Action Coupling & Equipment

What Action Coupling & Equipment does

Action Coupling & Equipment, Inc. is a US-based, family-owned manufacturer of fire hose couplings, adapters, valves, manifolds, and related firefighting hardware, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Holmesville, Ohio. The company self-describes as the largest manufacturer of fire hose couplings and adapters in the United States, producing the bulk of its catalog from 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy sourced from domestic mills, with a complementary brass product line. It holds a US patent on the Liberator Coupling (dovetail design) and offers specification-grade finishes including in-house hard-coat anodizing, Cerakote ceramic coating (NFPA salt-spray validated), and MIL-A-865 Type 3 Class 1 Premium Black dye anodizing.

The company's core technology stack combines CNC machining, robotics, in-house thread cutting (with a proprietary database of thousands of thread specifications spanning 3/4" to 12"), and integrated finishing capabilities, supported by over 135,000 square feet of manufacturing space and more than 1 million pounds of inventory across 200+ extruded aluminum shapes. This scale and vertical integration enable same/next-day shipping on stocked items and rapid-turn custom-thread orders, addressing the fire service's need for both standardized fittings and long-tail special-thread components.

Commercially, Action Coupling operates a direct-to-customer, phone-first sales model — the company emphasizes human customer service over automated phone trees and distributes a printed catalog alongside its website. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Its primary customer segments are municipal fire departments, forestry and wildland fire services (USFS-spec listed), fire apparatus manufacturers (OEMs), and industrial/hazmat facilities, with no third-party distribution or reseller channel. The business is privately held by a family operating across three generations, with no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership.

Name

Action Coupling & Equipment

Legal name

Action Coupling & Equipment, Inc.

Website

https://actioncoupling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Action Coupling & Equipment is a US-based, family-owned manufacturer of fire hose couplings, adapters, valves, and manifolds, serving municipal fire departments, forestry/wildland services, fire apparatus OEMs, and industrial/hazmat facilities with Made-in-USA 6061-T6 aluminum hardware.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Firefighting Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Hoses, Tubing & Fittings (Hydraulic/Pneumatic Lines & Connectors) (IMAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Fire hose couplings
• Firefighting adapters
• Hydrant gate valves
• Fire equipment manufacturing
• Water delivery manifolds

Headquarters

HQ city

Holmesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fire Hose Couplings and Adapters: Manufacture and sale of fire hose couplings, adapters, valves, and related equipment. Products range from 1" to 12" diameter. Multiple product lines including extruded couplings, brass couplings, specialty adapters, and Storz equipment. One-time purchase model for equipment.
2. Custom Thread Manufacturing: Special custom thread cutting services for the fire industry. Comprehensive database of thousands of thread specifications ranging from 3/4" to 12". Quick turnaround for specialized requirements.
3. Replacement Parts and Accessories: Sale of replacement parts including expansion rings, gaskets, bearings, plugs, and repair components. Ongoing after-market parts revenue from installed base.
4. Finishing Services: In-house hard coating and optional finishes (Cerakote, Premium Black) applied to products for enhanced durability and aesthetics.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Action Coupling & Equipment manufactures fire hose couplings, adapters, valves, manifolds, gauges, and related firefighting equipment primarily from 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy and brass, in diameters from 1" to 12". The company operates as the largest US manufacturer of fire hose couplings and adapters, with in-house CNC machining, custom thread manufacturing (3/4" to 12"), in-house hard-coat anodizing, and optional Cerakote and Premium Black finishes. Production is completed in-house at a 135,000+ square foot Ohio facility.

Product overview

Action Coupling & Equipment is a manufacturer of fire hose couplings and adapters, producing a comprehensive portfolio of firefighting equipment. The company operates as the largest manufacturer of fire hose couplings and adapters in the United States, with over 135,000 square feet of manufacturing space and over 100 team members. Their product portfolio centers on fire hose couplings and adapters (Ace A+ Series, Brass Couplings, Forestry Couplings, Specialty Couplings), complemented by water delivery equipment (Valves including Hydrant Gate Valves and Gated Wye Valves, Manifolds), Storz connections, gauges, spanners/wrenches, coupling machines, and accessories. The company specializes in custom thread manufacturing from 3/4" to 12" with a database of thousands of thread specifications. Primary materials include 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy (extruded and cast) and brass, with in-house hard-coat finishing and optional Cerakote and Premium Black finishes. Products range from 1" to 12" diameter and are proudly made in the USA with materials purchased from United States mills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Hose Couplings Comprehensive range of fire hose couplings (1" to 12" diameter) including Ace A+ Series Extruded, Rack Hose, Forestry, Spiral Hard Suction, Suction Hose, Cam Lock, Quarter Turn, Booster, Collar Type Soft Suction, and Liberator Couplings. Made primarily from 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy with hard-coat finish; for fire departments and apparatus manufacturers.
• Liberator Coupling Patented coupling with innovative dovetail design (8 dovetails standard, 10 on 2-1/2") allowing various attachments. Made from 6061-T6 high-strength aluminum alloy with hard coating; includes expansion rings and gaskets. Targeted at fire departments needing multi-function attachment configurations.
• Forestry Couplings U.S.D.A. listed forestry couplings meeting USFS Spec. 5100-108. Lightweight high-strength 6061-T6 aluminum with hard coating for corrosion and abrasion resistance. Available in 1" and 1-1/2" sizes; designed for wildland firefighting crews.
• Brass Couplings Brass fire hose couplings including ABR Series Brass Rack Hose Couplings and B Series Cast Brass Couplings, made from 85-15 cast red brass with rocker lug or pin lug configurations; rings and gaskets included.
• Quarter Turn Coupling Quick connect quarter turn couplings machined from hard-coated 6061-T6 extruded aluminum, requiring a special adjusting ring spacer and complete with rings and gaskets.
• Field Attachable Booster Hose Coupling Lightweight field attachable booster hose coupling for woven TPU lined forestry hose; attaches with 8 bolts using a 5/32" allen wrench. Designed for forestry and wildland fire crews needing field-installable couplings.
• Adapters Extensive line of hard-coated extruded 6061-T6 aluminum adapters including AA+ series (122, 135, 136, 137, 153, 153RL, 154, 154RL, 156, 157), Two Tier Adapters, Cam Lock Adapters, Stream Straightener, and Threaded Lightweight Elbows.
• Hydrant Gate Valve Lightweight heavy-duty 2-1/2" NH Female X NH Male gate valve machined from solid billet 6061-T6 extruded aluminum (not cast). Non-rising spindle, full 2-1/2" waterway flow, opens/closes in 11 revolutions, Black Hard Anodized Type III Class 2 finish, 250 PSI rating.
• Gated Wye Valve Durable, lightweight WYE hose valves constructed of high-quality anodized aluminum with quarter-turn operation and polymer ball/seat mechanism. Working pressure 600 psi; meets GSA requirements for US Forest Service.
• Manifolds Water distribution manifolds including Action Manifold (2-1/2" trunk with six garden hose valves) and Bear Claw Manifold (five GHT valve outlets with 1-1/2" or 2-1/2" NH inlet). Maximum operating pressure 125-600 PSI depending on model.
• Line Gauge Gauge for testing static pressure in nozzles or hose. Body of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, hard-coated, sizes 1" to 3" with 300 lb glycerine-filled gauge; chrome finish available.
• Protected Line Gauge Standpipe gauge with fully enclosed gauge to protect against damage. 6061-T6 aluminum body, hard-coated, available in any thread, glycerine-filled 0 to 300 lb gauge; sizes 1-1/2" and 2-1/2".
• Cap Gauge Gauge to test static pressure on trucks and hydrants. 6061-T6 aluminum body, hard-coated, sizes 1-1/2" to 3-1/2" with glycerine-filled 0 to 300 lb gauge; chrome finish and bleeder valve available.
• Spanners & Wrenches Hand tools for firefighting equipment including Storz Spanner Wrenches (cast and steel), Universal Spanner Wrenches, Pocket Folding Spanner Wrenches, Adjustable Hydrant Wrenches, and various holders; made from cast aluminum or steel.
• Storz Equipment Complete line of Storz connections including Mounting Plates, Storz to Storz Adapters, Expansion Ring Couplings, Gaskets, Collar-Type Couplings, Conversion Elbows, Metal Face Adapters, Flange Adapters, Caps, Field Attachable Couplings, and Hydrant Converters.
• Coupling Machines Equipment for attaching fire hose couplings including The Green Machine, Expansion Units (handling 1" through 6" couplings), and Ring Extractor for re-using couplings by extracting expansion rings.
• Caps & Plugs Protective caps and plugs including Two-Part Cap, One-Piece Plug, and Solid One-Piece Cap; extruded 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy in various sizes with optional chain and finishes.
• Expansion Rings 85-15 seamless brass expansion rings for maximum expansion without breakage. One edge chamfered to prevent cutting hose liner; available in 1-6" sizes.
• Gaskets Lathe-cut swivel gaskets for couplings and adapters. Used for swivel and replacement tail gaskets in sizes 3/4" through 6".
• Bearings & Plugs Stainless steel ball bearings for swivel attachment on 2-1/2", 3", and 3-1/2" swivels; roller bearings for 4" through 6" swivels; plugs for bearing retainer.
• Parts & Accessories Supporting products including Mounting Plates, Action Hose Rollers, Hose Menders, and Action Arrows (reflective safety stickers for firefighter visibility).
• Cerakote Finish Ceramic-based finish providing abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness; passed NFPA salt spray testing with no corrosion. Applied to all external surfaces except threads and bearing grooves. Standard colors include Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Red, White, Yellow.
• Premium Black Finish Dye-anodized black finish meeting MIL-A-865 Type 3 Class 1 hard-coating specifications, providing a true black finish that looks good stamped and lasers exceptionally well.
• Custom Thread Manufacturing Special custom thread cutting service for the fire industry using a comprehensive database of thousands of thread specifications ranging from 3/4" to 12". Quick turnaround for specialized requirements; for fire departments and apparatus OEMs needing non-standard threads.

Quantifiable outcome

• Same or next day shipping for most stocked products
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Foam: National Foam manufactures foam fire suppression equipment and hardware. It is an adjacent player that intersects with Action's fire water delivery and manifold product lines for industrial and hazmat customers.

Broad incumbents

• Elkhart Brass: Elkhart Brass manufactures firefighting valves, nozzles, and couplings. It overlaps with Action's valve and coupling product lines while operating as a broader, established incumbent in fire apparatus equipment.
• Akron Brass: Akron Brass manufactures firefighting valves, monitors, and water flow equipment. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Action in the valves and fire water delivery categories.
• Task Force Tips (TFT): Task Force Tips manufactures firefighting nozzles, valves, and foam equipment. It is a broader incumbent in the fire service equipment market with overlapping valve and adapter offerings.
• Angus Fire: Angus Fire is a global manufacturer of fire hoses, couplings, and foam equipment serving industrial, municipal, and offshore markets. It is a broad incumbent offering overlapping fire hose connection products alongside a wider product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Kochek Company, Inc. Kochek manufactures fire hose couplings, adapters, and related firefighting fluid handling equipment. It is one of Action Coupling's closest direct competitors in the US market for couplings and adapters.
• Harrington, Inc. Harrington is a US manufacturer of fire hose and related firefighting equipment, including couplings and adapters. It competes with Action in serving municipal and industrial fire service customers.
• Mercedes Textiles / Snap-tite: Mercedes Textiles owns Snap-tite, a manufacturer of fire hose couplings, valves, and adapters used by municipal fire departments. Snap-tite is a direct peer in the US couplings and adapters category.

Others

• American Fire Equipment: American Fire Equipment is a fire protection equipment distributor and service provider. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant that resells and services products comparable to those Action manufactures, including couplings and adapters.

Regional players

• Key Fire Hose: Key Fire Hose is a US manufacturer of fire hose and related products. While primarily focused on hose rather than couplings, it serves overlapping municipal fire department customers with adjacent product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Action Coupling & Equipment