Flotron, Inc.
Flotron, Inc. designs and manufactures precision holding, rotation, and positioning fixtures for spacecraft and satellite assembly, integration, testing, and transport, serving NASA, prime aerospace and defense contractors, and commercial space companies from its Vista, California facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersVista, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Flotron, Inc. does
Flotron, Inc. is a Vista, California-based designer and manufacturer of mechanical ground support equipment (MGSE) and engineered aerospace tooling solutions, in continuous operation since 1957. The company specializes in holding, rotation, and positioning fixtures used during spacecraft and satellite assembly, integration, testing, transport, and inspection. Its product portfolio spans dual support rotation fixtures (200–1200 Series) with load capacities from 50 lbs to 14,500 lbs and torque ratings up to 211,000 in-lbs, cantilevered rotation fixtures (CRF, CTL, CIR series), dual support cradles (DSC), satellite mobile platforms and stands (SMP, SMS), leveling and caster jacks (LJ, CJ), PCB extractors/inserters, and custom-engineered solutions. Equipment is designed for clean-room compatibility (FS209E class 10,000 / ISO class 7), with optional electromechanical lift drives and gloss-white powder coat finishes for contamination-controlled environments. Flotron's Quality Management System is certified to ISO 9001:2015 by TUV SUD America.
The revenue model is a direct, engineering-led sale of off-the-shelf catalog products and custom-engineered solutions, priced per quote. Customers can configure products or request CAD models through the Flotron website, with the in-house engineering team designing bespoke fixtures when standard products do not fit. The customer base spans government space agencies (NASA/JPL, NASA Goddard, JHU APL), prime aerospace and defense contractors (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Moog ISP), commercial space entrants (SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab), and academic research (Caltech), with documented engagements on missions including Europa Clipper, Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, IMAP, JPSS-1, SPHEREx, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, Orion/Artemis, the Roman Space Telescope, Landsat 8, MethaneSAT, and EscaPADE. Distribution is direct-to-customer with global reach across aerospace and defense integrators.
Flotron is a privately held, independent company with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entities, subsidiaries, partnerships, funding rounds, or M&A activity in the source data. It operates from a single headquarters and manufacturing site in Vista, California, with a workforce of 11–50 employees. The competitive position rests on 67+ years of domain specialization in spacecraft handling fixtures and a track record on mission-critical programs rather than on scale, cost leadership, or software differentiation. Forward product development is concentrated in eight new SKUs spanning multi-axis positioners, satellite upenders, larger dual-support fixtures, synchronized lift-rotate systems, and X-shaped mobile stands.
Flotron, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Flotron, Inc.
- Legal name
- Flotron, Inc.
- Website
- https://flotron.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Flotron, Inc. designs and manufactures precision holding, rotation, and positioning fixtures for spacecraft and satellite assembly, integration, testing, and transport, serving NASA, prime aerospace and defense contractors, and commercial space companies from its Vista, California facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Flotron, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Ground Support Equipment
- NAICS
- Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (3364)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Radomes & Composite/Aero Protective Structures (IMABAEAG), Ordnance Components & Subassemblies (Casings, Liners, Guidance Sections) (IMABAHAL), Aerospace Bearings, Bushings & Motion Components (IMABANAB), Aerospace Fasteners & Hardware (IMABANAA)
Keywords
Where Flotron, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vista
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Flotron, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Flotron generates revenue through the sale of physical holding and rotation fixtures, mobile platforms, leveling jacks, and related equipment. Products range from bench-top units (50 lbs capacity) to large spacecraft positioners (14,500 lbs capacity). Both off-the-shelf and custom-engineered solutions are sold.
- Custom Engineering Solutions: Custom solution design and engineering services for special requirements that cannot be resolved with off-the-shelf products. The experienced engineering team works with customers to design custom fixtures for specific applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Off-the-shelf products with standard configurations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Flotron, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Flotron designs and manufactures precision mechanical holding and rotation fixtures (mechanical ground support equipment, or MGSE) used to position, rotate, transport, and handle spacecraft, satellites, and other heavy aerospace payloads during assembly, integration, testing, and inspection. The product portfolio spans bench-top units with 50 lb capacity up to large motorized spacecraft positioners rated at 14,500 lbs and 211,000 in-lbs of torque, and includes dual support rotation fixtures (200-1200 Series), cantilevered rotation fixtures (CRF, CTL, CIR-AH Series), satellite mobile platforms and stands (SMP, SMS), dual support cradles (DSC), leveling and caster jacks (LJ, CJ), and PCB extractors/inserters, with both standard catalog offerings and fully custom-engineered solutions for specialized mission requirements.
Product overview
Flotron, Inc. is a manufacturer of precision holding and rotation fixtures for aerospace and satellite applications. The product portfolio consists of dual support rotation fixtures (200-1200 Series) ranging from 50 lbs to 14,500 lbs capacity, cantilevered rotation fixtures (CRF and CTL Series) for satellite positioning, dual support cradles (DSC Series) for payload support, satellite mobile platforms (SMP and SMS Series) for satellite transport, leveling jacks (LJ Series) and caster jacks (CJ Series) for equipment support, PCB extractors/inserters for electronics assembly, and custom engineering solutions. These products serve NASA's spacecraft integration, satellite assembly, and testing operations, as well as commercial aerospace manufacturers. The company operates from Vista, California and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 200-1200 Series Dual Support Rotation Fixtures
Quantifiable outcome
- Load capacity range from 50 lbs to 14,500 lbs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Flotron, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Flotron, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Flotron, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Flotron, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Teledyne Technologies: Conglomerate with aerospace components, electronic instrumentation, and digital imaging businesses serving space and defense primes. Overlaps with Flotron at the aerospace component and supplier level.
- Moog Inc. Diversified motion control and aerospace components supplier with space-qualified actuation, propulsion, and positioning products. Competes indirectly with Flotron in space-fixture applications while also being a Flotron customer for some programs.
- Sierra Space: Develops space structures, satellite subsystems, and LIFE habitat modules. As a broader space systems integrator, it participates in many of the same programs where Flotron supplies integration fixtures.
- Triumph Group: Aerospace structures, precision machined components, and integrated systems supplier. Provides aerospace fixtures, components, and assemblies that overlap with parts of Flotron's precision aerospace tooling portfolio.
- Curtiss-Wright: Diversified defense and aerospace supplier with capabilities in precision machining, motion control, and aerospace structures, competing for adjacent fixture and handling equipment work.
Direct peers
- Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space): Major supplier of space structures, mechanisms, and mechanical ground support equipment for satellites and launchers. Direct overlap with Flotron's spacecraft/satellite handling fixture business across European and U.S. programs.
- Honeybee Robotics: Designs and manufactures spacecraft mechanisms, integration fixtures, and robotic tooling for space exploration. Comparable in niche specialization to Flotron and now backed by Blue Origin, a Flotron customer.
- Bradford Engineering: Supplies spacecraft mechanisms, fluid systems, and integration/test support equipment to NASA, ESA, and commercial primes — competing in the same spacecraft AIT tooling niche as Flotron.
- Kinetic Systems: Manufactures vibration isolation tables and precision positioning equipment used in spacecraft and satellite integration and test environments, overlapping with Flotron's clean room positioning fixture offerings.
Emerging players
- Tronair: Specializes in aircraft and aerospace ground support equipment including jacks, tow bars, and handling gear. While focused on aircraft rather than spacecraft, it is a comparable niche MGSE manufacturer addressing similar handling use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Flotron, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceFlotron, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Flotron, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Flotron, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Flotron, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Flotron, 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 Flotron, Inc.
What does Flotron, Inc. do?
Flotron designs and manufactures precision mechanical holding and rotation fixtures (mechanical ground support equipment, or MGSE) used to position, rotate, transport, and handle spacecraft, satellites, and other heavy aerospace payloads during assembly, integration, testing, and inspection. The product portfolio spans bench-top units with 50 lb capacity up to large motorized spacecraft positioners rated at 14,500 lbs and 211,000 in-lbs of torque, and includes dual support rotation fixtures (200-1200 Series), cantilevered rotation fixtures (CRF, CTL, CIR-AH Series), satellite mobile platforms and stands (SMP, SMS), dual support cradles (DSC), leveling and caster jacks (LJ, CJ), and PCB extractors/inserters, with both standard catalog offerings and fully custom-engineered solutions for specialized mission requirements.
Is Flotron, Inc. a public or private company?
Flotron, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Flotron, Inc. founded?
Flotron, Inc. was founded in 1957. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Flotron, Inc. based?
Flotron, Inc. is headquartered in Vista, United States, in the North America region.
How does Flotron, Inc. make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Engineering Solutions.
Who are Flotron, Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Teledyne Technologies, Moog Inc., Sierra Space, Triumph Group and Curtiss-Wright. Direct peers are Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space), Honeybee Robotics, Bradford Engineering and Kinetic Systems. Tronair is listed as an emerging player.
Does Flotron, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Flotron, Inc..
What industry is Flotron, Inc. in?
Flotron, Inc.'s product category is Aerospace Ground Support Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAF, Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control, with a secondary code of IMABAEAG, Radomes & Composite/Aero Protective Structures. Its NAICS code is 336419 and its SIC code is 3760.