King Instrument Company

What King Instrument Company does

King Instrument Company is a privately held US manufacturer of variable area flowmeters (rotameters), founded in 1983 by Clyde King and headquartered in a 46,000 sq ft facility in Garden Grove, California. The company designs and produces flowmeters across three core material platforms: borosilicate glass tubes (its proprietary 'Kinglass' line including the 9000 Silver Series and 7430-7910 series), all-welded 316L stainless steel (7100, 7710, 7750 series), and acrylic/polysulfone/PVC (7200, 7310/7330, 7510/7511/7520/7530, 7720 series). Approximately 95% of the 6,000 components used across its products are manufactured in-house, including its proprietary glass metering tubes, with the remainder sourced externally. The company complements its hardware with optional 4-20mA transmitters, latching reed switch and inductive/fiber-optic alarms, barrier/switch isolators, and an in-house NIST-traceable calibration service that covers all makes and models of variable area flowmeters.

The business model is hardware sales executed exclusively through authorized distributors — including catalog distributors (McMaster-Carr, Ryan Herco Flow Solutions, Harrington Industrial Plastics, Instrumart, Industrial Controls), regional US distributors covering all states, and international distributors across Canada, Mexico, England, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Pricing is quote-based with no published list prices; King Instrument provides technical sales support, meter selection guides, a flow calculator, and sizing calculations to support the channel. Primary end markets are industrial manufacturing (process control, chemical processing), water and wastewater treatment, and OEM applications, with use cases spanning low-flow/high-pressure liquid service, purge metering, chemical dosing, and gas flow measurement. Certifications include ISO 9001:2015 (NSF-ISR), Build America Buy America Act compliance, and Canadian Registration Numbers for stainless steel series, enabling sales into regulated infrastructure and process industries.

Following the death of founder Clyde King on January 14, 2023, the company continues to operate under a successor management team (Adam Larsen, Director of Sales; Liz Sanchez, Customer Service/Sales; Martha Gomez, Quality Control). No acquisitions, funding rounds, or ownership changes have been disclosed; the company remains independently held.

Name

King Instrument Company

Legal name

King Instrument Company

Website

https://kinginstrumentco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

King Instrument Company is a privately held US manufacturer of variable area flowmeters (rotameters), founded in 1983 and based in Garden Grove, California. It sells glass, stainless steel, acrylic, polysulfone, and PVC flowmeters exclusively through authorized distributors to industrial manufacturing, water/wastewater, and OEM customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Flow Measurement Instrumentation

NAICS

Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514)

SIC

Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Sensors & Feedback Devices (Pressure, Flow, Position, Encoders, Transducers) (IMAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Variable area flowmeters
• Rotameter manufacturing
• Industrial flow measurement
• Glass tube flowmeters
• Flowmeter calibration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Garden Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flowmeter Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturing and selling variable area flowmeters (rotameters). Products include glass tube, stainless steel tube, acrylic, polysulfone, and PVC flowmeter series. Revenue generated from one-time product sales with various configuration options.
2. Calibration Services: Secondary revenue from providing calibration and certification services for all makes and models of variable area flowmeters. Services include NIST-traceable 5 and 10 point calibrations compliant with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994, MIL-STD 45662A, and ISA RP16.6 requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

King Instrument Company manufactures variable area flowmeters (rotameters) in glass, stainless steel, acrylic, polysulfone, and PVC tube constructions for industrial process flow measurement of liquids and gases. The company produces its own proprietary 'Kinglass' borosilicate glass metering tubes and manufactures 95% of the 6,000 meter components used in its products in-house. In addition to flowmeters, the company offers complementary alarm and transmitter options (latching reed switches, inductive sensors, fiber optic sensors, 4-20mA transmitters) and NIST-traceable calibration services for all makes and models of variable area flowmeters.

Product overview

King Instrument Company is a manufacturer of variable area flowmeters (rotameters) founded in 1983 and based in Garden Grove, California. The product portfolio consists of three main flowmeter types organized by tube material: Glass Flowmeters (including 7430, 7440, 7450, 7459, 7460, 7470, 7480, 7610, 7650, 7910 Series, and the premium 9000 Silver Series with removable glass tubes), Stainless Steel Flowmeters (7100, 7710, 7750 Series featuring all-welded construction and magnetically coupled displays), and Acrylic/Polysulfone/PVC Flowmeters (7200, 7310, 7330, 7510/7511, 7520/7530, 7720 Series for various chemical resistance requirements). The company also offers alarm and transmitter options including latching reed switches, inductive slot sensors, inductive ring sensors, fiber optic sensors, 4-20mA transmitters, and barrier/switch isolators. Supporting services include calibration services with NIST traceability and an online flow calculator tool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Silver Series: Versatile removable glass tube flowmeter series with powder-coated 304 stainless steel case, featuring 200 & 250 mm detachable direct reading scales, known for its distinctive style and quality.

Products and services

• 7100 Series Stainless Steel Tube Flowmeter All 316L stainless steel construction flowmeter with flanged connections designed for low-flow, high-pressure applications. Features magnetically coupled dial type display and capacities from 0.16-25 GPH water and 1-120 SCFH air.
• 7200 Series Acrylic Tube Flowmeter Low-cost, low-maintenance acrylic flowmeter with machined construction, 127mm scale, and in-line 3/8" to 2" NPT connections. Capacities from 1-200 GPM water and 4-245 SCFM air.
• 7310 Series Polysulfone Tube Flowmeter Economical polysulfone meter in 304 stainless steel case with 316L SS, Hastelloy C, or Teflon internals and 127mm detachable direct reading scale. Capacities from 0.5-150 GPM water and 4-330 SCFM air.
• 7330 Series Polysulfone Tube Flowmeter Polysulfone flowmeter with union ends for ease of installation, available with alarm options, capacities from 0.5-150 GPM water.
• 7430 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Low-flow and gas purge applications flowmeter with borosilicate glass metering tube in stainless steel frame, 65mm or 150mm scale with horizontal connections. Capacities from 0.72-1,800 cc/min water and 66-70,000 cc/min air.
• 7440 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Vertically-connected borosilicate glass tube flowmeter based on the 7430 design with 65mm or 150mm scales and 1/4" FNPT vertical connections for purge metering and chemical dosing applications.
• 7450 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Side plate style flowmeter with borosilicate glass tube, 75mm or 150mm scales, 316L stainless steel or brass connections with optional control valve. Capacities from 0.48-7.4 GPM water and 2-20 SCFM air.
• 7459 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter High-accuracy borosilicate Kinglass flowmeter with 250mm detachable direct reading scale, side plate construction with polycarbonate shield, and 316L SS vertical FNPT connections. Capacities from 0.22-100 GPM water and 0.9-350 SCFM air.
• 7460 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Economical 75mm scale borosilicate Kinglass flowmeter with 304 stainless steel case and vertical FNPT connections. Capacities from 0.5-25 GPM water and 2-14 SCFM air.
• 7470 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Versatile 127mm scale borosilicate Kinglass flowmeter with 304 stainless steel case, available with NPT or flange connections and vertical or horizontal installation. Capacities from 0.25-116 GPM water and 1-245 SCFM air.
• 7480 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter 250mm scale economical glass tube flowmeter with 304 stainless steel case, NPT or flange connections, vertical or horizontal installation. Capacities from 0.22-132 GPM water and 0.9-350 SCFM air.
• 7510 & 7511 Series Acrylic Tube Flowmeter Precision machined acrylic block flowmeters with direct reading scales and white screen printed backs for enhanced readability, in-line connections, and scale options of 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 127mm, and 250mm. Capacities from 0.12-20 GPM water and 0.04-60 SCFM air.
• 7520 & 7530 Series Acrylic Tube Flowmeter Economical machined cast acrylic block flowmeters for OEM use with horizontal connections and optional inlet metering valve. Available with 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 127mm, and 250mm scales.
• 7610 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Fully enclosed 127mm scale borosilicate glass metering tube flowmeter in 304 stainless steel case with in-line 316L SS fittings and alarm options. Capacities from 1-245 SCFM air.
• 7650 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Chemically-resistant borosilicate glass tube flowmeter for liquid service with clear polycarbonate shield in 304 SS tie rod frame. Capacities from 0.25-26 GPM water.
• 7710 Series Stainless Steel Tube Flowmeter All 316L stainless steel flowmeter with float and tapered tube design offering longer, more linear scales and 40% greater accuracy. Features 120mm dual scale with optional 4-20mA transmitter. Capacities from 33 GPH to 450 GPM water and 4-100 SCFM air.
• 7720 Series PVC Tube Flowmeter Type 1, Grade 1 PVC tube flowmeter with Hastelloy C-276 internals for chemical resistance, dial type display for opaque fluids, and optional 4-20mA transmitter. Capacities from 33 GPH to 450 GPM water.
• 7750 Series Stainless Steel Tube Flowmeter 316L stainless steel flowmeter with all-welded construction (no O-rings or gaskets), 250mm end-to-end length, float and tapered tube design, and optional 4-20mA transmitter. Provides leak-proof operation for high-temperature applications up to 400°F. Capacities from 33 GPH to 16.5 GPM water and 2.2-76 SCFM air.
• 7910 Series Glass Tube Flowmeter 250mm scale glass tube flowmeter with 304 stainless steel case offering 70 flow ranges in 7 tube sizes. Dual port connections allow horizontal and vertical installation. Capacities from 0.22-132 GPM water and 0.9-350 SCFM air.
• 9000 Silver Series Glass Tube Flowmeter Versatile removable glass tube flowmeter with 35 flow ranges in 6 tube sizes. Features powder-coated 304 stainless steel case with polycarbonate shield. Capacities from 0.23-85 GPM water and 1.15-288 SCFM air. Accuracy of ±2% full scale with 10:1 turndown.
• Calibration Services Low-cost, quick-turnaround NIST-traceable calibration and certification services for all makes and models of variable area flowmeters. In-house test facility handles up to 4" connections with gas flows to 100 SCFM and liquid flows to 450 GPM with up to 1% full scale accuracy. Complies with ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994, MIL-STD 45662A, and ISA RP 16.6.

Quantifiable outcome

• Accuracy range from ±2% to ±6% of full scale depending on model and scale length
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ryan Herco Flow SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational catalog distributor for flow solutions and industrial products. Provides broad reach to customers seeking King Instrument flowmeters through established distribution channels.
• Harrington Industrial PlasticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustrial plastics and process equipment distributor serving customers requiring corrosion-resistant flow measurement solutions.
• McMaster-CarrcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor industrial supply catalog distributor with next-day shipping capabilities and broad product catalog reaching diverse industrial customers.
• InstrumartminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatalog distributor specializing in instrumentation and process control equipment.
• Industrial ControlsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustrial controls distributor serving process automation customers.
• Hatfield and CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Full-service process equipment distributor.
• Andon Specialties Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
• Tri NovaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Alabama, providing industrial process equipment.
• Trinova, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Florida, serving industrial customers.
• Precision Instrumentation CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering California, specializing in flow and pressure measurement products.
• Hardee SalesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Louisiana.
• King Gage EngineeringminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Massachusetts.
• M.S. JacobsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering New York and Pennsylvania.
• Robert S. Hudgins CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering North Carolina.
• ClearWater Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor covering Virginia.
• MUIS ControlsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Alberta, Canada.
• SRB Controls Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.
• FBN Contrôles Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Quebec, Canada.
• CRISA Controles Y Repuestos IndustrialesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Mexico, specializing in industrial controls and process equipment.
• Premier Control Technologies LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering England, specializing in flow control products.
• KompautominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Sweden and Norway.
• De Groot InstrumentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distributor covering Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
• NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading global management systems certification body providing ISO 9001:2015 certification services to King Instrument Company, demonstrating quality management system compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Endress+Hauser: Global leader in industrial process measurement, offering a full portfolio of flow, level, pressure, and analytical instruments including Coriolis, ultrasonic, and electromagnetic flowmeters. Competes with King Instrument in chemical, water, and process-industry flow measurement but at vastly greater scale and with a smart/digital product portfolio.
• Emerson (Rosemount): Emerson's Rosemount line is a dominant process instrumentation brand, including magnetic, Coriolis, and vortex flowmeters used across chemical, oil & gas, and water applications. Overlaps with King Instrument in industrial flow measurement but serves much larger accounts and emphasizes digital IIoT-ready instruments.
• Yokogawa Electric: Major Japanese process automation vendor offering a broad flowmeter lineup (magnetic, Coriolis, vortex) targeting oil & gas, chemical, and power markets. Competes with King Instrument in industrial flow measurement, especially in process plants, but at larger scale and with full DCS integration.
• ABB Measurement & Analytics: Global automation vendor offering Coriolis, swirl, electromagnetic, and other flowmeters for process industries. Competes in the same chemical, water, and power-generation applications as King Instrument, with deeper digital integration and global service infrastructure.
• Siemens Process Instrumentation: Major automation conglomerate with a broad flowmeter portfolio (electromagnetic, ultrasonic, Coriolis, vortex) integrated into its SIMATIC PCS 7 platform. Competes for the same large industrial flow-measurement opportunities but typically at higher specification levels than King Instrument serves.

Direct peers

• Dwyer Instruments: US-based manufacturer of flow, pressure, level, and temperature instrumentation including variable area flowmeters/rotameters with similar glass-tube and metal-tube product lines. A direct mid-market peer competing for the same chemical, water, and OEM flow-measurement customers through catalog distribution.
• Omega Engineering: Broad-line industrial sensor and process instrument catalog vendor offering variable area flowmeters among hundreds of measurement products. Competes with King Instrument for OEM and end-user flow-measurement purchases, particularly through catalog and e-commerce channels.
• Brooks Instrument: Specialty flow and pressure measurement manufacturer (part of Brooks Automation) with a long-standing variable area flowmeter portfolio targeting semiconductor, life sciences, and chemical applications. Directly comparable product/customer overlap with King Instrument, particularly in low-flow and gas-purge metering.
• Sierra Instruments: Manufacturer of mass flow controllers, thermal mass flowmeters, and variable area flowmeters serving chemical, semiconductor, and process industries. Closely comparable mid-sized specialty flow instrument vendor with similar customer profiles to King Instrument.
• Key Instruments: Specialty manufacturer of rotameter-style variable area flowmeters and flow-related OEM components serving chemical, water, and laboratory markets. A directly comparable niche competitor in glass-tube and acrylic-tube flow measurement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/king-instrument-company

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 King Instrument Company