HUGHES

What HUGHES does

Hughes Machinery is a regional industrial distribution and technical services company founded in 1924 by Elmer Hughes and now operated as a division of FCX Performance, Inc., itself a subsidiary of Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE: AIT). Headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, the company sells and services equipment for steam production and distribution, hot water, and process flow control applications to commercial, industrial, and utility customers across Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas, including the Kansas City, Omaha, and Wichita markets. Its customer mix spans EPC firms, OEMs, food & beverage processors, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pet food and pet pharmaceutical producers, and utility customers.

The product portfolio covers valves and automation, pumps and rotating equipment, instrumentation and monitoring, steam and heat systems (including steam-as-power, steam-as-utility, and clean steam), liquid/air/gas filtration, specialty pipe/hoses/fittings, and hygienic/sanitary products including single-use bioprocessing solutions. Hughes distributes brands from more than 20 suppliers — among them Superior Boiler, Patterson-Kelley, BFS Industries, Armstrong International, ASCO, Ashcroft, Crane Energy, Jamesbury, Neles/Valmet Flow Control, and Rotork. Differentiated technical assets include a state-of-the-art training facility in Lenexa with a full-size steam system, see-through glass systems, and cutaway components used for recurring technician seminars.

Revenue is generated from two streams: one-time industrial equipment and parts distribution acting as a multi-brand distributor, and professional services such as calibration, capital project management, consulting, hose and pipe fabrication, industrial instrumentation, steam/heat trace services, and valve and pump repair. Pricing is quote-based, not publicly disclosed, and engagements often span multi-year contracts. The go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, with direct technical specialists guiding customers through product selection, installation, start-up, boiler calibration, and operator training, supported by a customer service line (800-253-6223) and "Request Quote" / "Talk to an Expert" digital touchpoints.

Name

HUGHES

Legal name

FCX Performance, Inc.

Website

https://hughesmachinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hughes Machinery, founded in 1924, is a Lenexa, Kansas-based industrial distributor and technical services provider selling steam, hot water, and flow-control equipment — plus repair, calibration, and project services — to commercial, industrial, and utility customers in Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas, operating as a division of FCX Performance within Applied Industrial Technologies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Equipment Distribution and Services

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (33241), Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing (332912), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (22133)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Steam & Air-Conditioning Supply (4961)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Boilers, HRSGs & Steam Generators (IMAHAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH), Pneumatic Components (FRLs, Cylinders, Valves) (IMAHAGAC), Pump & Compressor Packages (Skids, Booster Sets) (IMAHANAG), Hydraulic, Pneumatic & Fluid Power Systems MRO (Cylinders, Pumps, Valves, Hoses) (TLAKAHAI), Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC), Slurry, Dewatering & Process Pumps (Pumps, Valves, Piping for Mine/Plant) (IMAKANAI)

Keywords

• Industrial steam equipment
• Flow control products
• Valve and pump distribution
• Heat transfer systems
• Industrial maintenance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lenexa

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Equipment and Parts Distribution: Revenue generated from the sale and distribution of industrial equipment including valves, pumps, instrumentation, steam and heat products, and filtration systems. The company serves as a distributor for multiple branded suppliers and offers custom solutions through partnered suppliers who design and build custom packages.
2. Technical Services: Services including calibration, capital project services, consulting, hose fabrication, industrial instrumentation, pipe fabrication, steam and heat trace services, valve repair, and pump repair. Revenue from service contracts and one-time service engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hughes Machinery distributes industrial valves, pumps, instrumentation, steam/heat equipment, filtration products, and specialty pipe/hose/fittings sourced from 100+ leading supplier brands. The company complements product distribution with technical services including installation, start-up, boiler calibration, valve and pump repair, hose and pipe fabrication, calibration, consulting, and operator training for steam, hot water, and flow control applications.

Product overview

Hughes Machinery is a division of FCX Performance (an Applied Industrial Technologies company) founded in 1924, providing custom solutions for making and managing steam, hot water, and flow control applications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products including Valves and Automation, Pumps and Rotating Equipment, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Steam and Heat systems (Steam as Power, Steam as a Utility, Clean Steam), Liquid/Air/Gas Filtration, Specialty Pipe/Hose/Fittings, and Hygienic/Sanitary Products. Hughes Machinery complements its product offerings with services including Calibration Services, Capital Project Services, Consulting Services, Hose Fabrication, Industrial Instrumentation, Pipe Fabrication, Steam and Heat Trace Services, Valve Repair Services, and Pump Repair Services. The company distributes products from 24 partner brands including Superior Boiler, Patterson-Kelley, Armstrong International, ASCO, Ashcroft, and Valmet Flow Control, serving commercial, industrial, and utility customers across Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valves and Automation

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Superior BoilercoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for steam boiler equipment distribution. Hughes Machinery offers Superior Boiler products as part of their comprehensive steam and heat solutions portfolio.
• Patterson-KelleycoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for heat exchange and boiler equipment. Patterson-Kelley products are featured in Hughes Machinery's product offerings for steam and heat applications.
• BFS IndustriescoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for industrial boiler and heat transfer equipment distributed through Hughes Machinery.
• Armstrong InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic brand partnership for steam traps, heat transfer solutions, and flow control products. Armstrong International is a key supplier in Hughes Machinery's vendor portfolio.
• ASCOcoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for valve and flow control products. ASCO (Alpha, Sigma, Chi, Omega) provides solenoid valves and fluid automation solutions.
• AshcroftcoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for pressure gauges, temperature instruments, and process controls distributed through Hughes Machinery.
• Crane EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for energy-focused flow control and valve products. Crane Energy provides specialized solutions for industrial applications.
• JamesburycoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for industrial valve products including ball valves and rotary valves distributed through Hughes Machinery.
• NelescoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for flow control solutions and valve automation products from Neles (now part of Valmet).
• RotorkcoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for actuator and valve automation products. Rotork provides electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic actuators.
• Valmet Flow ControlcoreTechnology or IntegrationBrand partnership for industrial valve and flow control solutions from Valmet Flow Control (formerly Neles).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DXP Enterprises: DXP Enterprises is a Houston-based technical distributor of pumps, valves, rotating equipment, and MRO services for industrial customers, with a service-led model very similar to Hughes Machinery's combined distribution-plus-repair offering across process industries.
• BDI (Bearing Distributors Inc.): BDI is a technical industrial distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and material handling serving industrial customers across the U.S. with a similar value-added distribution-plus-services model.
• Motion Industries: Motion Industries is a leading distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and industrial MRO products and services, with regional service centers that compete for the same industrial customer wallet as Hughes Machinery.
• GP Reeves: GP Reeves is an industrial automation and fluid handling distributor/pump packager serving Midwest and nationwide accounts, directly comparable to Hughes in pump packaging, valve distribution, and engineered solutions.
• Kaman Distribution (now part of Kaman Industrial Technologies / RBC Bearings portfolio): Kaman is a value-added industrial distributor focused on bearings, fluid power, power transmission, and automation with a consultative technical-sales motion that closely mirrors Hughes Machinery's steam and flow-control focus.

Broad incumbents

• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial Direct is a large broad-line industrial MRO distributor serving metalworking and industrial customers across the U.S., competing with Hughes for the same industrial customer spend although with a much wider and less flow-control-specialized catalog.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Applied Industrial Technologies is Hughes Machinery's publicly traded parent (NYSE: AIT) and one of the largest industrial distributors in North America, providing broad MRO distribution, fluid power, and flow-control services that overlap directly with Hughes' portfolio at a much larger scale.
• W.W. Grainger: Grainger is the largest broad-line industrial distribution company in North America with deep catalogs spanning MRO, fluid handling, and pumps, representing a key scale competitor that increasingly digitizes the wallet that Hughes also serves.

Regional players

• Tri-State Industrial Distributors: Tri-State is a regional industrial MRO distributor in the Midwest serving similar industrial customer bases to Hughes with comparable pump, valve, and filtration offerings but without Hughes's depth in steam specialization.

Emerging players

• Spirax Sarco: Spirax Sarco (part of Spirax Group) is a global specialist in steam generation and distribution, fluid heating, and flow technologies whose products flow through Hughes (Armstrong, Valmet/Neles are peers) and whose direct sales efforts represent both a supplier and a competing expertise-driven presence in steam systems.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fcx-performance

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 HUGHES