What Howell Laboratories does

Howell Laboratories, Inc. (HLI) is a Bridgton, Maine-based designer and manufacturer of fluid processing equipment for demanding naval and commercial maritime environments, in operation since 1964 and 100% employee-owned since 1995. The company's product portfolio is organized into three families — water treatment (seawater electrochlorinators such as the Model 7600 ECOLCELL, and potable water electrolytic disinfectant generators such as the Model 9130 PWEDG using licensed MIOX mixed-oxidant technology), compressed air treatment (membrane dehydrators based on BEKO DRYPOINT modules such as the Model 6995 family, condenser-filter dehydrators including the Model 7300/7301/5295 series, and NAVSEA-conformant air control panels), and moisture measurement (dew point monitors Models 7148 and 7149 supported by an A2LA-accredited ISO 17025 calibration lab). Underlying technologies combine licensed electrochlorination and membrane chemistry from ACG and BEKO with HLI's own ruggedization to meet MIL-STD-22D shock, MIL-S-901D vibration, MIL-STD-461E EMI, and NAVSEA drawing conformance.

HLI's go-to-market is direct enterprise sales into US Navy and US Coast Guard procurement channels through SAM/CAGE CODE 22501 vendor registration, supplemented by sales to commercial shipyards (Huntington Ingalls, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Electric Boat, NASSCO, Austal USA, Fincantieri Marinette Marine) and international partners (ACG, BEKO). Products are quote-priced with configuration-specific engineering, and revenue is split between new equipment, recurring spare-parts and field-service support for legacy units, and an emerging managed-service line for anaerobic digester projects. The company's footprint now includes wholly-owned divisions GDL Paint (powder coating, acquired 2023-06) and ODAT Machine (submarine fittings and precision machining, acquired 2024-03), both integrated into the Bridgton facility under the leadership of President & CEO Joseph McDonnell.

Name

Howell Laboratories

Legal name

Howell Laboratories, Inc.

Website

https://howelllabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howell Laboratories designs and manufactures fluid processing equipment — water treatment, compressed air dehydration, and moisture measurement systems — for the US Navy, US Coast Guard, commercial shipyards, and emerging anaerobic digester customers. Founded 1964 in Bridgton, Maine, employee-owned since 1995.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Fluid Processing Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB), Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK)

Keywords

• Marine water treatment
• Shipboard air dehydration
• Electrolytic disinfectant generators
• Seawater electrochlorination systems
• Military fluid processing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fluid Processing Equipment Sales: HLI engineers, manufactures, and sells fluid processing equipment including water treatment systems, compressed air dehydrators, and moisture measurement instruments. Revenue is generated through direct sales of equipment to defense and commercial maritime customers, with each product thoroughly factory tested and documented before delivery.
2. Spare Parts and Maintenance Support: HLI stocks sub-assemblies and spare parts for immediate shipment for both current and legacy products. Field service personnel are available for on-site support, new installation assistance, and operator training, generating ongoing revenue from existing customer base.
3. Anaerobic Digester Solutions: HLI has entered agreements with key equipment suppliers to bring fluid processing technologies to anaerobic digester projects in the circular economy space. The company provides ongoing support including operator training, preventative maintenance, and general service support for the life of the product.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Howell Laboratories, Inc. engineers, manufactures, and tests fluid processing equipment for demanding military and commercial maritime applications. Its product portfolio centers on three categories: Water Treatment (seawater electrochlorinators and potable water electrolytic disinfectant generators), Compressed Air Treatment (membrane and condenser-filter air dehydrators, air control panels, and filters), and Moisture Measurement (low- and high-pressure dew point monitors and alarms). Equipment is built to meet stringent MIL-spec shock, vibration, and EMI requirements and is supported by an A2LA-accredited dew point calibration laboratory.

Product overview

Howell Laboratories, Inc. engineers, manufactures, and tests fluid processing equipment for demanding military and commercial maritime applications. The product portfolio centers on three core categories: Water Treatment (including Seawater Treatment with Chlorinators and Dechlorinators, and Potable Water Treatment with PWEDGs like the Model 9130 and Chlorine Analyzers), Compressed Air Treatment (including Membrane Air Dehydrators like Model 6995, Condenser-Filter Air Dehydrators like Model 7300, Air Control Panels like Models 4870 and 5642, and Filters), and Moisture Measurement (including Dew Point Monitors like Models 7148 and 7149). The company also offers MIOX on-site disinfection technology under licensing agreement and provides A2LA-accredited dew point calibration services. Howell Labs maintains legacy Brominator products and serves the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and commercial maritime industries. Recent acquisitions include GDL Paint (powder coating division) and ODAT Machine (submarine fittings and precision machining).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model 9130 PWEDG (Potable Water Electrolytic Disinfectant Generator) Mixed-oxidant electrolytic disinfectant generator that produces chlorine-based disinfectant solution on demand from salt and water, used to disinfect shipboard potable water supplies. Designed for US Navy and commercial maritime applications requiring MIL-spec shock, vibration, and EMI compliance.
• Model 7600 ECOLCELL Electrolytic Seawater Chlorinator Seawater electrochlorination system based on Azienda Chimica Genovese (ACG) ECOLCELL technology that produces hypochlorite from seawater to prevent micro- and macro-fouling in ship cooling circuits, seawater intakes, filters, pipes, and heat exchangers. Ruggedized for US Navy requirements.
• TRO Sensor (Total Residual Oxidant) Amperometric free chlorine/bromine sensor measuring total residual oxidant without membranes, electrolytes, or reagents. Includes integrated pH and temperature sensors with auto-ranging from 0–15 ppm and self-cleaning capability with long calibration intervals.
• Model 6995 Membrane Air Dehydrator (Mk I, IA, II, III, IV) Membrane-based air dehydrator using BEKO DRYPOINT membrane modules. Removes moisture from compressed air systems with capacity up to 20 scfm and -40°F dew point, marketed as the industry standard for shipboard electronics air dehydration.
• Model 8785 Mk I Medium-Pressure Air Dehydrator Medium-pressure air dehydrator providing clean, dry air at 200 psig for diesel engine controls, achieving ISO 8573.1 Class 1, 3, 1 rating.
• Model 7005 Mk I Air Dehydrator Fully automatic air dehydrator with coalescing filter and membrane technology for clean, dry compressed air delivery onboard ships.
• Model 7300 Mk I/Mk II Condenser-Filter Air Dehydrator Low-pressure air dehydrator that removes moisture by cooling the air stream with ship's chilled water, with condensate mechanically separated and drained, providing dry air for shipboard control systems.
• Model 5295 Condenser-Filter Air Dehydrator Condenser-filter dehydrator providing 200 scfm of dry air at 35°F dew point, designed as a replacement for CFC-based refrigerated dehydrators for shipboard service.
• Model 7301 Mk I Condenser-Filter Air Dehydrator Drop-in replacement for R12-cooled refrigerant dehydrators that uses a chilled-water-to-air heat exchanger to dry compressed air for shipboard service.
• Model 5642 Air Control Panel Air control panel designed to control pressure, monitor flow rate, and monitor moisture content of clean, dry compressed air delivered to shipboard electronic equipment; conforms to NAVSHIPS Standard Drawing 803-1385925 Rev. E.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products aboard every surface ship in the US Navy
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evoqua Water Technologies (Veolia): Large-scale industrial and municipal water treatment incumbent that overlaps with HLI's water-treatment portfolio, particularly on-site chlorine generation and disinfection, but with a much broader product portfolio and customer base.
• De Nora: Electrochemical technology company (parent of MIOX) that competes with HLI in on-site disinfectant generation and seawater electrochlorination across municipal, industrial, and naval markets globally.
• Donaldson Company: Global filtration manufacturer serving industrial, defense, and marine markets. Comparable in compressed-air filtration and gas-phase filtration components that complement or overlap with HLI's air-treatment systems.
• Severn Trent Services: Provider of water and wastewater treatment solutions with military and municipal customers. Overlaps with HLI in disinfection and filtration, though HLI is more marine-specialized while Severn Trent is broader utility-focused.
• Xylem: Global water technology major with solutions spanning treatment, transport, and measurement. Overlaps with HLI on monitoring, fluid handling, and water-quality instrumentation but addresses a far broader set of end markets.
• Parker Hannifin: Diversified motion and control technologies company with significant filtration, fluid handling, and instrumentation exposure. Competes with HLI in marine compressed-air treatment and filtration at a much larger scale and via broader distribution.

Regional players

• Calgon Carbon (Kuraray): Activated carbon and water-purification specialist serving municipal and industrial markets. Adjacent to HLI's water-treatment offering through complementary (rather than directly competing) purification technologies.

Direct peers

• BEKO Technologies: Manufacturer of DRYPOINT membrane modules that HLI integrates into its membrane air dehydrators. Comparable in compressed-air moisture removal technology, with overlapping industrial and marine customers.
• MIOX Corporation (De Nora): Original licensor of the electrolytic mixed-oxidant cell technology that HLI ruggedizes for Navy shipboard potable water disinfection. Closest direct comparable in the underlying chemistry and competing for adjacent municipal and industrial water-disinfection contracts.
• Azienda Chimica Genovese (ACG): Provider of the ECOLCELL seawater electrochlorination technology that HLI integrates for shipboard cooling-circuit anti-fouling. Competes with HLI in international naval and commercial marine chlorination markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howell Laboratories