Bartlett Instrument

What Bartlett Instrument does

Bartlett Instrument Company is a Fort Madison, Iowa-based, family-owned manufacturer of embedded temperature controllers founded in 1948. The company operates in two distinct verticals: ceramic kiln controllers for studio and small-commercial potters, and greenhouse controllers for small-to-medium growers. Its core technical offering is purpose-built embedded hardware that regulates temperature profiles in kilns and greenhouse environments, drawing on more than 75 years of accumulated domain expertise in high-temperature and horticultural control electronics.

The product portfolio is organized into two lines (Greenhouse Controllers and Kiln Controllers) and is increasingly complemented by proprietary web platforms: Headgrower, which provides greenhouse monitoring and management functionality, and KilnAid, which supports kiln firing processes. The hardware remains the primary revenue-generating asset, while the software platforms represent an early-stage attempt to extend the product into recurring, software-adjacent revenue.

Bartlett distributes through a network of regional distributors and direct phone-based sales, with no public online ordering channel. The customer base consists of hobbyist and small-commercial end users in both the ceramics and small-grower horticulture segments. The company employs 11-50 people, has not raised outside funding, and discloses no M&A activity. A newly created Director of Digital Services role signals an organizational pivot toward software-enabled product strategy, though the company's center of gravity remains industrial embedded hardware.

Name

Bartlett Instrument

Legal name

Bartlett Instrument Company

Website

https://bartinst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bartlett Instrument is a Fort Madison, Iowa-based, family-owned manufacturer of embedded temperature controllers founded in 1948, serving ceramic kiln operators and small-to-medium greenhouse growers via regional distributors and direct phone sales, with companion Headgrower and KilnAid web platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Temperature Control Instrumentation

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Automatic Environmental Control Manufacturing for Residential, Commercial, and Appliance Use (334512)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Furnaces, Kilns & Thermal Processing Equipment (IMAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Temperature control devices
• Greenhouse environmental controllers
• Kiln temperature controllers
• Embedded control systems
• Industrial process controllers

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Controller Sales: Sale of embedded temperature control devices for greenhouse and kiln applications. Products are sold through distributors and direct phone sales.
2. Software Platform Subscriptions: Headgrower and KilnAid platforms likely operate on a subscription model for cloud-based monitoring and control services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bartlett Instrument Company designs and manufactures embedded temperature control hardware for greenhouse environmental control and ceramic kiln firing, complemented by two web-based monitoring and management platforms—Headgrower (greenhouse) and KilnAid (kiln)—that enable remote operation and oversight. Products are sold through a distributor network and direct phone sales to small growers, ceramic artists, and industrial ceramic operators.

Product overview

Bartlett Instrument Company offers two main product lines: Greenhouse Controllers and Kiln Controllers. Both product lines consist of embedded temperature control hardware complemented by web-based platforms (Headgrower for greenhouse control and KilnAid for kiln control) that enable remote monitoring and management. The company manufactures reliable, easy-to-use, and economical embedded controllers, having designed and manufactured temperature control products for over 75 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Headgrower: Greenhouse environmental control system providing climate management for small to medium growers
• KilnAid

Products and services

• Greenhouse Controllers

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Watlow: Watlow designs and manufactures industrial heaters, temperature sensors, and controllers for thermal processing applications including kilns, ovens, and furnaces. It is the most direct competitive peer to Bartlett in the kiln/thermal-processing controller category, with overlapping customer use cases and similar embedded-controller technology.
• WIKA: WIKA is a global manufacturer of measurement instrumentation including temperature sensors, transmitters, and controllers for industrial processes. It is directly comparable to Bartlett on industrial measurement and control device manufacturing for similar thermal-processing applications.
• Autogrow: Autogrow provides smart greenhouse automation and climate control systems targeted at small to medium growers. It is a direct peer to Bartlett's Headgrower product line on the greenhouse environmental control side, competing for the same small-grower customer segment.
• Omega Engineering: Omega Engineering manufactures process measurement and control instrumentation including temperature controllers, sensors, and data acquisition systems. It serves a broad industrial customer base with comparable embedded controller products, making it a direct comparable on technology and product category.
• Argus Controls: Argus Controls supplies environmental control and automation systems for greenhouses and growth chambers. While it traditionally serves larger commercial operations, it overlaps with Bartlett on greenhouse climate control technology and adjacent customer segments.
• Inkbird: Inkbird manufactures affordable, consumer-friendly temperature controllers, hygrostats, and monitoring devices for hobbyist and small commercial applications including fermentation, brewing, and small greenhouses. It is a direct competitor on price-sensitive temperature control hardware with a modern e-commerce-led GTM that contrasts with Bartlett's phone-order model.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls is a global building automation and HVAC controls incumbent with temperature and environmental control products serving commercial buildings. While not directly competing in ceramic kilns, it overlaps with Bartlett's greenhouse environmental control offerings at the larger commercial end of the market.
• Honeywell: Honeywell offers a broad industrial automation and building controls portfolio that includes temperature controllers, process instrumentation, and connected building management. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Bartlett in larger industrial temperature control applications while offering far wider scope.

Emerging players

• Skutt: Skutt is a leading ceramic kiln manufacturer that also sells its own KilnMaster branded temperature controllers bundled with its kilns. It overlaps with Bartlett's kiln controller business from a downstream perspective and competes for the same ceramic-artist and small-studio customer base.
• L&L Kilns: L&L Kilns manufactures ceramic kilns equipped with proprietary temperature controllers (Easy-Fire, DynaTrol) for studios and schools. It is comparable to Bartlett as a kiln-focused equipment maker with embedded controller technology serving the same ceramic-artist customer segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bartlettcontrol
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCax3ABoFU9sRGR9F4o-wYrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/bartlettcontrol
• Instagraminstagram.com/bartlettcontrol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bartlett-instrument-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Bartlett Instrument