What FCI Watermakers does

FCI Watermakers Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered at 3782 W 2340 S "E" in West Valley City, Utah, designs and manufactures reverse osmosis (RO) water purification systems spanning a 200 GPD to 750,000+ GPD capacity range. Founded in 1988, the company serves marine (pleasure craft, sportfishing, mega yacht), commercial and municipal (resorts, oil and gas platforms, breweries, wineries, agriculture), and spot-free vehicle/RV/boat washing markets. The product portfolio is organized by water source (seawater, brackish, municipal) and includes the Aqualite, Aquamiser+, Atlas+, Max-Q+, Neptune+, Poseidon+, Titan, M4, M8, and DTS+ product families, each offered in framed and/or modular configurations and supported by the proprietary V4 HMI/PLC controller with AQ3 entry-level control and an MFD Module for Garmin, Raymarine, and Furuno helm integration.

The underlying technology is membrane-based reverse osmosis operating at 600-1200 PSI on seawater, with proprietary features including +APC (Automated Pressure Control), pressure-exchanger energy recovery claiming up to 40% energy savings, and the industry's only bridge-classified watermaker control system holding type approvals from ABS, CE, GL, Lloyd's Register EMEA, Det Norske Veritas, and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. Differentiators include non-proprietary parts design for lower long-term cost of ownership, and a 3-in-1 combo (Max-Q+ APC/DTS and Atlas+ APC/DTS) that combines seawater single-pass, spot-free double-pass, and spot-free dockside municipal treatment in one unit.

FCI generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware sales across consumer ($6,250-$7,500 MSRP DTS+ units), mid-market marine ($5K-$50K typical Aqualite through Neptune+ systems), and large enterprise/commercial channels (custom-engineered Titan and M8 installations often requiring multi-year contracts and direct sales engagement). Distribution combines a 250+ location dealer network in 60+ countries, OEM specification relationships with 100+ yacht builders, dedicated dealer and OEM portals, and event-driven demand generation at venues such as the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Recurring revenue is generated from non-proprietary but FCI-preferred replacement membranes, pre-filters, and consumables. The company is led by CEO Scott McGuire, operates with 11-50 employees, and has no disclosed funding rounds or parent company.

Name

FCI Watermakers

Legal name

FCI WATERMAKERS INC.

Website

https://fciwatermakers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FCI Watermakers designs and manufactures reverse osmosis water purification systems for marine vessels, commercial operations, and municipal applications, selling through 250+ dealers across 60+ countries and OEM specifications from 100+ yacht builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Valley City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Watermaker Systems (Marine): Primary revenue from selling reverse osmosis watermaker systems for marine applications including pleasure boats, sportfishing vessels, mega yachts, and commercial ships. Systems range from compact 200 GPD units to large commercial systems producing 265,000+ GPD. One-time hardware sales with varying complexity based on vessel requirements.
2. DTS+ Spot-Free Systems: DTS+ Mobile, Mobile Lite, Solo, and Auto spot-free water purification systems for dockside and municipal water treatment. Applications include boat washing, car/RV detailing, and general spot-free rinsing. Products like the DTS+ Mobile Lite at $6,250 and DTS+ Mobile at $7,500 are sold as standalone units.
3. Commercial & Municipal Systems: Large-scale reverse osmosis systems for commercial applications including resorts, municipalities, oil platforms, and agricultural operations. The M4 Series (2,100-14,400 GPD), M8 Series (32,000-190,000 GPD), and Titan Series (62,000-750,000+ GPD) serve these markets. Custom systems also available.
4. Replacement Parts & Consumables: Recurring revenue from replacement filters, membranes, and other maintenance parts. Non-proprietary design ensures broad compatibility while FCI remains a preferred supplier. Replacement pre-filters recommended when system operates at 10 PSI or less.
5. Custom Engineering Services: Custom-designed and configured systems for unique applications. FCI engineers work with customers to develop tailored solutions for specialized water treatment needs, including custom skid-mounted systems for resorts and unique commercial applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FCI Watermakers designs, manufactures, and distributes reverse osmosis watermaker systems for marine vessels, commercial operations, and municipal applications. The product range spans from compact 200 GPD marine units for pleasure boats to large-scale 750,000+ GPD systems for resorts, municipalities, and oil platforms, supported by proprietary control systems and a global dealer network across 60+ countries.

Product overview

FCI Watermakers is a US-based company (West Valley, UT) specializing in commercial, marine, and municipal reverse osmosis water purification systems. The product portfolio spans from compact 200 GPD marine desalination units for sailboats to massive 750,000+ GPD commercial systems for resorts and municipalities. Core marine offerings include the Aqualite (200 GPD), Aquamiser+ (250-1,800 GPD), Atlas+ (1,400-3,600 GPD), Max-Q+ (variable capacity), Neptune+ (3,400-10,000 GPD), and Poseidon+ (13,000-32,000 GPD) series, each available in Framed and/or Modular configurations. Commercial/industrial products include the Titan Series (62,000-750,000+ GPD) and M4/M8 municipal systems. Spot-free water products include the DTS+ Mobile/Mobile Lite (portable systems), DTS+ Solo/Auto/Marine (dockside treatments), and supporting accessories including V4 Controller with HMI touchscreen, AQ3 Remote, and MFD Module for helm integration. The company also offers custom filtration systems and wine/juice filtration solutions. All products feature FCI's proprietary control systems and are supported by a global dealer network across 60 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aqualite Modular Compact marine desalination system producing 200 GPD with modular design for flexible installation in tight spaces. Features low power draw for inverter compatibility and FCI's AQ3 control system.
• Aqualite Framed

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of up to 40% through proprietary pressure exchanger technology that captures energy from the brine stream
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Böning Ship AutomationflagshipTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with global maritime and ship automation leader Böning Ship Automation enables bridge integration and centralized monitoring of FCI watermaker systems from ship's bridge consoles. The integration provides captains access to water quality, output levels, system status, faults, warnings, and complete process control without leaving the helm. Most new FCI installations are now supported by Böning bridge integration systems, with retrofit options available for existing vessels.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pure Aqua: Pure Aqua manufactures commercial and industrial reverse osmosis systems for municipal, hospitality, and oil-and-gas buyers. Competes with FCI's M-series and Titan product lines on price in the mid-size commercial band.
• Echotec Watermakers: Echotec is a smaller, newer marine watermaker specialist focusing on modular RO systems for sportfishing and mid-size yachts. Niche overlap with FCI's modular Aqualite / Aquamiser+ tier and a more direct-to-consumer marketing posture.

Direct peers

• Dessalator: Dessalator is a long-established French manufacturer of marine reverse osmosis watermakers for sailing yachts, motor yachts, and commercial vessels. Competes head-to-head with FCI in the European OEM and leisure-craft channels and in custom megayacht installations.
• HRO Systems (Horizon Reverse Osmosis): HRO Systems builds marine reverse osmosis watermakers for sailboats, powerboats, and superyachts. It overlaps FCI across the 200–1,800 GPD leisure band and competes for OEM specifications on production yachts.
• Cruise RO Water Makers & Watermakers Inc. Cruise RO / Watermakers Inc. designs and manufactures marine and small-commercial RO systems sold through a global dealer network — a directly comparable distribution and product model to FCI.
• Dometic: Dometic is the dominant marine water systems competitor after acquiring Sea Recovery, Village Marine Tec, and Spot Zero. It sells RO watermakers across overlapping capacity bands and pursues the same OEM yacht builders and aftermarket dealers as FCI.
• Katadyn Group: Katadyn's Marine / PowerSurvivor line of desalination watermakers targets sailing yachts, motorboats, and offshore applications. Competes with FCI in the compact-capacity leisure segment and benefits from broader Katadyn outdoor distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Watts Water Technologies: Watts is a broad-line water-treatment equipment manufacturer serving residential, commercial, and light-industrial markets with filtration and RO systems. Overlaps FCI on the M4/M8 municipal and point-of-entry product lines and on the broader spot-free rinse category.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia is a global water-treatment major with industrial RO and municipal systems reaching into oil-and-gas, island, and resort use cases — direct adjacency to FCI's Titan/M8 commercial and municipal product lines.
• Parker Hannifin (Racor / Sea Recovery legacy): Parker Hannifin is a diversified industrial filtration and motion-control conglomerate with marine filtration and water-purification product lines via Racor and legacy Sea Recovery assets. It overlaps FCI on marine pretreatment and OEM filtration supply.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance21 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 FCI Watermakers