What ALAR Engineering Corporation does

ALAR Engineering Corporation is a direct manufacturer of industrial wastewater treatment equipment and pretreatment chemicals, founded in 1970 and headquartered in Mokena, Illinois, operating as a subsidiary of Ovivo USA LLC. The company designs and builds custom-engineered systems for industrial facilities worldwide, with a core product portfolio centered on the patented Auto-Vac™ rotary vacuum drum precoat filter, complemented by the Micro-Klean™ plate-and-frame filter press, the Flex-O-Star® integrated pretreatment and dewatering system, the Flot-Star™ dissolved air flotation unit, the Bio-Star™ biological treatment equipment, and the Clar-O-Floc™ lamella clarifier. ALAR also manufactures pH neutralization skids, pilot test rental units, and a full line of pretreatment and filter aid chemicals (polymers, ferric sulfate, aluminum sulfate, One-Step™ clay flocculant, diatomaceous earth, perlite), with wholly-owned subsidiary ALAR Chemical Sales Incorporated handling chemical distribution.

The business operates on a direct-factory sales model with quote-based pricing on custom-built capital equipment, supplemented by aftermarket parts (sold through a newly launched online parts store), recurring consumable chemical sales, and engineering and pilot testing professional services. Target customers are enterprise industrial facilities across at least seven verticals — Concrete, Food & Beverage, Flexographic Ink, Industrial Waste Hauling, Surface Finishing, Oily Wastewater, and Paint & Coatings — where compliance with discharge regulations and reduction of off-site hauling costs drive purchasing decisions. Distribution is supported by seven US warehouses and UK manufacturing facilities enabling next-day parts delivery and worldwide shipping under FOB Mokena, IL terms. The company markets through its website with embedded Request for Quote forms, industry-specific case studies, a Sample-to-Solution Gallery of bench-scale test results, and try-before-you-buy pilot testing programs, holding ISO 9001 quality management certification.

Name

ALAR Engineering Corporation

Legal name

Ovivo USA LLC Alar

Website

https://alarcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ALAR Engineering Corporation is a direct manufacturer of custom industrial wastewater treatment equipment and pretreatment chemicals, serving enterprise industrial customers across seven verticals including surface finishing, paint and coatings, and food and beverage, with worldwide distribution from Mokena, Illinois and UK facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

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), Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN)

Keywords

• Industrial wastewater treatment
• Wastewater treatment equipment
• Sludge dewatering systems
• Filtration equipment
• Water treatment chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Mokena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Wastewater Treatment Equipment: Custom-manufactured wastewater treatment systems including rotary vacuum drum filters, filter presses, DAF systems, clarifiers, biological treatment, and pretreatment equipment. Sold as complete systems or retrofits with 16+ equipment sizes. Revenue generated from capital equipment sales with varying lead times based on customization.
2. Pretreatment & Treatment Chemicals: Chemical products including coagulants (aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate), polymers (cationic and anionic), filter aid media (diatomaceous earth, perlite), clay flocculants (One-Step™ line), and pH adjustment chemicals. Sold through RFQ with nationwide warehouse distribution.
3. Parts & Aftermarket Service: Replacement parts, media, gaskets, and service components for all ALAR systems. Available through online parts store and RFQ. Seven US warehouses and UK manufacturing facilities enable next-day delivery of major component parts.
4. Pilot Testing & Engineering Services: Bench-scale testing and pilot unit rental for wastewater evaluation. Engineering services for system customization, integration, and optimization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ALAR Engineering Corporation is a direct manufacturer of custom-built industrial wastewater treatment systems, including rotary vacuum drum precoat filters (Auto-Vac™), plate-and-frame filter presses (Micro-Klean™), integrated pretreatment and dewatering skids (Flex-O-Star®), dissolved air flotation systems (Flot-Star™), biological treatment reactors (Bio-Star™), and lamella clarifiers (Clar-O-Floc™). The company also sells a complete line of pretreatment chemicals (polymers, ferric sulfate, aluminum sulfate, bentonite clay flocculants, filter aid media) and provides in-house bench testing, pilot equipment rentals, and engineering services to industrial customers.

Product overview

ALAR Engineering Corporation is a direct manufacturer of industrial wastewater treatment equipment and associated pretreatment chemicals. The product portfolio centers on a lineup of core mechanical dewatering and liquid-solid separation systems — the Auto-Vac™ rotary vacuum drum precoat filter (ALAR's flagship technology), the Micro-Klean™ plate-and-frame filter press, the Flex-O-Star® batch/continuous pretreatment and dewatering system, the Flot-Star™ dissolved air flotation (DAF) system, the Bio-Star™ biological MBBR/IFAS treatment equipment, and the Clar-O-Floc™ lamella clarifier — complemented by pH neutralization skids, pilot test rental units, and auxiliary equipment components. The equipment lineup is supported by a full line of pretreatment and filter aid chemicals including cationic and anionic polymers, the One-Step™ bentonite clay flocculant line, ferric sulfate (L-F201/F-201), aluminum sulfate, diatomaceous earth, and perlite filter media. The Flex-O-Star® integrates chemical batch pretreatment with the Auto-Vac™ filter in a single skid-mounted system; pilot test equipment allows prospective buyers to validate performance before capital commitment; and the chemical division supplies the consumables and pretreatment agents required for all ALAR equipment to function effectively.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Micro-Klean™: Plate & Frame Filter Press for sludge dewatering
• Auto-Vac™
• Flex-O-Star®
• Flot-Star™
• Bio-Star™
• Clar-O-Floc™
• One-Step™

Products and services

• Micro-Klean™ Plate & Frame Filter Press A sludge dewatering plate-and-frame filter press with welded carbon-steel construction, automatic hydraulic ram, and gasketed polypropylene plates that produces filter cake with dryness levels up to 55% by weight and reduces sludge disposal volume by up to 95%. Designed for industrial facilities requiring sludge dewatering and landfill-ready dry solids.
• Auto-Vac™ Rotary Vacuum Drum Precoat Filter ALAR's flagship rotary vacuum drum precoat filter for industrial wastewater dewatering. Uses a patented non-segmented drum design capable of pulling up to 27 inches of mercury vacuum through 100% of the filter surface, capturing particles down to 1 micron while producing sub-micron-quality filtrate and landfill-ready dry solids. Available in 16 sizes from 3.14 to 503 square feet filtering area.
• Flex-O-Star® Pretreatment & Dewatering System An industrial wastewater pretreatment and sludge dewatering system combining automatic chemical batch pretreatment (pH/ORP control, coagulant and flocculent feed) with the Auto-Vac™ rotary vacuum drum precoat filter for one-pass liquid-solid separation and solids dewatering. PLC and pneumatic controlled, handles variable load profiles without requiring DAF, clarifier, or large polymer doses.
• Flot-Star™ Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) System A rectangular dissolved air flotation (DAF) system using micro-bubbles to separate suspended solids, FOG, and BOD from industrial wastewater. Features 304 stainless steel construction, pre-piped/pre-wired/skid-mounted design, and stock air dissolution pumps generating 30-micron bubbles with up to 40% energy savings versus conventional DAF systems.
• Bio-Star™ Biological Treatment System Biological wastewater treatment equipment utilizing moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) processes with HDPE plastic biomass carrier media to degrade BOD, COD, TSS, FOG, and ammonia nitrogen.
• Clar-O-Floc™ Lamella Plate Clarifier Lamella plate clarifier for gravity-based inclined-plate solids separation, used in conjunction with chemical pretreatment (pH precipitation, coagulants, flocculent polymers) to remove settleable solids, produce clarified effluent, and concentrate sludge.
• pH Neutralization System Custom-manufactured pH neutralization and chemical treatment reactor skids with continuous flow or batch operation, digital pH/ORP monitoring, automatic probe flush, PLC touch screen operation, and remote Wi-Fi access for technical support. Designed for industrial facilities requiring automated pH adjustment for discharge compliance.
• Pilot Test Equipment Rental Units Mobile pilot test units (Auto-Vac™ Model AV220 with 12.5 ft² area, 200-500 gal/shift capacity, and Micro-Klean™ Model MK630-192P with 1.92-3.84 ft³ expandable capacity) available for try-before-you-buy rental to simulate full-scale treatment on-site before capital commitment.
• Industrial Pretreatment Chemicals Industrial wastewater pretreatment chemicals including dry and liquid cationic and anionic polymers for coagulation and flocculation, pH adjustment and neutralization compounds for heavy metal precipitation and surfactant removal. Distributed through nationwide warehouse network.
• Wastewater Treatment Polymers Cationic and anionic wastewater treatment polymers in dry and liquid formulations that bind fine particles into larger solids, improving sludge dewatering, clarification, filtration, and flotation performance while reducing filter aid consumption.
• Filter Aid Media (Diatomaceous Earth and Perlite) Filter aid media including diatomaceous earth and perlite used as precoat and body feed in rotary vacuum drum filters and filter presses to capture fine suspended solids, improve filtrate clarity, extend filtration cycles, and reduce disposal weight.
• One-Step™ Clay Flocculant Bentonite clay-based flocculant blends (One-Step™ product line) combining clay with polymers, coagulants, and pH adjusters for single-application coagulation, flocculation, and pH control, removing emulsified oils, inks, surfactants, phosphates, and dissolved metals.
• Ferric Sulfate (L-F201 Liquid and F-201 Granular) Iron-based coagulant and pH adjuster available in liquid (L-F201) and granular (F-201) forms for coagulation, phosphorus reduction, heavy metal precipitation, color/odor control, and sludge conditioning in industrial wastewater pretreatment.
• Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) Coagulant Aluminum sulfate (alum) coagulant for water treatment effective in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.5, used to destabilize suspended particles, precipitate phosphorus, remove turbidity, TSS, and color from municipal and industrial wastewater streams.
• ALAR Online Parts Shop Industrial e-commerce platform at industrial.ovivowater.com/store for immediate parts and consumables purchasing with next-day delivery from seven US warehouses. Offers replacement parts, media, gaskets, and service components for all ALAR systems.
• Bench-Scale Testing and Engineering Services In-house laboratory bench test simulations to determine optimal chemical treatment and dewatering filter technology for customer waste streams. Test results include percent raw solids, pH, chemicals used, dosage amounts, filtration rate, and visual quality analysis. Engineering services include system customization, integration, and optimization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing time reduction from 3 days to 1 shift for 5000-gallon acid tank dumps (Auto-Vac vs. clarifier/filter press)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evoqua Water Technologies (Xylem): Now part of Xylem, Evoqua supplied industrial wastewater treatment systems, aftermarket services, and chemicals across the same verticals ALAR serves — including metal finishing, food & beverage, and surface finishing — with overlapping product lines in filtration and DAF.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water and wastewater treatment equipment manufacturer and EPC contractor serving industrial customers with biological, membrane, and chemical treatment solutions. Competes with ALAR on large industrial projects and provides a benchmark for international expansion scope.
• Ovivo: ALAR's direct parent company and a global designer of water and wastewater treatment solutions. Ovivo serves municipal and industrial clients with equipment, EPC, and aftermarket services across filtration, biological, and membrane technologies, making it the most direct strategic peer and channel partner for ALAR.

Direct peers

• Smith & Loveless: Manufacturer of industrial and municipal wastewater treatment systems including headworks, biological treatment, and packaged treatment plants. Comparable in its focus on custom-engineered, factory-built systems for industrial customers.
• Aqua-Aerobic Systems: Manufacturer of biological wastewater treatment systems, cloth media filters, and DAF equipment for industrial and municipal customers. Competes in similar biological and filtration niches as ALAR's Bio-Star and Flot-Star product lines.
• WesTech Engineering: Designs and manufactures industrial water and wastewater treatment equipment including sedimentation, filtration, and biological processes. Competes directly with ALAR in industrial clarification and solids separation applications across mining, food, and manufacturing.
• Parkson Corporation: US-based manufacturer of industrial and municipal water/wastewater treatment equipment including DAF systems, biological treatment, and filtration. Closely comparable product portfolio and target verticals (industrial pretreatment, solids separation) make it a head-to-head competitor for ALAR's mid-market deals.
• JWC Environmental (Sulzer): Specializes in industrial wastewater screening, grinding, and solids handling equipment. While not a direct overlap in chemical pretreatment, JWC competes for the same industrial capex budgets and serves overlapping industrial verticals including food processing and manufacturing.

Emerging players

• Hydro International: Provides advanced stormwater and wastewater treatment solutions including filtration, vortex separation, and treatment systems for industrial and municipal markets. Adjacent competitor with growing industrial wastewater footprint and overlap in filtration-based separation.

Others

• Clean Harbors (Industrial Services): North America's largest provider of hazardous and industrial waste hauling, treatment, and disposal services. Represents the 'haul-and-treat' alternative that ALAR's on-site treatment systems directly displace, and therefore a key competitive reference point on cost-of-compliance.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlarEng

Compliance1 record

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 ALAR Engineering Corporation