Great Lakes Pump & Supply

What Great Lakes Pump & Supply does

Great Lakes Pump & Supply Co. is a Troy, Michigan-based industrial pump distributor and service provider founded in 1976. The company distributes pumps, heat exchangers, mechanical seals, valves, and electric motors from multiple manufacturers, including the Gusher, Xylem Goulds, Process Systems/Deming, Barnes, BSM, Crane, Nagle, Yamada, KNOLL, Tranter, CLA-VAL, and PROCO brands. Its core technology offering centers on application engineering: matching centrifugal, diaphragm, gear, vertical turbine, and slurry pumps to demanding industrial fluid-handling use cases, supported by an in-house pump repair facility and field service capabilities including failure analysis, vibration monitoring, and diagnostics. The company also produces educational video content for installation, troubleshooting, and seal replacement across its product lines.

The company serves a Midwest industrial customer base with field sales engineers, an inside sales team, and three service center locations in Warren, MI, Mellott, IN, and Cincinnati, OH. Primary customer segments are automotive paint shops and industrial parts washers, with additional exposure to coolant and fluid handling and industrial wastewater applications. Named enterprise customers include automotive paint system integrators such as Giffin, Gallagher-Kaiser, Durr, TKS, and TMI, along with a large unnamed engine remanufacturing plant using Gusher 7550 series pumps for high-grit parts washing. Pricing is quote-based and driven by application-specific requirements (pumped liquid, flow rate, total dynamic head, dimensions), reflecting a consultative solution-selling motion rather than transactional SKU sales.

In 2024, Great Lakes Pump & Supply was acquired by the Ruthman family, owners of Gusher Pumps, integrating it into the broader Ruthman Companies industrial pump portfolio (which also includes Process Systems/Deming, BSM, and Nagle). Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time industrial pump product sales, professional pump repair and field service, and ongoing parts and accessories sales. The business model combines multi-brand distribution with technical service, positioning Great Lakes Pump as a single-source fluid-handling partner for industrial buyers in the Midwest.

Name

Great Lakes Pump & Supply

Legal name

Great Lakes Pump & Supply Co.

Website

https://greatlakespump.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Pump & Supply is a Troy, Michigan-based industrial pump distributor and service provider, founded 1976 and acquired by Ruthman Companies in 2024, serving Midwest automotive paint shops, parts washers, and industrial manufacturers with pumps, heat exchangers, seals, valves, motors, and field repair.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Pumps & Fluid Handling Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers (42372), Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing (333914), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (33241)

SIC

Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Metering Pumps (IMAHANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Pump Systems & Pumping Stations (Surface, Submersible, Booster) (AFAAACAC), Sump Pump & Sewage Ejector Pump Service (HSAOABAM)

Keywords

• Industrial pump distribution
• Pump repair services
• Mechanical seal supply
• Heat exchanger distribution
• Fluid handling equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pump Product Sales: Distribution and resale of industrial pumps including centrifugal, diaphragm, gear, and vertical turbine pumps from multiple manufacturers including Gusher, Goulds, Xylem, Barnes, Deming, Weinman, and others.
2. Pump Repair and Service: Repair facility services and field service for pump systems, including failure analysis, diagnostics, vibration monitoring, and aftermarket services. Service contracts and training also provided.
3. Parts and Accessories: Replacement parts, mechanical seals, motors, heat exchangers, valves, and related fluid handling components sold alongside pump products and service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Pump & Supply distributes industrial pumps, heat exchangers, mechanical seals, valves, expansion joints, and motors for industrial fluid-handling applications, with a specialization in automotive paint shop, parts washer, coolant system, and industrial wastewater operations. The company also operates in-house pump repair and field service across three regional service centers, supported by application engineering and a senior technical staff averaging 28 years of industry experience.

Product overview

Great Lakes Pump & Supply is a Michigan-based industrial pump distributor and service provider established in 1976. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial fluid handling products organized into five core categories: (1) Industrial Pumps representing multiple brands including Gusher vertical centrifugal pumps (7550/7800 series), Xylem Goulds, Process Systems vertical turbines, Barnes, BSM, Crane, Nagle, Barmesa, RAE, Burks, Crown, Weinman, Deming, MP Pumps (Flomax, ChemFlo, Hydrasub series), Prosser, Dilution/Dosatron water-powered chemical pumps, Yamada air-operated diaphragm pumps, and KNOLL screw and coolant pumps; (2) Heat Exchangers featuring Tranter plate & frame, Omega, and SWEP brazed plate products; (3) Mechanical Seals sourced from AES, Chesterton, EagleBurgmann, FlowServe, Fluidol, and John Crane; (4) Valves and Expansion Joints including PROCO rubber/PTFE/braided metal expansion joints, CLA-VAL automatic control valves, and Fulflo hydraulic pressure relief valves; (5) Industrial Motors from GE, Marathon, US Motors, WEG, and Worldwide Electric. The company also provides pump repair, field service, diagnostics, and vibration monitoring through its service facilities, positioning itself as a single-source solution for industrial fluid management across automotive paint shops, industrial washers, coolant systems, and process equipment applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Pumps Industrial centrifugal, self-priming, ANSI, slurry, sealless, and specialty pumps distributed under authorized partnerships with manufacturers including Gusher, Goulds, and others. Used by industrial manufacturers for fluid-handling processes including paint circulation, parts washing, coolant circulation, and wastewater handling.
• Heat Exchangers Plate-style and specialty heat exchangers distributed under authorized partnerships with Tranter, Omega, SWEP, and other manufacturers. Used for heating, cooling, and energy recovery in industrial process applications.
• Mechanical Seals Mechanical seals and seal support systems distributed under authorized partnerships with AES, Chesterton, and other manufacturers. Used to seal pump shafts in industrial process applications, particularly where chemical compatibility and dry-running tolerance are critical.
• Valves and Expansion Joints Industrial valves and rubber expansion joints distributed under authorized partnerships with PROCO (expansion joints), CLA-VAL (automatic control valves), and Fulflo (valves). Used to control flow, isolate equipment, and absorb vibration and thermal movement in piping systems.
• Industrial Motors Industrial electric motors distributed under authorized partnerships with GE, Marathon, and other manufacturers. Used to drive pumps and other rotating equipment in industrial fluid-handling systems.
• Pump Repair and Field Service In-house pump repair, rebuild, and field service provided through three regional service centers (Troy, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Cleveland, OH). Includes troubleshooting, repair, installation support, and on-site service for industrial pumps and related equipment. Targeted at industrial manufacturers requiring reliable aftermarket support and rapid turnaround.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of pump repairs caused by mechanical seal failure
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gusher Pumps (Ruthman Companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGusher Pumps, owned by the Ruthman family, acquired Great Lakes Pump & Supply to provide industrial pump users with integrated solutions for bringing pumps from the Gusher factory to the plant floor. Great Lakes Pump serves as a key distributor for Gusher vertical centrifugal pumps including the 7550 and 7800 series.
• Process Systems/Deming (Ruthman Companies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProcess Systems' severe-duty vertical turbines and Deming vertical turbines are supported through Great Lakes Pump & Supply as part of the Ruthman Companies portfolio. The Ruthman family acquired Process Systems Inc. as part of their pump company holdings.
• BSM Pump (Brown & Sharpe)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBSM Pump (formerly Brown & Sharpe) gear and vane pumps supported through Great Lakes Pump & Supply as part of Ruthman Companies pump portfolio.
• Nagle PumpsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNagle abrasive slurry pumps supported through Great Lakes Pump & Supply. Part of Ruthman Companies acquisition of additional pump product lines.
• GiffinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading automotive OEM equipment provider. Great Lakes Pump has worked with Giffin to provide industrial water pressure pumps, gear pumps, and paint system design and construction for automotive manufacturing.
• Gallagher-KaiserminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive paint shop systems integrator. Partnership with Great Lakes Pump for pump products and paint system design/installation in automotive manufacturing facilities.
• DurrminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal automotive paint shop equipment manufacturer. Great Lakes Pump provides pumps and related equipment for Durr paint system installations.
• TKSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive paint shop equipment provider. Great Lakes Pump supplies industrial pumps and provides expertise for paint system design and construction.
• TMIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive interior systems and paint shop equipment manufacturer. Great Lakes Pump partnership for pump supply and system support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentair plc: Global water treatment and fluid handling solutions provider with industrial pump and flow control product lines. Operates at significantly larger scale across water, industrial, and pool/spa segments, but overlaps with GLP on industrial water and process pumping applications.
• Crane Co. Diversified industrial manufacturer whose Crane Pumps & Systems division owns Barnes, Deming, Burks, and Weinman brands — all of which GLP distributes. A major incumbent competitor with national service infrastructure across the same product categories GLP specializes in.
• MRC Global: Largest global distributor of pipe, valves, fittings, and valves (PVF) products to energy and industrial markets. Closely comparable go-to-market model (industrial distribution with technical sales) and competes for similar industrial customer wallet share across the Midwest region.
• Flowserve Corporation: Global manufacturer of pumps, valves, seals, and related fluid handling equipment with extensive service network. Sells competing mechanical seals (one of GLP's distributed product lines) and pumps into industrial process and OEM markets overlapping with GLP's customer base.
• Xylem Inc. Global water technology company and owner of Goulds Water Technology, one of GLP's key distributed brands. Competes in industrial and municipal pump markets at a vastly larger scale, but overlaps directly with GLP on Goulds centrifugal and turbine pump sales and aftermarket service.
• Sulzer Ltd: Swiss industrial engineering company with a pumps solutions division serving water, wastewater, oil and gas, and industrial process customers. Provides comparable centrifugal, vertical turbine, and specialty pumps and offers service capabilities overlapping with GLP's repair and field service business.
• KSB SE & Co. KGaA: European-headquartered global pump and valve manufacturer serving industrial, water, and energy markets. Competes across centrifugal, submersible, and specialty pump categories that overlap with GLP's distributed product lines.

Emerging players

• Franklin Electric Co. Manufacturer and distributor of water pumping systems, motors, and fueling equipment with strong distribution footprint across the US Midwest. Overlaps with GLP on fractional-horsepower and industrial motors (also distributed by GLP) and competes for similar groundwater/industrial pumping applications.

Direct peers

• Gusher Pumps (Ruthman Companies): Sister company under the Ruthman family umbrella; manufactures vertical centrifugal pumps including the 7550 and 7800 series that GLP distributes. Sister ownership and shared product/customer overlap make it the most structurally comparable entity, though Gusher is a manufacturer while GLP is its distribution channel.
• DXP Enterprises: Publicly traded industrial distributor specializing in pumps, bearings, power transmission, and fluid handling service with rotating equipment repair capabilities. Operates a similar distribution-plus-service model targeting industrial customers across multiple regions, the most directly comparable public peer to GLP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Great Lakes Pump & Supply