What Sun-Star Electric does

Sun-Star Electric, Inc. is a Texas-incorporated, employee-owned company (ESOP since 2011) founded in 1977 and headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. The company specializes in the manufacture, distribution, and repair of submersible electric motors, serving as Hitachi's principal worldwide distributor and the only authorized warranty, repair, and manufacturing facility for Hitachi submersible motors globally. In the early 1990s, Sun-Star expanded into proprietary manufacturing with the Sun Star Type M (oil-filled, 40–600 HP at 460/2300/4160V) and Type D (water-filled, 316 stainless steel construction) motor lines, plus the Aqua Star deep-ocean motor rated for operation at depths exceeding 10,000 meters. The company also performs repair and refurbishment services for all submersible motor brands and for boiler water circulating pump motors serving the power industry.

The product portfolio spans water-filled and oil-filled submersible motors in standard sizes from 40 to 600 HP and voltages from 460V to 6,600V, offered in corrosion-resistant material options including 316 stainless steel, super duplex stainless steel, and nickel-aluminum-bronze, with high-temperature variants rated to 75°C ambient water temperature. Sun-Star also supplies accessories (thrust bearings, shaft couplings, plug-in lead assemblies, submersible cable) and provides engineering consultation, upgrades, modifications, and testing. All manufacturing, machining, winding, and testing — reportedly 90% of these activities — are conducted in-house at the company's 75,000 square-foot Lubbock facility, which holds thousands of stock motors for immediate shipment alongside custom manufacturing capability for specific applications.

Sun-Star generates revenue across three streams: hardware sales of new submersible motors and replacement parts (quote-based, net 30 terms, $100 minimum order), professional services including multi-brand repair and engineering consultation, and distribution of Hitachi-branded motors. The company serves agriculture, municipal water, industrial, mining, offshore drilling and production, power generation, desalination, and subsea/ROV markets. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales conducted through direct phone, email, and the company website, with brand reinforcement via memberships in NGWA, AWWA, WEF, TGWA, TWCA, WEAT, WSC, and the North Texas Municipal Water District.

Name

Sun-Star Electric

Legal name

Sun-Star Electric, Inc.

Website

https://sunstarusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sun-Star Electric is a Texas-based, employee-owned manufacturer and the principal worldwide distributor of submersible electric motors, serving agriculture, municipal, industrial, mining, offshore, power, and subsea markets with proprietary and Hitachi-branded product lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Submersible Electric Motors

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Oilfield Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Wellheads, BOPs, Surface Equipment) (EUALABAL)

Keywords

• Submersible electric motors
• Water well pumps
• Industrial motor repair
• Deep ocean motors
• Oil-filled motors

Headquarters

HQ city

Lubbock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Submersible Electric Motor Sales: Sale of submersible electric motors including Hitachi motors, Sun Star Type M (oil-filled), Sun Star Type D (water-filled), and Aqua Star deep ocean motors. Thousands of stock motors available with ability to manufacture for specific applications.
2. Repair and Service: Full-service repair capabilities for water-filled and oil-filled submersible motors (all brands), boiler water circulating pump repair, subsea (ROV) and deep sea motor repair, field service, technical assistance, upgrades, modifications, conversions, adaptations, testing, and engineering consultation.
3. Parts and Accessories: Sale of parts and accessories including thrust bearings, cast and machine parts, shaft couplings, plug-in lead assemblies, repair parts, and submersible cable.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sun-Star Electric manufactures, distributes, services, and repairs submersible electric motors (water-filled and oil-filled wet-wound types), serving as Hitachi's principal worldwide distributor and only authorized warranty, repair, and manufacturing facility. The company produces its own proprietary motor lines—Sun Star Type M (oil-filled), Type D (water-filled), and Aqua Star (deep-ocean, 10,000m+ depths)—and provides full-service repair, refurbishment, custom manufacturing, and engineering consultation for submersible motors used in water well, irrigation, municipal, industrial, mining, offshore, power, and subsea applications.

Product overview

Sun-Star Electric is a submersible electric motor company that serves as Hitachi's principal worldwide distributor and their only authorized warranty, repair, and manufacturing facility. The company manufactures its own branded motors including the Sun Star Type 'M' (oil-filled) and Type 'D' (water-filled) motors, along with the deep-ocean capable Aqua Star motor. The product portfolio spans water-filled and oil-filled submersible motors in various sizes and materials, boiler water circulating pump motor refurbishment services, and related accessories. All manufacturing, repair, and testing is performed in-house at their 75,000 square feet facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aqua Star: Deep ocean capable submersible motors designed for ROV applications and subsea operations, capable of depths greater than 10,000m.
• Sun Star Type M
• Sun Star Type D

Products and services

• Hitachi Water-Filled Motors Water-filled submersible electric motors distributed and manufactured by Sun-Star Electric under the Hitachi brand. Available in multiple frequencies (Hz), voltages, and exterior materials including 316/316L stainless steel, Super Duplex stainless steel, and Nickel-Aluminum-Bronze, with high-temperature variants rated up to 75°C ambient water temperature. Sold to industrial, municipal, mining, and agricultural customers.
• Sun Star Type "M" Oil-Filled Motors Proprietary oil-filled submersible motors manufactured by Sun-Star Electric. Statically balanced with a double mechanical seal, available in standard sizes from 40 through 600 HP at 460, 2300, and 4160 volts. Stainless-steel construction with epoxy-coated cast iron reservoir, VFD compatible, available in special materials (316 stainless steel, super duplex stainless steel, nickel-aluminum-bronze), and designed to fit directly on a Byron Jackson pump. Sold to industrial, municipal, mining, and power customers.
• Sun Star Type "D" Water-Filled Motors

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of fabrication, machining, winding, and testing performed in-house
• +1 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HitachicoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSun-Star Electric is the principal worldwide distributor for Hitachi submersible electric motors and their only authorized warranty, repair, and manufacturing facility in the world. The company began as an authorized distributor in the United States for Hitachi submersible motors in 1977 and has since expanded to become Hitachi's principal distributor globally. They manufacture and distribute Hitachi motors alongside their own proprietary lines.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Franklin Electric: One of the largest US manufacturers of submersible motors and water pumping systems, directly competing with Sun-Star in agricultural, municipal, and industrial water well applications. Franklin Electric's product portfolio and customer segments overlap closely with Sun-Star's core water-filled submersible motor business.
• Xylem (Flygt): Global water technology company whose Flygt brand specializes in submersible pumps and motors for municipal, industrial, and mining applications. Directly comparable to Sun-Star in product category and end markets, with greater scale and broader digital capabilities.
• Grundfos: Global pump and motor manufacturer with substantial submersible motor offerings serving municipal water, industrial, and agricultural customers. Comparable product breadth and customer overlap with Sun-Star across water handling applications.
• Flowserve: Manufacturer of pumps, valves, seals, and related equipment including submersible motor-driven pumps for power, mining, oil and gas, and water applications. Overlaps with Sun-Star in industrial fluid handling and the offshore and power generation customer segments.
• Sulzer: Industrial pump and motor manufacturer serving oil and gas, power, water, and general industrial applications with submersible pumping products. Comparable to Sun-Star in heavy-duty industrial submersible motor applications including offshore and power generation.
• KSB: German pump and valve manufacturer with submersible motor-driven products for mining, water supply, and industrial applications. Overlaps with Sun-Star in fluid handling and industrial submersible motor categories across multiple end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems: Manufacturer of the Hitachi submersible motors that Sun-Star distributes worldwide and manufactures under license. As the OEM partner and broader industrial conglomerate, Hitachi is the upstream supplier and parent brand of a major share of Sun-Star's product line.
• WEG: Brazilian multinational manufacturer of motors, generators, drives, and pumps including submersible electric motors. Overlaps with Sun-Star in industrial electric motor manufacturing but at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• ABB: Swiss-Swedish multinational offering electric motors, drives, and industrial automation including motors used in pumps and motion control. Broad incumbent with overlapping industrial motor product lines that compete with Sun-Star in selected industrial applications.
• Regal Rexnord: Manufacturer of electric motors, bearings, and power transmission products including submersible electric motors serving industrial and infrastructure customers. Comparable motor manufacturing capabilities and overlapping industrial customer base with Sun-Star.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Sun-Star-Electric-LP/133093120071248
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sun-star-electric-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sun-Star Electric