Shape
Shape, Inc. is a Northern California-based water and wastewater equipment distributor serving municipal and commercial customers with pumps, process equipment, controls, factory-authorized OEM service, and recurring preventative maintenance contracts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersPleasanton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Shape does
Shape, Inc., headquartered in Pleasanton, California, is a regional water and wastewater equipment distributor operating as SHAPE (Sanitation, Hydraulic, And Process Equipment) since its 1979 incorporation, with operational roots extending to predecessor EC Cooling, a Flygt distributor established in 1971. The company distributes pumps, process equipment, controls, valves, and specialty infrastructure for municipal and commercial customers across Northern California, the Central Valley, Northern Nevada, and Southern California (for E/One systems), under longstanding distributorship agreements with Flygt (Xylem), ITT Goulds Pumps, Lakeside Equipment Corporation, Netzsch Pumps USA, ABB, Oldcastle Infrastructure, Environment One, USCP, and USF Fabrications. Its sales team provides 80+ years of combined experience in pump selection, sizing, specification review, and engineering consulting from pre-design through final installation.
Revenue is generated across four streams: one-time equipment sales (the largest described stream), aftermarket parts, factory-authorized service and repair, and recurring multi-year preventative maintenance contracts. Operating infrastructure centers on the Stockton, California facility—approximately 17,000 sq. ft. of warehouse with stocked inventory plus a service shop equipped with three 5-ton and one 10-ton overhead cranes capable of servicing equipment up to approximately 900 horsepower—and sales and administrative offices in Pleasanton and Gold River (Sacramento area). Long-term maintenance relationships—illustrated by one municipal customer on a second 5-year contract covering more than 30 pump stations and over 75 pumps annually—evidence recurring revenue stickiness.
Shape operates as a platform company of United Flow Technologies (UFT), a water and wastewater equipment platform whose parent is private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. UFT completed multiple acquisitions in 2022-2023 (including Kodru-Mooney and Macaulay Controls), giving Shape access to broader manufacturer relationships and platform resources while Shape retains regional operating autonomy over its defined territory. The company maintains an employee base of 11-50 staff across its three offices.
Shape firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shape
- Legal name
- Shape, Inc.
- Website
- https://shapecal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shape, Inc. is a Northern California-based water and wastewater equipment distributor serving municipal and commercial customers with pumps, process equipment, controls, factory-authorized OEM service, and recurring preventative maintenance contracts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Shape is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasanton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Shape business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Equipment Sales: Sales of water and wastewater equipment including pumps, valves, process equipment, controls, and accessories from manufacturer partners such as Flygt, ITT Goulds, Lakeside Equipment, Netzsch, ABB, and others.
- Aftermarket Parts: Spare parts sales for pumps and equipment, with access to manufacturers' national inventory and network of distributors throughout the country.
- Service and Repair: Factory-authorized repair services, field service repairs, troubleshooting, installation and removal of pumps. Shop equipped with overhead cranes for equipment up to 900hp.
- Preventative Maintenance Contracts: Multi-year contracts for ongoing maintenance including physical and electrical inspections, fluid changes, functional testing, and detailed reporting. Contracts can lock in rates for multiple years.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time Preventative Maintenance Service |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Multi-year Preventative Maintenance Contracts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shape product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shape Inc. is a regional distributor of water and wastewater equipment, supplying pumps, process equipment, controls, valves, and specialty products from multiple OEM partners (Flygt, ITT Goulds, Lakeside, Netzsch, ABB, Oldcastle, USCP, USF Fabrications) to municipal and commercial customers. The company complements equipment sales with engineering design support (pump selection, sizing, specification review), factory-authorized service and repair, and recurring preventative maintenance contracts. As the authorized E/One distributor for all of California, Shape also provides packaged low-pressure sewer systems with grinder pumps for residential and commercial applications.
Product overview
Shape Incorporated is a water and wastewater equipment distributor providing a comprehensive portfolio of pumps, process equipment, controls, and specialty products from multiple manufacturer partners, along with engineering and maintenance services. The core offering centers on industrial pumping solutions including submersible pumps (Flygt), various pump types (ITT Goulds, Netzsch), and packaged sewer systems (E/One). These are complemented by control systems, access products, and manhole infrastructure, supported by engineering design services and preventative maintenance programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pumps and Process Equipment Industrial pumping and process equipment distributed for water and wastewater applications, including submersible pumps and mixers (Flygt), end suction, vertical turbine and split case pumps (ITT Goulds), progressive cavity and rotary lobe pumps (Netzsch), and process equipment from Lakeside. Sold to municipal and commercial customers across Northern California, the Central Valley, and Northern Nevada.
- E/One Sewer Systems Packaged low-pressure sewer systems with grinder pumps (Environment One) for residential, commercial, and municipal applications, offered as an alternative to gravity-based sewer infrastructure. Complete units, parts, repair, and service are provided through Shape's California distribution and service network, including a Sacramento enquiry line.
- One Lift Package Pump Station Pre-packaged pump station solutions from Oldcastle Infrastructure for efficient wastewater collection and transport, sold to municipal and commercial customers as a single integrated lift package.
- Process Water Treatment Equipment Equipment and systems for treating and purifying process water in industrial and municipal applications, integrated into Shape's water and wastewater treatment and transport solutions.
- Steel Reinforced Polymer Concrete Manholes and Specialty Infrastructure Steel reinforced polymer concrete manholes, microtunnel pipe, industrial pipe structures (USCP), and aluminum access hatches and fall-through safety grate systems (USF Fabrications) for wastewater collection and access infrastructure.
- Engineering Design Support Technical engineering support for system design, equipment selection, and application engineering on water and wastewater projects, including pump selection and sizing, written specification review, detailed plan review, and consulting. Provided by Shape's sales engineering team to municipal and commercial customers from pre-design through final specifications.
- Factory-Authorized Service and Repair Factory-authorized repair, field service, troubleshooting, and installation/removal of pumps, motors, and water treatment equipment. The Stockton shop is equipped with three 5-ton and one 10-ton overhead cranes capable of handling equipment up to approximately 900hp, and Shape dispatches field service trucks across the territory.
- Preventative Maintenance Contracts Scheduled preventative maintenance programs for water and wastewater systems, including physical and electrical inspections, fluid changes, functional testing, and detailed reporting. Available as one-time service or multi-year contracts with locked-in rates and discounts on repairs, parts, and replacement equipment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 pump stations and over 75 pumps serviced annually under preventative maintenance contracts
Companies that use Shape
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Shape technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Shape partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- United Flow Technologies (UFT)coreShape is a platform company of United Flow Technologies (UFT), a water and wastewater platform backed by H.I.G. Capital. Shape operates as part of the UFT platform companies which include pumps, valves, process equipment, and controls divisions.
- Environment One Corp (E/One)coreShape is an authorized E/One Distributor for Northern California and Southern California. They offer complete units, parts, repair and exceptional service for E/One packaged low pressure sewer systems with grinder pumps.
- Flygt (Xylem)coreFlygt (a Xylem brand) is a key manufacturer partner. Shape has been an official Northern California Municipal Flygt Distributor since the 1970s. Products include submersible pumps, mixers, controls, check and mix-flush valves.
- ITT Goulds PumpscoreManufacturer partner providing standard cast iron, bronze, end suction, vertical turbine and split case pumps.
- Lakeside Equipment CorporationcoreManufacturer partner providing equipment for virtually all stages of wastewater equipment, from influent to discharge.
- ABB Inc.majorManufacturer partner providing variable frequency drives for water treatment applications.
- Netzsch Pumps USAmajorManufacturer partner providing progressive cavity and rotary lobe pumps.
- Oldcastle InfrastructuremajorManufacturer partner providing one lift package pump station solutions.
- USCP (US Water Corp)minorManufacturer partner providing steel reinforced polymer concrete manholes, microtunnel pipe and industrial pipe structures.
- USF FabricationsminorManufacturer partner providing aluminum access hatches and fall through safety grate systems.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Shape competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Southwest Valve: Southwest Valve is a UFT sister company distributing valves and flow-control products to water/wastewater and industrial markets — a direct product-overlapping peer to Shape's valve and process-equipment distribution lines.
- Municipal Valve & Equipment: Municipal Valve & Equipment is a UFT platform peer distributing water/wastewater process and flow-control equipment to municipal customers — directly comparable distribution model and end market to Shape.
- Hydro Controls: Hydro Controls is a UFT sister platform that supplies process control and instrumentation to the water/wastewater industry. Comparable as an indirect peer with overlapping customer set (municipal treatment plants).
- Kodru-Mooney: Kodru-Mooney is a UFT platform company distributing water and wastewater equipment, including process and pumping equipment, with the same OEM-agency plus service model as Shape. Direct peer with regional differences.
- Iowa Pump Works: Iowa Pump Works is another UFT platform company specializing in pump sales, service, and repair for municipal and industrial customers. Closely comparable business model to Shape with a regional Midwest footprint.
- Macaulay Controls: Macaulay Controls is a UFT sister platform acquired in 2022-2023, focused on controls and instrumentation for the water/wastewater market — adjacent yet overlapping with Shape's controls distribution (Flygt Multismart, ABB drives).
- Tesco Controls: Tesco Controls is a UFT platform peer focused on pump station controls and integration for the water/wastewater market. Complements Shape's offering (ABB/Flygt controls) with adjacent specification-level influence on municipal pump station projects.
- Engineered Equipment Solutions: Engineered Equipment Solutions is a UFT platform company offering engineered water/wastewater equipment solutions. Directly comparable in business model to Shape's engineering-led equipment distribution.
- MiscoWATER: MiscoWATER is a sister UFT platform company and a regional water/wastewater treatment equipment distributor serving a different U.S. region with the same multi-OEM distribution model, factory service, and engineering support approach as Shape. Most directly comparable as a UFT-distributed peer.
- HPT (HP Thompson): HPT is a UFT sister platform company providing industrial pumps, process equipment, and service to water/wastewater and heavy industrial customers with the same OEM-distribution plus factory-service business model as Shape. Directly comparable in distribution, service, and engineering model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shape social profiles
Digital presenceShape financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shape leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Shape funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shape M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shape
What does Shape do?
Shape Inc. is a regional distributor of water and wastewater equipment, supplying pumps, process equipment, controls, valves, and specialty products from multiple OEM partners (Flygt, ITT Goulds, Lakeside, Netzsch, ABB, Oldcastle, USCP, USF Fabrications) to municipal and commercial customers. The company complements equipment sales with engineering design support (pump selection, sizing, specification review), factory-authorized service and repair, and recurring preventative maintenance contracts. As the authorized E/One distributor for all of California, Shape also provides packaged low-pressure sewer systems with grinder pumps for residential and commercial applications.
Is Shape a public or private company?
Shape is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Shape founded?
Shape was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shape based?
Shape is headquartered in Pleasanton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shape make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Parts, service and Repair and preventative Maintenance Contracts.
Who are Shape's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Southwest Valve, Municipal Valve & Equipment, Hydro Controls, Kodru-Mooney, Iowa Pump Works, Macaulay Controls, Tesco Controls, Engineered Equipment Solutions, MiscoWATER and HPT (HP Thompson).
Does Shape have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shape.