Turner Designs Inc
Turner Designs Inc, founded circa 1970 in San Jose, California, manufactures fluorometers and optical sensors for real-time water quality monitoring. The company sells submersible, laboratory, handheld, and OEM-integrated instruments to water utilities, industrial facilities, aquaculture operators, and research institutions globally via direct sales and authorized distributors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Turner Designs Inc does
Turner Designs Inc is a privately held, California-incorporated manufacturer of fluorometers and optical sensors used for real-time water quality monitoring. Founded circa 1970 and headquartered at 1995 N. 1st Street, San Jose, the company operates an ISO 9001:2015-certified facility with between 11 and 50 employees. Its core technology is fluorometry — emitting light at one wavelength and measuring the re-emitted signal at another to detect and quantify fluorescent substances in water. The portfolio spans submersible probes (C-FLUOR, C3, C6P, Cyclops-7F, Turbidity Plus), laboratory instruments (Trilogy), handheld units (AquaFluor, CyanoFluor), ballast water indicative compliance tools (Ballast-Check 2), pCO2 sensors, oil-in-water monitors, and OEM sensor modules. Coverage extends across chlorophyll, cyanobacteria (phycocyanin), CDOM/FDOM, turbidity, tryptophan-like fluorescence, pCO2, oil and fuel, fluorescent dyes, optical brighteners, ammonium, and emerging PFAS applications, with current parameter and application expansion signaled on the company website through 2025–2026.
The company's revenue model is hardware-led and quote-based, with sales of fluorometer instruments, sensors and probes, accessories and spares (including copper wiper arms and calibration standards such as Chlorophyll a Standards at $1,150 list), and technical support services. Go-to-market is sales-led and dual-channel: direct sales inside the continental United States via the website and inside-sales team ([email protected]), and an authorized distributor network internationally. A structurally important distribution layer is OEM — Cyclops-7F and related sensors are embedded inside multiparameter platforms from Hach (HYDROLAB HL7), RBR (RBRconcerto CTD), AML Oceanographic (Metrec•X/XL), Eureka Water Probes (Trimeter, Manta+), innovasea (aquaMeasure POD), and Sequoia Scientific (LISST-HAB, LISST-AOBS), giving the company reach into the installed bases of much larger instrument vendors without bearing the corresponding direct sales cost. Customer segments include water utilities and drinking water providers (cyanobacteria and source-water monitoring), industrial facilities (wastewater compliance and process control — documented deployments at a Midwest dairy processor that cut BOD exceedances 75% and a Southeastern bottling plant that detected a valve failure within 30 minutes), aquaculture operations, environmental monitoring and research institutes (Mote Marine Laboratory, Cawthron Institute, FAU Harbor Branch), and education programs.
Leadership consists of President Stacey Duff, who joined the management team in February 2020. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries, consistent with a long-tenured, self-funded operating business. Recent strategic activity includes a clustered wave of OEM integration partnerships in mid-2019, product launches across 2017–2020 (Turbidity Plus variants, C-FLUOR digital output), entry into PFAS detection by 2025–2026, and the discontinuation of the legacy Cyclops Turbidity SKU in favor of newer platforms.
Turner Designs Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Turner Designs Inc
- Legal name
- Turner Designs Inc.
- Website
- https://turnerdesigns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Turner Designs Inc, founded circa 1970 in San Jose, California, manufactures fluorometers and optical sensors for real-time water quality monitoring. The company sells submersible, laboratory, handheld, and OEM-integrated instruments to water utilities, industrial facilities, aquaculture operators, and research institutions globally via direct sales and authorized distributors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Turner Designs Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Quality Monitoring Instruments
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water) (EUAHACAC), Irrigation Monitoring & Sensors (Flow/Pressure Meters, Soil Moisture, Water Quality Sensors) (AFABAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Turner Designs Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Turner Designs Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fluorometer Hardware Sales: Sale of fluorometers including submersible probes, laboratory instruments, handheld devices, and process monitors. Products include C-FLUOR, C3, C6P, Trilogy, Cyclops, AquaFluor, and related sensors.
- Sensor and Probe Sales: Sale of specialized sensors for various parameters including turbidity, chlorophyll, phycocyanin, CDOM, tryptophan, and other water quality indicators.
- Accessories and Spares: Sale of accessories including wiper arms, calibration standards, cables, and replacement parts for instruments.
- Technical Support Services: Technical support including repairs, returns processing, and customer service for product troubleshooting and maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chlorophyll a Standards - US List Price $1150 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Turner Designs Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Turner Designs Inc designs, manufactures, and sells sensitive fluorometers and optical sensors used to detect fluorescent signals in water for environmental and industrial water quality monitoring. Its portfolio includes submersible probes (C-FLUOR, C3, C6P, Cyclops-7F, Turbidity Plus, pCO2), a benchtop laboratory fluorometer (Trilogy), handheld field instruments (AquaFluor, CyanoFluor), ballast water compliance instruments (Ballast-Check 2), OEM sensor modules for partner integration, calibration standards, and supporting accessories, all sold primarily to water utilities, industrial operators, researchers, and aquaculture operations.
Product overview
Turner Designs Inc manufactures fluorometers and optical sensors for water quality monitoring, offering a portfolio of submersible, laboratory, handheld, and OEM instruments. The core product line includes C-FLUOR Submersible Probes (ultra low-power in situ sensors), C3 and C6P submersible fluorometers, Trilogy Laboratory Fluorometer, Cyclops-7F sensor platform for OEM integration, AquaFluor and CyanoFluor handheld instruments, Ballast-Check 2 for ballast water compliance, Turbidity Plus sensors, and pCO2 sensors. These products integrate with third-party multiparameter systems from partners including Hach, RBR, AML Oceanographic, and Eureka Water Probes. The company also provides OEM solutions for embedding fluorometry technology into customer systems, single and multi-sensor packages, remote monitoring solutions, online process monitors, and oil-in-water monitoring. Accessories include calibration standards (Chlorophyll a Standards) and replacement parts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- C-FLUOR Submersible Probes Ultra low-power single-wavelength in situ fluorescence and turbidity sensors for water quality monitoring; now available with digital output option for integration with multiparameter systems and dataloggers.
- C3 Submersible Fluorometer Compact submersible fluorometer for real-time monitoring of multiple parameters including Tryptophan-like Fluorescence (TLF), CDOM, Chlorophyll, and Phycocyanin, with integrated wiper available for biofouling prevention.
- C6P Submersible Fluorometer Multi-sensor submersible platform enabling up to six integrated sensors in a corrosion-resistant Delrin plastic housing for multiparameter monitoring deployments.
- Trilogy Laboratory Fluorometer Benchtop laboratory fluorometer for high-accuracy quantification of cyanobacterial biovolume, chlorophyll, and other fluorescence measurements in research settings.
- Cyclops-7F Submersible Fluorometer Compact single-wavelength submersible fluorescence and turbidity sensor designed for integration into third-party multiparameter systems and sondes; the standard OEM sensor platform for partner integrations.
- AquaFluor Handheld Fluorometer Portable handheld fluorometer for field measurements of fluorescence and turbidity parameters, designed for spot-check water quality monitoring.
- CyanoFluor Handheld HAB Indicator Handheld instrument for rapid field detection of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) using phycocyanin fluorescence as a marker, providing rapid assessment of harmful algal bloom risk.
- Ballast-Check 2 Ballast water indicative compliance monitoring instrument designed for rapid screening of ballast water to verify treatment system performance against regulatory standards.
- Turbidity Plus Submersible Sensor Single-channel turbidity sensor with integrated user-triggered wiper motor, deployable to 200 meters and available in configurations up to 3,000 NTU range or a lower-detection 0.05-500 NTU version.
- pCO2 Sensors Sensors for measuring partial pressure of carbon dioxide in water, used in environmental monitoring and oceanographic research applications.
- OEM Fluorometers Original equipment manufacturer solutions for integrating Turner Designs fluorometry technology, including Cyclops-7F sensors and C-FLUOR probes, into customer and partner products and systems.
- Chlorophyll a Standards Reference standards for chlorophyll a calibration (Part 10-850); US List Price $1150 includes two 20 mL ampoules of known-concentration chlorophyll a in 90% acetone solution with overnight UPS shipping, USA only.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced BOD exceedances by 75% through real-time TLF and CDOM monitoring
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Turner Designs Inc
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Turner Designs Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature8 records
Turner Designs Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NavoceancoreNavocean collaborated with Mote Marine Laboratory to develop a sail-powered mobile platform for coastal Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring using Turner Designs Cyclops Integrator. This partnership represents a novel application of fluorometry technology for mobile marine monitoring.
- Mote Marine LaboratorycoreMote Marine Laboratory partnered with Navocean to deploy Turner Designs Cyclops Integrator on a sustainable sail-powered mobile platform for monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in coastal waters.
- AML OceanographiccoreAML Oceanographic's Metrec•X and Metrec•XL multiparameter sondes integrate Turner Designs Cyclops-7F sensors. The UV•Xchange™ anti-fouling system works with Turner Designs sensors for long-term deployments.
- innovaseacoreinnovasea's aquaMeasure POD is a compact, rugged wireless sensor that connects to Turner Designs Cyclops-7F submersible sensors (BG Algae, CDOM/FDOM, Chlorophyll, Turbidity). The POD features underwater communications with cloud-sync technology for real-time monitoring.
- RBRcoreRBR integrates Turner Designs sensors onto their single-channel, multi-parameter, and CTD loggers for long-term monitoring in oceans, coastal seas, and lakes. RBR*concerto*³ C.T.D measures conductivity, temperature, and depth with Turner Designs sensor integration.
- Eureka Water ProbescoreEureka Water Probes offers Trimeter and Manta+ multiprobes that integrate Turner Designs Cyclops-7F sensors. Manta+ supports up to 12 sensors including chlorophyll, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin, CDOM/FDOM, rhodamine, fluorescein, crude oil, refined fuel, optical brighteners, and tryptophan.
- HachcoreHach sells HYDROLAB HL7 multiparameter sondes that integrate Turner Designs Cyclops-7F sensors. This partnership enables customers to deploy Turner Designs fluorescence technology within Hach's established multiparameter monitoring platform for environmental monitoring applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Turner Designs Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chelsea Technologies Group (Valeport): UK-based manufacturer of fluorometers and optical sensors for water quality (e.g., TriLux, Hyperion) used in environmental monitoring and oceanography—directly comparable in core technology and target applications to Turner Designs.
- bbe Moldaenke: German manufacturer of in vivo chlorophyll and fluorescence instrumentation for water quality, including handheld and submersible fluorometers that overlap directly with Turner's C-FLUOR and Cyclops product lines.
- TriOS Optical Sensors: Manufacturer of UV fluorescence-based sensors for water quality (nitrate, PAH, crude oil, CDOM, turbidity) used in monitoring and process control—competes head-to-head with Turner Designs in optical water quality sensing.
- Eureka Water Probes: Manufacturer of Trimeter and Manta+ multiparameter sondes that integrate Turner Designs Cyclops-7F sensors; also a competitor in integrated multi-parameter probes for environmental monitoring.
- AML Oceanographic: OEM partner that embeds Turner Designs sensors in its Metrec•X/XL sondes; also a direct competitor in the multiparameter water quality sonde market for oceanographic and environmental customers.
- RBR: Canadian oceanographic instrument maker integrating Turner Designs sensors into RBRconcerto CTDs; offers overlapping CTD and optical sensor products for ocean and lake monitoring.
Broad incumbents
- Sea-Bird Scientific (Danaher): Oceanographic sensor manufacturer (CTDs, fluorometers) acquired by Danaher; offers fluorescence sensors that overlap with Turner's Cyclops and C-FLUOR products, with broader portfolio and global reach.
- Hach (Danaher): Largest water quality instrument vendor globally, integrating Turner Designs Cyclops-7F sensors into HYDROLAB HL7 sondes; competes with Turner's standalone instruments in utilities and industrial wastewater.
- YSI (Xylem): Xylem-owned water quality sonde and sensor manufacturer offering chlorophyll, phycocyanin, and turbidity probes that overlap with Turner's portfolio across utilities, aquaculture, and research.
Regional players
- Aanderaa Data Instruments (Xylem): Norway-based oceanographic and water quality sensor maker (now part of Xylem) with fluorescence and turbidity sensors that overlap with Turner's submersible products in European and Nordic markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Turner Designs Inc social profiles
Digital presenceTurner Designs Inc compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Turner Designs Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Turner Designs Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Turner Designs Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Turner Designs Inc 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 Turner Designs Inc
What does Turner Designs Inc do?
Turner Designs Inc designs, manufactures, and sells sensitive fluorometers and optical sensors used to detect fluorescent signals in water for environmental and industrial water quality monitoring. Its portfolio includes submersible probes (C-FLUOR, C3, C6P, Cyclops-7F, Turbidity Plus, pCO2), a benchtop laboratory fluorometer (Trilogy), handheld field instruments (AquaFluor, CyanoFluor), ballast water compliance instruments (Ballast-Check 2), OEM sensor modules for partner integration, calibration standards, and supporting accessories, all sold primarily to water utilities, industrial operators, researchers, and aquaculture operations.
Is Turner Designs Inc a public or private company?
Turner Designs Inc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Turner Designs Inc founded?
Turner Designs Inc was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Turner Designs Inc based?
Turner Designs Inc is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does Turner Designs Inc make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fluorometer Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are sensor and Probe Sales, accessories and Spares and technical Support Services.
Who are Turner Designs Inc's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chelsea Technologies Group (Valeport), bbe Moldaenke, TriOS Optical Sensors, Eureka Water Probes, AML Oceanographic and RBR. Broad incumbents are Sea-Bird Scientific (Danaher), Hach (Danaher) and YSI (Xylem). Aanderaa Data Instruments (Xylem) is listed as a regional player.
Does Turner Designs Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for Turner Designs Inc.
What industry is Turner Designs Inc in?
Turner Designs Inc's product category is Water Quality Monitoring Instruments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPABAJAK, Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors), with a secondary code of EUAHACAC, Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.