Griswold Controls
Griswold Controls is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of flow control valves, actuators, and pre-assembled coil piping packages for commercial HVAC and professional irrigation applications, selling exclusively through independent manufacturer's representatives and international distributors across 60+ countries. Founded in 1960, the company is owned by the Ibsen family via FlowCon International and serves contractors, engineers, and building professionals in data centers, hospitals, universities, airports, and hospitality.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Griswold Controls does
Griswold Controls designs and manufactures flow control valves, actuators, and pre-assembled system packages for commercial and industrial HVAC and professional irrigation applications. Its core technology centers on the stainless steel automatic flow limiting cartridge, introduced in 1960, which maintains constant flow regardless of pressure variations with ±5% accuracy. The product portfolio spans automatic flow limiting valves (K Valve, Isolator series), manual balancing valves (QuickSet with ±1% test accuracy via disturbed flow measurement, QuickDisc with ceramic disc technology), actuated control valves (Unimizer, Automizer), pressure independent valves (PIC-V, MVP, Pinnacle, PIM-A, EPIC System), and pre-assembled Coil Piping Packages with over 900 standard configurations. The irrigation line includes the 2000 Series heavy-duty valves, DWS dirty water valves, and high limit constant flow valves, with additional specialty lines for stainless steel, military, custom material, and domestic plumbing applications. All products are manufactured in California (Buy American Act compliant) under ISO 9001:2015 certification.
The company's primary customers are contractors, engineers, and building professionals specifying HVAC systems for commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities — airports, universities, hospitals, data centers, hotels, entertainment venues, and government buildings. It goes to market exclusively through a channel model: independent manufacturer's representatives organized by U.S. region for HVAC and irrigation, plus international distributors across Latin America, supplemented by company offices in Brazil, Singapore, Dubai, and Denmark serving 60+ countries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; standard packages up to 2" ship within 48 hours while specialty and large-diameter configurations are quoted individually. Revenue is generated via hardware sales across HVAC valves, irrigation valves, custom material valves, and accessory lines, with no recurring software or service subscription layer.
The company was founded by David Griswold in 1960 and is privately held; since 2018 the Ibsen family (FlowCon International) holds full ownership following a multi-year transition that began with a 2014 shared-ownership arrangement. Griswold Controls operates as part of the FlowCon International group, which along with its own operations positions the combined entity as the largest specialized manufacturer of balancing and pressure independent control valves globally, with over 10 million valves installed.
Griswold Controls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Griswold Controls
- Legal name
- Griswold Controls
- Website
- https://griswoldcontrols.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Griswold Controls is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of flow control valves, actuators, and pre-assembled coil piping packages for commercial HVAC and professional irrigation applications, selling exclusively through independent manufacturer's representatives and international distributors across 60+ countries. Founded in 1960, the company is owned by the Ibsen family via FlowCon International and serves contractors, engineers, and building professionals in data centers, hospitals, universities, airports, and hospitality.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Griswold Controls industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Flow Control Valves and Piping Systems
- NAICS
- Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911), Metal Valve Manufacturing (33291)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control) (IMAHAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plumbing Valves & Controls (Shutoff, Mixing, Backflow) (IMADALAB), Valves, Regulators & Backflow Prevention (Control Valves, Pressure Regulators, Check/Backflow) (AFABAHAG), Pump & Compressor Packages (Skids, Booster Sets) (IMAHANAG)
Keywords
Where Griswold Controls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Griswold Controls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- HVAC Valves and Components: Manufacture and sale of flow control valves, balancing valves, pressure independent valves, actuated control valves, and coil piping packages for commercial and industrial HVAC applications. Products sold through manufacturer's representatives and distributors.
- Irrigation Valves and Systems: Sale of heavy-duty irrigation valves including 2000 series solenoid valves, pressure reducing valves, and irrigation piping packages for landscaping applications.
- Custom Material Valves: Specialized valves for custom material requirements including military applications and specific industry needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B industrial products - no public pricing available |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Griswold Controls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Griswold Controls designs and manufactures a comprehensive line of flow control valves, pressure independent valves, manual and automatic balancing valves, actuated control valves, and pre-assembled Coil Piping Packages for commercial and industrial HVAC hydronic systems, as well as heavy-duty irrigation valves for landscaping applications. All products are engineered and manufactured in Irvine, California and sold through manufacturer representatives and international distributors to contractors, engineers, and building professionals.
Product overview
Griswold Controls offers a comprehensive portfolio of flow control products for HVAC and irrigation applications. The core product lines include automatic flow limiting valves (K Valve, Isolator R, Isolator Y) that maintain constant flow regardless of pressure changes; manual balancing valves (QuickSet, QuickDisc) for system balancing with disturbed flow measurement technology; actuated control valves (Unimizer, Automizer) for temperature control; and pressure independent valves (MVP, PIC-V, Pinnacle, PIM-A, EPIC System) that provide both pressure and temperature control. The company also provides system packages including pre-assembled Coil Piping Packages (over 900 standard configurations) and hose kits. For irrigation, the product line includes the 2000 Series heavy duty valves, DWS dirty water series, and high limit constant flow valves. Supporting tools include Product Calculator software for valve sizing. All products are designed and manufactured in the USA (Irvine, California) with over 65 years of flow control technology expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- QuickDisc: Manual balance valve combining a traditional venturi for flow measurement with a ceramic disc, available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes.
- Automizer
- Optimizer
- EPIC System
- PIC-V
- MVP
- Pinnacle
- PIM-A
Products and services
- K Valve (Automatic Flow Limiting Valve) Automatic flow limiting valve for HVAC hydronic systems that maintains constant flow regardless of pressure changes, ensuring equipment in each zone has the flow it needs at all times.
- Isolator R (Automatic Flow Limiting Valve) Automatic flow limiting valve with union end connections for easy installation and maintenance in HVAC systems.
- Isolator Y (Automatic Flow Limiting Valve) Y-pattern automatic flow limiting valve designed for HVAC applications with superior flow control characteristics.
- QuickDisc® (Manual Balance Valve) Manual balance valve featuring ceramic disc technology, combining a traditional venturi for flow measurement with ceramic disc components. Available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes with or without unions.
- QuickSet® (Manual Balance Valve) Manual balancing valve using disturbed flow technology for ±1% test accuracy. Available in sizes from 1/2" to 18" with optional metering stations.
- Unimizer® (Actuated Ball Valve) Actuated control valve available in 2-way and 3-way configurations. Features Equal Percentage control for optimal temperature regulation matching coil heat transfer curves.
- Automizer® (Combination Control Valve) First combination actuated control ball valve with automatic flow limit controls. Combines actuated 2-way control valve with stainless steel automatic flow limiting cartridge and manual isolation ball valve in one compact body.
- MVP® (Pressure Independent Control Valve) Pressure independent valve combining parabolic optimizer insert with flow limiting valve to create true pressure independent valve with 100% authority. Available in 2-1/2" to 10" sizes.
- PIC-V® (Pressure Independent Control Valve) Compact pressure independent control valve for zone control applications. Available in 1/2" to 3" sizes including Space Saver models.
- Pinnacle Valve (Pressure Independent Actuated Valve) Compact pressure independent actuated zone valve with higher close off pressures, designed for applications where traditional zone valves are prohibited.
- PIM™-A (Adjustable Pressure Regulator) Adjustable pressure regulator that maintains constant pressure differential across equipment. Features wide PSID range of 4-25 PSID, adjustable via allen key.
- EPIC System (Pressure and Temperature Independent System) System combining pressure and temperature independence, allowing end-users to control temperature drop across their system for both comfort and energy efficiency.
- Coil Piping Packages (CPP) Pre-assembled, shrink-wrapped coil hookup packages consisting of pre-plumbed components that connect to coils or terminal units. Available in over 900 standard configurations with 48-hour shipping for standard packages up to 2".
- Hose Kits Flexible hose kits for connecting valves to coils or terminal units. Available in multiple configurations (#3, #4, #13, #14, #17, #17L, #18, #18L).
- 2000 Series Heavy Duty Irrigation Valves Self-cleaning, self-closing heavy duty irrigation valves constructed of brass and heavy-duty cast iron. Available in normally closed solenoid, normally open solenoid, and pressure reducing configurations in 1" to 8" sizes.
- DWS Series (Dirty Water Irrigation Valves) Dirty water series irrigation valves designed for use with non-potable or contaminated water sources. Available in 3/4" to 2" sizes.
- Irrigation High Limit Constant Flow Control Valves Valves designed to maintain constant flow rates in irrigation systems, preventing overflow and underflow conditions.
- Piping Components and Accessories Valve accessories including Isolator U (union), Isolator B (combination ball valve), Isolator S (combination ball valve and strainer), Y-strainers, and butterfly valves.
- Product Calculator Software Desktop software tool for sizing and selecting QuickSet Manual Balancing Valves and Actuated Ball Valves (Unimizer and Automizer). Allows entry of flow rate, calculates Cv values, expected signal, pressure loss, and average velocity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chilled water delta T improved from 6-8°F to 21°F at Vancouver International Airport, reducing chiller usage and delivering ~$40,000 CAD annual savings
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Griswold Controls
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Griswold Controls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Griswold Controls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- FlowCon InternationalcoreAfter 21-year relationship between David Griswold and Bjarne Ibsen, ownership was shared in 2014 between David Griswold, Bjarne Ibsen, and Torben Ibsen. In 2018, Bjarne and Torben Ibsen became full owners of both FlowCon International and Griswold Controls. This merger made the company the largest specialized manufacturer of balancing valves and pressure independent valves for the HVAC market in the world.
- J.D. Sales CompanycoreLos Angeles representative firm owned by Mahendra Mistry. Key partner on multiple high-profile projects including Disney Concert Hall and UC Irvine. Provides local sales support for HVAC products in Southern California region.
- Phil Vangene SalesregionalNorthern California (Bay Area) representative covering Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
- West Coastline SalesregionalSales representative covering Southern California, Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, and New Mexico markets.
- Confluence ProductregionalSales representative covering Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Montana.
- NiEuW MarketingregionalSales representative covering Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
- Normac Equipment SalesregionalCanadian sales representative with head office in Coldstream BC and Eastern Canada Sales Office. Covers Central and Eastern Canada including Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
- Haften, S.A. De C.V.regionalInternational distributor for Mexico City, Mexico area.
- Sistemas Hidronicos Del Norte S.A. De C.V.regionalInternational distributor for Monterey, N.L., Mexico.
- Sbv Mercantil S. De R.L. De CvregionalInternational distributor for Mexicali, BC, Mexico.
- Valvex Del Norte S.A. De C.VregionalInternational distributor for Mexico City, Cp 08220, Mexico.
- ALFATECH SPAregionalInternational distributor for Santiago, Chile.
- ABACO VALVE AUTOMATION, LLCregionalInternational distributor for Miami, FL serving Colombia market.
- SYLINX LIMITEDregionalInternational distributor for Trinidad and Tobago.
- DISTRITEC COMERCIO DE EQUIPAMENTOS LTDAregionalInternational distributor for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Griswold Controls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Taco Comfort Solutions: Taco manufactures pumps, valves, and accessories for hydronic heating and cooling systems. It competes directly with Griswold in the HVAC hydronic flow control category, frequently co-specified on commercial and institutional projects.
- Armstrong Fluid Technology: Armstrong designs and manufactures pumps, valves, and packaged HVAC systems for commercial buildings. It directly competes in the balancing and flow control valve segment, frequently specified alongside Griswold products on large commercial projects.
- Bell & Gossett (Xylem): Bell & Gossett is a leading manufacturer of pumps, valves, and hydronic system components for HVAC. It is the most direct competitor to Griswold in the commercial balancing and flow control valve category, offering automatic flow control valves, isolation valves, and packaged solutions to engineers and contractors.
- FlowCon International: FlowCon International is Griswold Controls' sister company under common Ibsen family ownership and the closest direct comparable — both manufacture pressure independent and automatic balancing valves for HVAC. Their product lines and customer base overlap significantly, and the 2014 merger created the largest specialized balancing valve manufacturer globally.
- Caleffi Hydronic Solutions: Caleffi manufactures a broad portfolio of balancing valves, pressure independent valves, and pre-assembled coil hookup packages for HVAC and plumbing. Its North American operation competes head-to-head with Griswold's Automizer, QuickSet, and Coil Piping Package product families.
Broad incumbents
- Watts Water Technologies: Watts manufactures valves, flow control devices, and plumbing/HVAC components at scale. While it operates across a much wider product range, it is frequently specified on the same commercial projects as Griswold and competes in balancing and backflow prevention valves.
- Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls is a major building systems incumbent offering HVAC equipment, building automation, and integrated flow solutions. While not a direct valve specialist, it competes for specification at the system level on data center, healthcare, and commercial projects where Griswold's products are installed.
- Danfoss (Heating Segment): Danfoss is a global manufacturer of HVAC components including pressure independent control valves, balancing valves, and actuators. As a large multi-product incumbent, it competes with Griswold in commercial PI valves but offers a far broader controls and refrigerants portfolio.
Others
- Victaulic: Victaulic is a leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining and flow control solutions for commercial and industrial systems. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, supplying grooved couplings and valve products that frequently co-exist with Griswold installations on the same projects.
- NIBCO: NIBCO manufactures valves and flow control products for plumbing, HVAC, and irrigation. Its commercial valves overlap with Griswold's domestic plumbing and irrigation product lines, though NIBCO's portfolio is much broader and its HVAC flow control presence is less specialized.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Griswold Controls social profiles
Digital presenceGriswold Controls compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Griswold Controls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Griswold Controls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Griswold Controls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Griswold Controls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Griswold Controls
What does Griswold Controls do?
Griswold Controls designs and manufactures a comprehensive line of flow control valves, pressure independent valves, manual and automatic balancing valves, actuated control valves, and pre-assembled Coil Piping Packages for commercial and industrial HVAC hydronic systems, as well as heavy-duty irrigation valves for landscaping applications. All products are engineered and manufactured in Irvine, California and sold through manufacturer representatives and international distributors to contractors, engineers, and building professionals.
Is Griswold Controls a public or private company?
Griswold Controls is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Griswold Controls founded?
Griswold Controls was founded in 1960. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Griswold Controls based?
Griswold Controls is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does Griswold Controls make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. HVAC Valves and Components are the primary driver. The others are irrigation Valves and Systems and custom Material Valves.
Who are Griswold Controls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Taco Comfort Solutions, Armstrong Fluid Technology, Bell & Gossett (Xylem), FlowCon International and Caleffi Hydronic Solutions. Broad incumbents are Watts Water Technologies, Johnson Controls and Danfoss (Heating Segment). Others are Victaulic and NIBCO.
Does Griswold Controls have an API?
No public API is recorded for Griswold Controls.
What industry is Griswold Controls in?
Griswold Controls's product category is Flow Control Valves and Piping Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAGAE, Valves & Cartridge Valves (Directional, Pressure, Flow Control), with a secondary code of IMADALAB, Plumbing Valves & Controls (Shutoff, Mixing, Backflow). Its NAICS code is 332911.