Howden Roots

What Howden Roots does

Howden Roots manufactures positive displacement rotary lobe blowers and a broader portfolio of mission-critical air and gas handling equipment used in heavy industrial processes. Founded in 1864 and headquartered in Glasgow, UK, the company operates under the Howden brand within the Chart Industries group following a 2023 Chart acquisition and the April 2024 acquisition of Howden Roots by Ingersoll Rand for USD 300 million. The product portfolio spans axial and centrifugal fans, centrifugal and screw compressors, reciprocating and diaphragm compressors (notably the Burton Corblin hermetic diaphragm line for toxic, flammable, explosive, or radioactive gases), steam turbines up to 40 MWe, turbo fans, centrifugal blowers (HV-TURBO/TURBLEX, Spencer, Kühnle Kopp & Kausch), heat recovery equipment (Rothemühle), and electrostatic precipitators. Retained heritage brands include Peter Brotherhood, Burton Corblin, HV-TURBO, Spencer Turbine, Kühnle Kopp & Kausch, and Rothemühle, with manufacturing in the UK (Peterborough, Renfrew, Glasgow, Chesterfield) and Germany (Frankenthal).

The company monetizes across three revenue streams: new equipment sales (custom-engineered hardware sold via enterprise field sales and RFQ), aftermarket services (parts, maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades delivered through the 4P concept and the Maintenance Partners by Howden network), and digital solutions (Howden Uptime, Solysmart, Ventsim, Pumpsim, Howden Select, Engineering Suite) increasingly sold alongside equipment. Customers are concentrated in primary verticals of Oil/Gas/Chemicals, Power Generation, Mining, Water & Wastewater, and Hydrogen Energy, with a long tail including Metals, Cement, Glass, LNG, CCUS, Data Centers, Aerospace, Marine, Nuclear, and Waste-to-Energy. Distribution is direct enterprise sales supported by a global network of local service and delivery teams in more than 100 countries, with no public pricing disclosed and contracts typically structured as multi-year custom industrial equipment engagements.

Howden Roots positions its competitive advantage on 160+ years of engineering heritage, proprietary emission-control and hermetic compression technology (EMISSIONGUARD TR² packing rings, Burton Corblin diaphragm compressors), and a service network that monetizes an installed base of more than 1,000 MW of installed steam turbine capacity in waste-to-energy plants and 500+ machines in the cane sugar industry. The strategic emphasis through 2024-2025 is on capturing energy transition demand (hydrogen compression packages, CCUS, high temperature heat pumps, data center cooling) and on converting the installed base into recurring aftermarket and digital monitoring revenue, supported by a new 2025 aftermarket facility in Chesterfield, UK.

Name

Howden Roots

Legal name

Howden Roots (brand name under Chart Industries)

Website

https://howden.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Howden Roots manufactures positive displacement rotary lobe blowers and mission-critical air and gas handling equipment (compressors, fans, steam turbines) for heavy industrial customers in oil and gas, power generation, mining, water and wastewater, and hydrogen energy across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Air and Gas Handling Equipment

NAICS

Air and Gas Compressor Manufacturing (333912), Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533), Engines & Turbines (3510), Pumps & Pumping Equipment (3561)

akta.pro primary industry

Air & Gas Compressors (General Purpose) (IMAHANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Process Gas & High-Pressure Compressors (IMAHANAF), Pump & Compressor Packages (Skids, Booster Sets) (IMAHANAG), Aftermarket Parts, Service & Remanufacturing (Pumps/Compressors) (IMAHANAJ), Compressors, Refrigeration Components & Condensing Units (IMADANAG), Chillers & Cooling Plant Equipment (IMAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Industrial air handling
• Gas compression equipment
• Steam turbine manufacturing
• Process gas blowers
• Wastewater aeration compressors

Headquarters

HQ city

Renfrew

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Equipment Sales: Sale of mission critical air and gas handling equipment including compressors, fans, blowers, steam turbines and related industrial machinery. Products are sold directly to enterprise customers in industrial sectors.
2. Aftermarket Services: Parts supply, maintenance, repairs, performance upgrades and outage solutions for rotating equipment. The 4P concept (Parts, Presence, Precision, Prevention) delivers technical expertise and continuous innovation. Includes training through Aftermarket Academy.
3. Digital Solutions: Software and monitoring solutions including Howden Uptime performance monitoring, Solysmart fan monitoring, Ventsim ventilation design, and Pumpsim simulation software, typically sold alongside equipment or as subscription services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Howden Roots manufactures and services mission-critical industrial air and gas handling equipment, including positive-displacement/rotary-lobe blowers, centrifugal and screw compressors, reciprocating and diaphragm compressors, steam turbines, and axial/centrifugal fans, sold primarily to heavy-industrial and process-industry customers. The company supplements equipment with a digital portfolio (Howden Uptime, Solysmart, Ventsim, Pumpsim, Engineering Suite) and a global aftermarket services program built on its 4P concept (Parts, Presence, Precision, Prevention).

Product overview

Howden provides mission critical air and gas handling products and services for industrial processes. The portfolio is organized around rotating and compression equipment including axial and centrifugal fans, centrifugal blowers (HV-TURBO, Turblex, Spencer, Kuehnle Kopp and Kausch brands), centrifugal compressors, screw compressors, reciprocating compressors (piston and diaphragm technologies), steam turbines (Peter Brotherhood), and turbo fans. The digital portfolio includes Howden Uptime for performance monitoring, Solysmart for fan monitoring, Pumpsim for pumping simulation, Ventsim for mine ventilation, and Engineering Suite for digital engineering. Sub-brands include CPI Compression for lubrication systems, Burton Corblin for diaphragm compressors, Rothemühle for heat recovery, and Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch for German-made compressors and steam turbines. Aftermarket services provide parts, maintenance, and performance optimization through the 4P concept and Maintenance Partners by Howden program. The company specializes in hydrogen compression applications and offers emission control solutions including electrostatic precipitators and EMISSIONGUARD packing rings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burton Corblin: Diaphragm compressors dating back to the origins of Burton Corblin, used for complete hermetic separation when handling rare, toxic, flammable, explosive or radioactive gases.
• Spencer Turbine
• Peter Brotherhood
• HV-TURBO
• Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch
• Rothemühle
• DELTA WING Gas Mixers
• CPI by Howden
• Howden Uptime
• Ventsim
• Pumpsim
• Solysmart

Products and services

• Axial Fans High-efficiency axial fans delivering air supply for critical and demanding processes across multiple heavy-industrial sectors.
• Centrifugal Fans High-efficiency centrifugal fans used in highly contaminated airstreams, material-handling applications, and systems requiring flow of air or gas at high temperatures across power, mining, water and general industries.
• Centrifugal Blowers (HV-TURBO, Turblex, Spencer, Kühnle Kopp & Kausch) Industrial centrifugal blowers covering power, mining and water industries, plus turbo compressors for downstream oil and gas applications, marketed under legacy brands HV-TURBO, Turblex, Spencer, and Kühnle Kopp & Kausch.
• Centrifugal Compressors Industrial turbo compressors designed to meet the needs of metallurgical, oil and gas and chemical industries.
• Screw Compressors Rotary twin-screw compressors for gas compression applications within oil and gas, power and industrial refrigeration sectors.
• Reciprocating Compressors (Piston and Diaphragm) Piston and diaphragm compression technologies for safe processing of gas including hydrogen across production, transmission and distribution phases. Peter Brotherhood piston compressors rated to 20 MW operating between 260 and 1,000 rpm; diaphragm compression based on Burton Corblin heritage.
• Diaphragm Compressors (Burton Corblin) Diaphragm compressors from the Burton Corblin brand, used when complete hermetic separation is required for handling rare, toxic, flammable, explosive or radioactive gases.
• Steam Turbines (Peter Brotherhood) Steam turbine solutions for heat and power generation from 75 kW up to 40 MWe, including mechanical drives for pumps, compressors and fans from 10 kW to 40 MW, manufactured at Peter Brotherhood's Peterborough facility up to 22 MW.
• Turbo Fans Advanced turbofan technologies that generate high pressures across a wide volume flow range for air, process gas, and vapor compression applications serving oil and gas, power generation, metals, mining, food/dairy and pharmaceutical industries.
• Cooling Fans Cooling fans used as part of wet, dry and hybrid cooling systems, designed for high efficiency and low noise operation.
• Howden Uptime Digital solution for equipment performance optimization that integrates physical sensor data from rotating equipment and analyzes how it responds to the environment, sold alongside industrial equipment or as a subscription.
• Solysmart Continual monitoring system suitable for fans of all types in real time, assisting operators in keeping fans running at peak efficiency.
• Ventsim Software suite enabling design and simulation of underground mine and tunnel ventilation systems with controls for safe and efficient operation.
• Pumpsim 3-dimensional software package that simulates the pumping and transportation of liquids and slurries through piping systems and networks.
• Engineering Suite Digital engineering tool supporting industrial design and engineering workflows for Howden rotating equipment and compressors.
• DELTA WING Gas Mixers Advanced static gas mixers increasing the efficiency of gas handling equipment by homogenizing the inflow of process gas along with conditioning agents.
• Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Emission control technology that captures particles from waste gas streams, lowering emissions from industrial plant operations.
• CPI Compression Comprehensive compressor lubrication systems, products and services for reliable operation of industrial compression equipment.
• Rothemühle Heat Recovery Equipment OEM brand for air preheaters, gas-gas heaters and related heat recovery equipment increasing efficiency in air and flue gas paths in power and industrial plants.
• TFC90 and TFC180 Diaphragm Compressor Packages Standardized skid-mounted diaphragm compressor packages specifically designed for hydrogen applications, including all process equipment, piping and auxiliary systems.
• EMISSIONGUARD TR² Packing Rings Proprietary packing rings that prevent gas from leaking through vents, primarily used in petrochemical and natural gas compression applications; estimated to have prevented ~20,173,000 Nm³ of vent gas leakage.
• Howden Aftermarket Aftermarket services program using the 4P concept (Parts, Presence, Precision, Prevention) to deliver parts, field maintenance, repairs, performance upgrades, and training (Aftermarket Academy) for installed Howden rotating equipment.
• Maintenance Partners by Howden (HMP) Total-solution aftermarket service partner program that maximizes efficiency, longevity and safety of rotating and turbomachinery equipment, including Howden brands and third-party equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevented 20,173,000 Nm³ (693,144,000 scf) of leaking vent gas, equivalent to 60,500 metric tons of CO₂ (150,191,000 miles driven)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments15 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Flowserve: Flowserve is a leading manufacturer of pumps, valves, seals, and related flow-control equipment for power, oil & gas, chemical, and water industries. Its industrial rotating equipment and aftermarket services are directly comparable to Howden Roots' portfolio.
• Sulzer: Sulzer manufactures pumps, rotating equipment, and related services for oil & gas, power, and water industries. Its turbomachinery and process equipment portfolio overlaps significantly with Howden's compressors, steam turbines, and aftermarket service offering.
• Ingersoll Rand: Ingersoll Rand is a direct peer and parent acquirer of Howden Roots, offering a competing portfolio of compressors, blowers, and vacuum equipment across oil & gas, chemical, and industrial process markets. The overlap makes it the most direct comparable in rotating equipment.
• Atlas Copco: Atlas Copco is a global leader in compressors, industrial tools, and vacuum solutions serving manufacturing, oil & gas, and process industries. Its compressor business directly overlaps Howden Roots' screw, centrifugal, and reciprocating compressor portfolio.
• MAN Energy Solutions: MAN Energy Solutions supplies large-bore diesel engines, turbochargers, compressors, and steam turbines for marine, oil & gas, and power generation. Its compressor and turbine portfolio competes with Howden's reciprocating compressors and steam turbines.
• Elliott Group: Elliott Group designs and manufactures centrifugal compressors, steam turbines, and power recovery equipment for oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and industrial processes. It competes directly with Howden's process gas compression and steam turbine products.
• SPX Technologies (formerly SPX FLOW): SPX Technologies produces industrial equipment including compressors, pumps, and fans for HVAC, oil & gas, and process industries. Its product portfolio overlaps with Howden Roots' blowers, fans, and process gas equipment.
• Gardner Denver (now part of Ingersoll Rand): Gardner Denver produces blowers, compressors, and vacuum pumps for industrial applications. Its product lines compete head-to-head with Howden Roots' positive displacement blowers and rotary lobe compressors in wastewater and process industries.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Energy: Siemens Energy manufactures gas turbines, steam turbines, compressors, and related grid-scale energy equipment. Its compression and rotating equipment businesses overlap with Howden Roots' industrial compressors and steam turbines.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a broad incumbent in turbomachinery, supplying compressors, steam turbines, and power generation equipment globally. Its industrial products compete with Howden's rotating equipment portfolio across multiple heavy industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/grouphowden
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ChartIndustries
• Facebookfacebook.com/grouphowden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/27725?trk=tyah
• Instagraminstagram.com/chart_industries

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 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 Howden Roots