. Forged brass bodies for corrosion resistance; line includes ASME-code safety valves, non-code safety valves, vacuum relief valves, pressure relief valves, check valves, pilot valves, and throttle controls for OEM and industrial customers.
• Drain-All Zero-Loss Condensate Traps Patented zero-loss condensate traps for compressed air and compressed gas systems. Use magnetic float interaction with a totally pneumatic control circuit, isolated magnets, smooth liquid flow path and shear-action ball valve to remove condensate without air loss. Models include WaterHog, Condensate Handler, Rust Handler, Pressure Handler, Corrosion Handler, Volume Handler, Oil Handler, Temperature Handler, and Vacuum Handler, handling flows from small to over 100 gallons per minute for industrial customers.
• BOB and BOBBY Float Valves (RMC) Proprietary performance float valves and reservoir assemblies from the BOB and BOBBY lines. Corrosion-resistant construction in brass, copper, PVC, plastic and stainless steel for cooling towers, livestock waterers, car washes, swimming pools, irrigation, water treatment and commercial ice-making, serving industrial, agricultural and municipal customers.
• KeepFlo Refrigerant Distributors and Brazed Assemblies Nozzle-type and Venturi-Flo refrigerant distributors and brazed assemblies designed to maintain uniform refrigerant flow, promote better heat exchange, and elevate evaporator coil performance. Used by HVAC/R OEMs in air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
• Harrison Valve High-Pressure Cylinder Valves Precision cylinder valves for compressed gas applications including dual-outlet integral regulator valves, residual pressure valves, ultra-high pressure cylinder valves, acetylene valves, medical pin-index valves, and nitrous-oxide racing valves. Machined in brass or stainless steel for industrial, medical, and performance-racing customers.
• AFC Solenoid Valves Engineered solenoid valves for industrial, commercial and vehicle applications managing fuel, gas, air and water. Provide precision shutoff and flow control with models rated for propane, gasoline, diesel, natural gas and air.
• Medical Gas Pressure Regulators and VIPRs Medical gas removable regulators, Valve Integrated Pressure Regulators (VIPRs), post valves, and cylinder valves delivering flows from 1/64 to 25 liters per minute for precise oxygen delivery in respiratory care. Manufactured under ISO 13485:2016 at the Carr Lane facility for hospitals, clinics, home healthcare and emergency medical services.
• Casing Relief Valves Industrial pressure relief valves available in 316 stainless steel and brass materials, designed to relieve over-pressure conditions in industrial applications.
• Dry Link Dry Disconnect Couplings Dry-disconnect hose couplings and high-containment split-butterfly valves for leak-free liquid and powder transfers. Single-handle control with mechanical interlock for spill protection; available in 316 stainless steel, Alloy 20 or Hastelloy C for hazardous, high-viscosity, high-flow and sanitary applications in chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food and beverage manufacturing.
• Check Valves Check valves in aluminum, brass and cast iron that prevent backflow in air, gas and liquid applications. Available in sizes from 1/8 to 3 inches, including Flexi-Hinge seatless, full-port, double-disc designs for municipal and industrial use.
• Specialty Gas Valves and Regulators Specialty gas valves and regulators including C10 valves, push-button regulators, constant-flow regulators, demand-flow regulators, and trigger regulators used for calibration and bump testing of gas detectors and analyzers. Serves oil and gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries, including Sherwood Valve's industrial, specialty, high-purity and medical gas cylinder valves.
• Replacement Parts, Repair and Refurbishment Services Aftermarket sales of replacement parts, repair and refurbishment services, repair manuals, instructional videos, and accessories for installed valve products, distributed through industrial distributors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dry Link couplings verified by Factory Mutual Research to have only 1-2 drops of cumulative leakage after 10 connect/disconnect cycles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sherwood Valve (Acquisition)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2026Control Devices acquired Sherwood Valve in January 2026, expanding flow control solutions across industrial gas, specialty gas, high-purity gas, and medical gas applications. Sherwood was founded in 1928 and is the leading North American manufacturer of industrial cylinder valves with operations in Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Approximately 75 employees joined Control Devices.
• Various Industrial DistributorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts distributed through industrial distributors for aftermarket sales, replacement parts, and maintenance applications.
• Big Box RetailersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProducts found on shelves in various big box retailers for consumer and small business purchases.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Flowserve Corporation: Large publicly-traded industrial flow control company producing pumps, valves, seals and related automation for oil & gas, power, chemical and water markets — directly comparable through its industrial valve portfolio spanning safety, control and check valves.
• Watts Water Technologies: Global manufacturer of plumbing, flow control and water-treatment products including valves and regulators for HVAC, industrial and potable-water applications — comparable through its broad valve and regulator portfolio serving similar OEM and contractor channels.
• Pentair: Large global water and fluid solutions company with substantial industrial valve, filtration and flow-control operations serving HVAC, industrial and OEM customers — comparable through its industrial valves product line and similar OEM/distributor go-to-market approach.
• CIRCOR International: Specialty flow and motion control company manufacturing engineered valves, regulators and pumps for industrial, aerospace and process markets — closely comparable through its portfolio of industrial valves, regulators and flow-control devices serving similar end markets.
• Mueller Water Products: Manufacturer of water infrastructure products including valves, hydrants and pipe fittings for water and gas distribution — directly comparable through its industrial valve portfolio targeting municipal and industrial flow control applications.
• Kitz Corporation: Japanese industrial valve manufacturer producing brass, bronze, stainless and cast-iron valves for plumbing, HVAC, gas and industrial applications — comparable through its broad industrial valve product portfolio covering pneumatic, safety and check valves.
• Velan Inc. Manufacturer of industrial valves including gate, globe, check, ball and safety relief valves for severe-service applications in oil & gas, power and chemical industries — directly comparable through its ASME-certified industrial valve and safety relief valve offering.

Direct peers

• GCE Group: European-based manufacturer of gas control equipment including regulators, cylinder valves and medical gas equipment — a highly direct peer to Control Devices' Sherwood/Harrison cylinder valves and Essex Medical regulators businesses.
• Rotarex: Specialty gas valve and regulator manufacturer offering cylinder valves, pressure regulators and integrated equipment for industrial, specialty and medical gas applications — directly competes with Harrison, Sherwood and Essex Medical product lines.
• Western Enterprises: Manufacturer of medical gas regulators, cylinder valves and related flow control products for healthcare and industrial gas applications — closely comparable to Control Devices' medical gas regulator, VIPR and cylinder valve portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@controldevicesllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/control-devices
• Xx.com/cdivalve

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Control Devices