Eshelman Company

What Eshelman Company does

The Eshelman Company, Inc. is a fifth-generation, family-owned manufacturer representative firm founded in 1927 in Birmingham, Alabama. Rather than manufacturing equipment itself, the firm acts as an independent sales and engineering intermediary between approximately 40+ third-party equipment OEMs and end customers in the municipal, industrial, and electric utility water and wastewater markets across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The firm earns commissions on equipment sales while providing pre-sale technical services — CAD-supported layout and orientation, process and system head curve analysis, hydraulic and chemical feed system analysis, preliminary design assistance, and specification preparation — that effectively carry projects from inception through to commissioning and field service.

The product portfolio spans the full water and wastewater treatment value chain: pumps (Vaughan, Patterson, Franklin Electric, Crane, Wastecorp, National Pump, Cascade), filtration (Nanostone ceramic UF membranes, Hungerford & Terry green sand filtration, AWI underdrains, Unifilt filter media, ITAC filter control systems), disinfection (Enaqua UV, Ozonia ozone, Cleanwater1 on-site hypochlorite generation), biological treatment (Lakeside Equipment SBR/CSBR and oxidation ditch systems), chemical feed (Neptune, CemenTech lime systems), storage tanks (Snyder, Plas-Tanks, Tarsco), and control/automation (Revere Control Systems, ABB, SJE Primex Controls, AUMA actuators). Supporting categories include aerators, dewatering presses, and grit/screening equipment. Notably, the firm also services equipment not purchased through it, reinforcing its positioning as a long-cycle technical partner rather than a transactional distributor.

Revenue mechanics are commission-based, with pricing not publicly disclosed but likely project-specific and quote-based given the B2B infrastructure end-market. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales backed by technical engineering support, relying heavily on specification influence through consulting engineers. Operations are run from a 5,200 sq ft office and warehouse in Bessemer, AL (since 1998), with a Birmingham mailing address and a Nashville regional office established in 2000. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external capital, no parent company, no app or API surface, and no public filings.

Name

Eshelman Company

Legal name

The Eshelman Company, Inc.

Website

https://eshelmancompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eshelman Company is a fifth-generation, family-owned manufacturer representative firm founded in 1927, representing 40+ water and wastewater equipment OEMs and providing CAD-supported engineering and field sales to municipal, industrial, and utility customers across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Distribution

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Treatment & Process Specialty Chemicals (IMAEABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Manufacturer representative services
• Water treatment equipment
• Wastewater treatment solutions
• Industrial equipment distribution
• Municipal water utilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Manufacturer Representative Commissions: The Eshelman Company operates as a manufacturer's representative (rep firm), earning commissions on the sale of equipment and products sourced from their represented manufacturers. They market top-tier products to the industrial, utility, and municipal markets, providing complete treatment solutions for industrial, potable water, and wastewater applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Eshelman Company is a manufacturer's representative firm that markets and sells top-tier water and wastewater treatment equipment on behalf of more than 40 third-party manufacturers to industrial, utility, and municipal customers across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Beyond brokering equipment sales, the firm delivers complete treatment solutions by providing design assistance including CAD-supported layout and orientation of equipment, preparation of suggested specifications, process and system head curve analysis, and other aspects of preliminary design—effectively guiding projects from inception to completion. The portfolio spans pumps, filtration systems, disinfection technologies, biological treatment systems, chemical feed/metering, storage tanks, control and automation systems, and field installation/repair services.

Product overview

The Eshelman Company is a manufacturer representative firm providing complete water and wastewater treatment solutions to industrial, utility, and municipal markets in the southeastern United States. Rather than manufacturing products, they represent an extensive portfolio of third-party equipment manufacturers. Their offering is organized around core water treatment categories: pumps (including chopper, positive displacement, vertical turbine, grinder, and centrifugal pumps from Vaughan Company, Wastecorp Pumps, Patterson Pump Company, Franklin Electric, Crane Pumps, National Pump Company, Cascade Pump Company); filtration systems (ceramic membranes from Nanostone Water, sand/disk filters from Five Star Filtration, green sand filtration from Hungerford & Terry, underdrain systems from AWI Systems, filter materials from Unifilt Corporation); disinfection technologies (UV systems from Enaqua and Veolia Water Technologies, ozone systems from Ozonia North America, hypochlorite generation from Cleanwater1); biological treatment systems (Lakeside Equipment Corp for SBR/CSBR systems and oxidation ditches); chemical feed and metering (Neptune Chemical Pump Company, CemenTech Environmental for lime systems); storage and tanks (Snyder Industries polyethylene tanks, Plas-Tanks Industries fiberglass tanks, Tarsco Bolted Tank steel tanks); control and automation systems (Revere Control Systems SCADA/control panels, ABB instrumentation, SJE Primex Controls, ITAC filter control systems); and support equipment including aerators (S&N Airoflo), dewatering presses (Fournier Industries, Greener Day Solutions), grit classifiers (Jim Myers & Sons), and valve actuators (AUMA). The company also provides design assistance services including CAD-supported layout, process analysis, and specification preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Manufacturer Representative Services for Water and Wastewater Treatment Core service offering of Eshelman Company: representing and selling third-party manufacturers' top-tier water and wastewater treatment equipment to industrial, utility, and municipal markets across Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi, with embedded design-to-completion support including CAD-supported layout, specification preparation, process and system head curve analysis, and hydraulic/chemical feed system analysis.
• Field Installation and On-Site Repair Services Field installation services and on-site repair and maintenance for water and wastewater treatment equipment, including services provided for equipment not originally purchased through Eshelman, positioning the firm as a long-term service partner rather than a transactional supplier.
• Design Assistance and Engineering Support Engineering support services for water and wastewater treatment projects including CAD-supported layout and orientation of equipment, preparation of suggested specifications, process and system head curve analysis, hydraulic and chemical feed system analysis, and other aspects of preliminary design assistance. Services provided to consulting engineers, municipalities, and industrial customers.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions Product Line (Alabama) Represented product line sold by Eshelman in Alabama including Climber Screen bar screens, traveling bridge and Greenleaf filters, ultraviolet disinfection systems, biological treatment technologies (Biofor, Meteor), Densadeg clarification, Superpulsator solids contact, and AquaDAF DAF systems for water and wastewater treatment.
• Tennessee Product Line Representation Eshelman's Tennessee territory representation of multiple product lines including CemenTech Environmental lime systems, Enaqua UV disinfection, Five Star Filtration sand and disk filters, Neptune Chemical Pump Company metering pumps, Usemco factory-built pumping stations, Vogelsang USA positive displacement pumps and grinders, and Wastecorp Pumps.
• Mississippi Product Line Representation Eshelman's Mississippi territory representation of multiple product lines including AUMA valve actuators, AWI Systems underdrain and iron/manganese removal systems, ECC floating cover balls, Flomotion Systems instrumentation and flow meters, Fournier Industries rotary sludge dewatering presses, Greener Day Solutions screw presses, National Pump Company vertical turbine pumps, SJE Primex Controls control panels, Tarsco Bolted Tank storage tanks, Thern cranes and winches, Unifilt Corporation filter materials, and Vaughan Company chopper pumps.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• ABBsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents ABB for process instrumentation, controls, and chart recorders including electromagnetic, insertion, and ultrasonic flow meters, ultrasonic and laser level measurement products for Alabama.
• Aqseptence GroupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Aqseptence Group covering wedge wire raw water intake screens, tubular/tee screen configurations, band screens, and headworks screens for Alabama.
• Cascade Pump CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Cascade Pump Company for industrial pumps serving pulp & paper, brine transfer, cooling tower, process, mine dewatering, desalination plants, fish hatcheries, and circulating water applications in Alabama.
• Cleanwater1 (formerly Micr-O-Clor and Pax Water Technologies)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Cleanwater1 for on-site hypochlorite generation systems, tank mixing technologies, PAX mixers, chloramine management, and disinfection byproduct removal solutions across Alabama.
• Crane Pumps (Weinman / Deming)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Crane Pumps for NSF 61/372 certified split case pumps, end suction and vertical inline pumps serving Alabama markets.
• DeLoach Industries Inc.supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents DeLoach Industries for environmental systems including aerators, degasifiers, air stripping towers, PFAS removal systems, carbon absorption, odor control, and filtration for Alabama.
• Franklin ElectricsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Franklin Electric for heavy duty grinder and non-clog pumps, high-head grinder pumps, and packaged pumping systems in Alabama.
• Hungerford & TerrysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Hungerford & Terry for green sand filtration, packaged systems for nitrate/radium/arsenic removal, pressure filters, condensate polishers, demineralizers, and degasifiers in Alabama.
• ITAC (formerly Filter Magic)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents ITAC for comprehensive gravity filter control systems, pneumatic and electric actuators, and the Zero2Waste filter optimization system in Alabama.
• Jim Myers & SonssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Jim Myers & Sons for stainless steel inclined plate settlers, sludge collectors, flocculators, skimming equipment, conveyors, grit classifiers, and screenings equipment in Alabama.
• Lakeside Equipment CorpsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Lakeside Equipment for complete biological wastewater treatment technology including CLR oxidation ditch, SBR/CSBR systems, screw pumps, screening equipment, and clarifier mechanisms in Alabama.
• Nanostone WatersupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Nanostone Water for high performance ceramic UF membrane design solutions in Alabama.
• NOV Fiberglass Systems (formerly LF Manufacturing)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents NOV Fiberglass Systems for fiberglass wet wells, manholes, custom-fabricated inserts/liners, and storage tanks in Alabama.
• Ozonia North America, LLCsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Ozonia for ozonation and UV disinfection solutions and ozone generation for disinfection and color removal in Alabama.
• Patterson Pump CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Patterson Pump Company for VIP inline water booster pumps, frame-mounted end-suction pumps, sewage pumps, split case pumps, and vertical turbine pumps in Alabama.
• Plas-Tanks IndustriessupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Plas-Tanks Industries for custom wound fiberglass storage tanks and Bryneer salt storage and brine makers in Alabama.
• Revere Control SystemssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Revere Control Systems for automation and control system integration, control panels, SCADA systems, and network/cyber security services with local Birmingham production in Alabama.
• S&N AiroflosupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents S&N Airoflo for floating aerators, process basin aerators, floating Bio-flow contactors, and complete process design evaluation in Alabama.
• Snyder IndustriessupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Snyder Industries for custom one-piece seamless polyethylene tanks in vertical, horizontal, cone-bottom, and double-wall designs for Alabama.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions (Suez / IDI)coreTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Veolia Water Technologies for Climber Screen bar screens, traveling bridge filters, UV disinfection, biological treatment technologies, Densadeg clarification, Superpulsator solids contact, and AquaDAF DAF systems in Alabama.
• CemenTech EnvironmentalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents CemenTech Environmental for complete factory-built lime feed/mixing systems, lime blending/drying systems, and biosolids stabilization solutions in Tennessee.
• EnaquasupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Enaqua for non-contact UV disinfection systems ranging from 60 GPM to 20MGD+ capability in Tennessee.
• Five Star FiltrationsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Five Star Filtration for sand and disk filters in Tennessee.
• Neptune Chemical Pump CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Neptune Chemical Pump Company for chemical metering pumps, mixing equipment, chemical injection accessories, and Polymaster polymer dilution systems in Tennessee.
• UsemcosupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Usemco for factory-built pumping stations, submersible/vacuum-prime/self-priming pump options, fabricated steel wet wells, and ASME code pressure vessels in Tennessee.
• Vogelsang USAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Vogelsang USA for positive displacement pumps, rotary lobe pumps, rotacut grinders/shredders, XRipper grinding systems, BioCrack and DisRuptor disintegration systems for digestion, and solid matter feeding systems in Tennessee.
• Wastecorp Pumps, Inc.supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Wastecorp Pumps for double-disc positive displacement pumps up to 1,600 GPM, plunger pumps, diaphragm pumps, and engine-driven self-priming dewatering pump packages in Tennessee.
• AUMAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents AUMA for quarter-turn, multi-turn, and linear electric valve actuators with intelligent control/feedback capabilities and integral motor control modules in Mississippi.
• AWI SystemssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents AWI Systems for fabricated stainless underdrain systems, air distribution systems, and iron/manganese removal systems in Mississippi.
• ECC, LLCsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents ECC, LLC for floating plastic balls to cover water surfaces providing evaporation protection, bird/algae control, spill containment, and covering in Mississippi.
• Flomotion SystemssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Flomotion Systems for process instrumentation and controls, chart recorders, and electromagnetic/insertion/ultrasonic flow meters in Mississippi.
• Fournier IndustriessupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Fournier Industries for rotary sludge dewatering presses with contained low-odor operation in single or multi-channel designs in Mississippi.
• Greener Day Solutions, LLCsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Greener Day Solutions for screw presses achieving 15-40% dry solids reduction with stainless steel construction and low clog technology in Mississippi.
• National Pump CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents National Pump Company for vertical turbine pumps with enclosed/semi-open impellers, barrel-mounted booster pumps, and submersible designs for raw water, backwash, and booster applications in Mississippi.
• SJE Primex ControlssupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents SJE Primex Controls for electrical control panels, Station View and Energy View automatic pump controllers, and VFD/hydropneumatic control systems in Mississippi.
• Tarsco Bolted Tank (A T.F. Warren Company)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Tarsco Bolted Tank for bolted steel storage tanks with thermal fusion-bonded epoxy, stainless steel, and glass-fused-to-steel finishes for water, wastewater, and industrial applications in Mississippi.
• Thern, Inc.supportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Thern, Inc. for portable and stationary davit cranes, hand/air/hydraulic/electric winches, control systems, and rigging accessories in Mississippi.
• Unifilt CorporationsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Unifilt Corporation for factory-direct filter materials including support gravel, silica sand, green sand, garnet, anthracite, Uni-Liners, and modular air scour systems in Mississippi.
• Vaughan CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEshelman represents Vaughan Company for severe-duty chopper pumps, Scum Busters, Recirculator pumps, Prime Cut self-priming chopper pumps, RotaMix digester/tank recirculation systems, and Triton screw centrifugal pumps in Mississippi.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentair: Global water treatment and flow control company serving residential, commercial, and industrial markets with pumps, filters, and treatment systems. Broad incumbent competing across many of the same end-use applications Eshelman serves.
• Evoqua Water Technologies: Major US water treatment solutions provider (now part of Xylem) offering treatment systems, filtration, disinfection, and specialty chemicals to municipal and industrial customers. Direct overlap with the end markets Eshelman serves.
• Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water technology division of Veolia providing treatment systems, chemicals, and digital solutions. Notably, Veolia is also Eshelman's core principal partner in Alabama, creating both partnership and competitive dynamics across geographies.
• Xylem: Global water technology leader offering pumps, filtration, disinfection, and analytics through brands including Wedeco, Flygt, Leopold, and Evoqua. Represents the broad incumbent that several of Eshelman's principals compete against, and a potential direct-to-customer disintermediation threat.

Direct peers

• Hayes & Associates: Manufacturer's representative firm focused on municipal water and wastewater treatment equipment. Similar business model of representing multiple equipment principals and providing specification support to consulting engineers.
• Smith & Loveless: Manufacturer of wastewater pump stations, headworks, and treatment equipment serving municipal and industrial markets across the US. Comparable end-market focus and customer segments, though operates as a manufacturer rather than a rep firm.
• Process Equipment Sales: Independent manufacturer's representative firm serving water, wastewater, and industrial process markets with a multi-principal equipment portfolio. Directly comparable in rep/distribution business model and customer base.
• Masterson Company: Manufacturer's representative firm serving water and wastewater treatment markets in the Midwest US with a similar multi-principal portfolio of pumps, filtration, and treatment equipment. Most directly comparable in business model, scale, and customer mix to Eshelman.
• Aqua-Tech Sales & Service: Regional manufacturer's representative specializing in water and wastewater treatment equipment across the Southeastern US, with comparable offerings in pumps, controls, and treatment processes. Direct competitor in overlapping geography.

Regional players

• Kurita Water Industries: Japanese-headquartered global water treatment company with growing North American presence, particularly in industrial water treatment chemicals and process solutions. Comparable in industrial water focus but primarily operates outside Eshelman's Southeastern territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-eshelman-company-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Eshelman Company