John Blue Company

What John Blue Company does

John Blue Company is a privately held US manufacturer of precision liquid application pumps and accessory systems for agriculture, founded in 1886 and headquartered at 165 Electronics Boulevard SW, Huntsville, Alabama. The company operates as a division of Advanced Systems Technology and serves farmers, agricultural producers, industrial customers, and OEM equipment manufacturers (including planter, sprayer, and applicator makers) across the United States and Canada. Its core product portfolio spans NGP piston pumps, squeeze tube pumps, centrifugal pumps (polypropylene and cast-iron), diaphragm/spray pumps, brass gear pumps, injection pumps, and 12-volt pumps, complemented by flow dividers, the VisaGage II flow monitor, the Liquid Blockage Monitor System (LBMS), Impellicone NH3 flow dividers, manifolds, check valves, and ground/variable-rate hydraulic drives.

The underlying technology base rests on positive-displacement pumping, hydraulic drive systems, and magnetic sensing-based flow monitoring, with over 50 patents protecting proprietary innovations such as the Vac-U-Seal impeller design, the Impellicone spiral needle flow divider (licensed from Iowa State University), and the patented VisaGage II/LBMS monitoring system. Products integrate with major precision-agriculture electronics platforms (John Deere CANbus, Raven, Ag Leader, Trimble, Dickey-John, Precision Planting) and support ISOBUS standards, allowing the company to position itself as a component supplier embedded in OEM machinery as well as a direct-to-dealer brand for end-users.

John Blue generates revenue through hardware sales of pumps, accessories, and components via a network of authorized dealers in the US and Canada, supplemented by direct sales support via toll-free phone and email for enterprise and custom-solution inquiries. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through dealer relationships. Marketing leverages trade shows (Equip Exposition, Nebraska Ag Expo, National Farm Machinery Show, Commodity Classic), a quarterly newsletter, YouTube content, social media, and a 2025-26 product catalog. The company sells to three primary segments: farmers and agricultural producers (horizontal, primary), industrial and commercial operations (horizontal, secondary), and OEMs (vertical, relationship-based), with industrial pumps, OEM integration kits, and digital tools (calculators, mobile apps) representing the main growth adjacencies beyond the core agricultural pump business.

Name

John Blue Company

Legal name

John Blue Company

Website

https://johnblue.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Blue Company is a privately held, 140-year-old Huntsville, Alabama manufacturer of precision agricultural pumps (piston, centrifugal, diaphragm, injection), flow dividers, and flow monitoring systems, sold through US and Canadian dealers to farmers, OEMs, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Pumps and Precision Liquid Application Systems

NAICS

Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing (333996), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42382)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Pumps & Pumping Accessories (Surface/Submersible, Impellers, Seals) (AFABAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Metering Pumps (IMAHANAC), Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural pumps manufacturing
• Precision liquid application equipment
• Fertigation and chemigation systems
• Anhydrous ammonia application pumps
• Flow monitoring and blockage detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Pump Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling precision agricultural pumps including piston pumps, squeeze tube pumps, centrifugal pumps, diaphragm pumps, and injection pumps. Products are sold through dealer network and direct sales.
2. Pump Accessories & Components: Secondary revenue stream from accessories including flow dividers, flow monitors, check valves, manifolds, controllers, spray guns, foam markers, and replacement parts.
3. Industrial Pumps: Commercial and industrial pump products for chemical injection, sprayer applications, and liquid transfer in industrial settings.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

John Blue Company manufactures and sells precision agricultural and industrial pump systems for liquid fertilizer, chemical, and water application. Its core product lines include NGP piston pumps, squeeze tube pumps, centrifugal pumps, diaphragm/spray pumps, injection pumps, and brass gear pumps, complemented by flow dividers, flow monitors, blockage detection systems, and variable rate hydraulic drive kits. Products are sold through an authorized dealer network across the US and Canada with direct sales support for enterprise and OEM customers.

Product overview

John Blue Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of agricultural and industrial pump products and precision application systems. The core product line centers on various pump technologies including NGP (Next Generation Piston) Pumps, Squeeze Tube Pumps, Diaphragm/Spray Pumps, Brass Gear Pumps, Centrifugal Pumps, Injection Pumps, and 12-Volt Agri-Pumps. These pumps are complemented by a wide range of accessories including Variable Rate Hydraulic Drive Kits for precision farming, Flow Dividers and Flow Monitors (VisaGage II), the Liquid Blockage Monitor System (LBMS), Impellicone Flow Dividers for NH3 applications, Check Valves, Manifolds, Strainers, Foam Markers, Spray Guns, and Ground Drive systems. The company also provides digital tools including online calculators for pump settings and flow calculations, plus mobile apps for tablet-based monitoring. Products integrate with major agricultural equipment brands including John Deere, Raven, Ag Leader, Trimble, and support ISOBUS standards. All products are backed by the 'Guaranteed to Do the Job' guarantee and the company serves farmers, producers, and industrial customers from its Huntsville, Alabama headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NGP Piston Pumps (Next Generation Piston Pumps) Variable rate metering piston pumps for precision agricultural application of liquid fertilizers and chemicals. Available in single and dual rate configurations, with ground drive or hydraulic drive options, and cast iron or 316 stainless steel wet end castings.
• Squeeze Tube Pumps Precision metering pumps for liquid fertilizer applications available with oval-shaped tubes (with built-in backing plate) or round hoses (with patented spring-loaded backing plate). Available from 6 to 48 outlets for ground-driven and hydraulic applications.
• Centrifugal Pumps (Polypropylene and Cast-Iron) Self-priming centrifugal transfer and spray pumps. Poly pumps feature lightweight chemical-resistant polypropylene construction; cast-iron pumps offer two-year unconditional warranty and can run dry without seal damage thanks to patented Vac-U-Seal impeller design.
• Diaphragm/Spray Pumps Low, medium, and high-pressure diaphragm pumps for agricultural and industrial sprayer applications. Available from 4.3 to 67 GPM at pressures up to 725 PSI. Include poly-diaphragm pumps ideal for acid and other hard-to-handle applications.
• Injection Pumps Fertilizer and chemical injection pumps for irrigation, fertigation, and chemigation applications. Available in simplex and duplex models with 316 stainless steel and chemically resistant polypropylene wetted parts.
• Brass Gear Pumps Positive displacement brass gear pumps with shear pin design and stainless steel shaft, ideal for sprayer applications. Designed to run at 540-600 RPM with maximum 18 GPM capacity and 250 PSI pressure.
• 12-Volt Agri-Pump Weatherproof 12-volt diaphragm pumps for low volume fertilizer applications. Three models with capacities of 2.2, 3.6, and 4.8 GPM. Feature quick connect ports, integral pressure switch, and automatic demand operation.
• Variable Rate Hydraulic Drive Kits Hydraulic drive systems that convert standard piston pumps into variable rate pumps for in-cab application rate changes. Includes Direct Drive Kits for John Deere CANbus planters and kits for Raven, Ag Leader, Trimble systems with PWM control.
• Impellicone Flow Dividers and Splitters NH3 (anhydrous ammonia) flow dividers and splitters featuring patented spiral needle technology that spins and mixes liquid and gas phases for even distribution. Available in 6, 13, and 18-port models.
• VisaGage II Flow Monitor and Blockage System Flow monitoring system for liquid fertilizers and NH3 application. Shows low-flow and no-flow problems in real-time with LED row indicators. Available in wired, wireless (iPad/Android/Kindle), and ISOBUS options.
• Liquid Blockage Monitor System (LBMS) Patented system that monitors liquid application flow from tractor cab using magnetic sensing technology. Identifies which row is being under-applied. Available in standard wired, wireless (iPad/Android/Kindle), and ISOBUS options.
• Flow Dividers (FD Series) Patented stainless steel flow dividers for accurate liquid fertilizer distribution. Available with 6, 12, or 20 outlets. Provides the most accurate distribution of any automatic flow divider system.
• Foam Markers Visual marking systems for sprayer edge of spray. Creates foam line to mark position in field and avoid double coverage or lack of coverage. Available in models from 10 to 150 gallon capacities.
• John Deere Planter Upgrade Kits Kits to update John Deere equipment with the latest John Blue technology including 1770NT John Deere Port Manifold Conversion Kit and VisaGage II Flow Monitor Kit.
• 12 Volt Batch Controller 12 Volt Batch Controller for accurately transferring fluid on any brand pump for farm, lawn, and co-op applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Centrifugal pumps can run dry without damaging the seal, eliminating costly downtime
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Advanced Systems TechnologycoreOthers · 1 January 2000John Blue Company is a division of Advanced Systems Technology. In 2000, the company purchased CDS Ag Industries and formed CDS-John Blue Company as a division of Advanced Systems Technology. In August 2019, the company returned to its original name, John Blue Company.
• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Iowa State University on research and development of the Impellicone flow divider technology for anhydrous ammonia application. Iowa State conducted extensive testing and field trials before licensing the patented technology to John Blue Company. The Impellicone concept was researched by Iowa State and collaboratively developed with and licensed to John Blue Company.
• John DeerecoreTechnology or IntegrationJohn Blue Variable Rate Hydraulic Drive kits are designed for compatibility with John Deere CANbus planters. The JD series hydraulic drive kits integrate with John Deere equipment for precision agriculture applications.
• Raven IndustriescoreTechnology or IntegrationVariable Rate Hydraulic Drive kits compatible with Raven precision agriculture systems for variable rate and sectional shut-off applications. PWM series drives work with Raven controllers.
• Ag Leader TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationHydraulic drive products designed for compatibility with Ag Leader precision farming systems. Direct drive kits interface with Ag Leader controllers for variable rate application.
• TrimblecoreTechnology or IntegrationVariable Rate Hydraulic Drive kits compatible with Trimble precision agriculture systems for GPS-guided variable rate application and sectional control.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hypro: Hypro, a Pentair brand, manufactures agricultural spray pumps, centrifugal pumps, and roller pumps for OEMs and aftermarket. It is the most direct competitor in agricultural spray/metering pump categories overlapping with John Blue's piston, centrifugal, and diaphragm pump lines.
• Banjo Corporation: Banjo (a IDEX company) designs and manufactures polypropylene and stainless pumps, valves, fittings, and flow products for agricultural and industrial liquid handling. It directly competes with John Blue's centrifugal, diaphragm, and injection pump offerings, especially in chemical-resistant ag applications.
• TeeJet Technologies: TeeJet Technologies manufactures spray nozzles, spray guns, valves, manifolds, and electronic controls for agricultural spraying. Comparable to John Blue's sprayer accessories and flow monitoring components, targeting the same farmer/OEM spray application workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Raven Industries: Raven Industries (now part of CNH Industrial) provides precision agriculture technology, flow control, and application equipment for OEMs and growers. A partner/competitor to John Blue on Variable Rate Hydraulic Drive integration, Raven competes broadly across the precision-application stack where John Blue plays.
• Ag Leader Technology: Ag Leader manufactures precision agriculture displays, GPS guidance, and application control systems. It is both a partner (compatibility for John Blue VRH kits) and an adjacent incumbent whose controllers compete with John Blue's flow monitoring and blockage detection products.
• Trimble Agriculture: Trimble's agriculture division provides GPS guidance, variable rate application, and precision farming platforms. As a John Blue VRH integration partner and a broader incumbent offering end-to-end precision-ag solutions, Trimble is an important adjacent competitor.
• Valmont Industries: Valmont Industries, through Valley Irrigation, is a global leader in mechanized irrigation equipment. While focused on center pivot and drip systems rather than metering pumps, Valmont overlaps with John Blue in irrigation injection/fertigation and represents a much larger incumbent in adjacent agricultural water management.
• Lindsay Corporation: Lindsay Corporation, through Zimmatic, manufactures irrigation systems and infrastructure. As a broad incumbent in agricultural water management, Lindsay is comparable to John Blue's irrigation injection and fertigation pump business, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Pentair: Pentair is a diversified water solutions company whose Hypro and other agricultural/industrial pump brands directly overlap with John Blue's product lines. As a public, global incumbent with much greater scale and distribution, Pentair is a relevant comparable for valuation benchmarking.

Emerging players

• Nelson Irrigation Corporation: Nelson Irrigation designs and manufactures irrigation products including sprinklers, valves, and control devices. While more focused on overhead irrigation hardware than metering pumps, Nelson competes in adjacent agricultural water/fertigation categories where John Blue's injection pumps and check valves are positioned.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/johnblueco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CDSJBC1/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/johnblueco
• Instagraminstagram.com/cdsjohnblue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 John Blue Company