3B Controls
3B Controls Ltd is a UK manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves, breather valves, flame arresters, and storage tank safety equipment, serving petrochemical, chemical, oil and gas, biogas, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage customers under the Cashco (May River Capital) platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWidnes, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What 3B Controls does
3B Controls Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves and storage tank safety equipment, headquartered in Widnes. Founded in 2006, the company designs and produces a comprehensive portfolio including pressure/vacuum relief valves (B100 series), vacuum relief valves (B200), pressure relief valves (B300), emergency relief manways (B400), overflow valves (B800), gauge hatches and vents (B500, B550, B700), tank blanketing valves (B77), and a full flame arrester range covering end-of-line and inline deflagration and detonation protection. Products are manufactured in carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, Hastelloy, and exotic alloys, and certified to API 2000 7th Edition / ISO 28300, enabling application in petrochemical, chemical, oil and gas storage, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and biogas/anaerobic digestion environments.
The company generates revenue primarily through direct hardware sales under a custom quote-based pricing model, with a secondary stream of inspection, servicing, and spare parts delivered by trained service engineers on-site or at the manufacturing facility. Go-to-market combines direct sales-led engagement (phone, email, website quote forms) with a global direct export model offering standard four-week lead times and urgent dispatch in days, supplemented by an actively expanding distributor network. The company operates with 11-50 employees and exports globally.
In April 2026, 3B Controls was acquired by Cashco, a Kansas-based pressure management provider and portfolio company of May River Capital. The acquisition positions the UK facility as Cashco's EMEA manufacturing and service hub, combines complementary product lines, and aligns 3B with a lower middle-market industrial roll-up strategy. Following the acquisition, the company's strategic focus is on expanding distributor coverage, deepening its biogas specialization, and leveraging the combined entity's broader material range and geographic reach.
3B Controls firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3B Controls
- Legal name
- 3B Controls Ltd
- Website
- https://3bcontrols.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 3B Controls Ltd is a UK manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves, breather valves, flame arresters, and storage tank safety equipment, serving petrochemical, chemical, oil and gas, biogas, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage customers under the Cashco (May River Capital) platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where 3B Controls is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Widnes
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
3B Controls business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Valve and Safety Equipment Sales: 3B Controls generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of low pressure/vacuum relief valves, breather valves, emergency vents, manways, gauge hatches, flame arresters, and gas blanketing valves. Products are exported worldwide with standard four-week deliveries and urgent dispatch options.
- Inspection, Servicing, and Spare Parts: Comprehensive inspection and after-sales service supported by fully trained service engineers. Wide range of industry spares despatched to accommodate plant shut downs, minimizing downtime. Products can be serviced on site or at manufacturing facility.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quotation-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
3B Controls product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3B Controls Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves, breather valves, emergency vents, manways, gauge hatches, flame arresters, and gas blanketing valves used for industrial storage tank safety. The company designs and produces valves in a range of materials (carbon steel, stainless steel, Hastelloy, aluminium, exotic alloys, and plastics) for tank protection in petrochemical, oil storage, biogas, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries. 3B Controls also provides inspection, after-sales servicing, and spare parts for plant shutdowns.
Product overview
3B Controls is a UK-based manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves and storage tank safety equipment, offering solutions for industrial tank protection. The product portfolio centers on breather valves and pressure/vacuum relief valves (B100, B200, B300 series), emergency relief manways (B400 series), overflow valves (B800 series), gauge hatches and vents (B500, B550, B700 series), and tank blanketing valves (B77 series). Flame arresters covering end-of-line and inline configurations for deflagration and detonation protection complement the safety equipment range. For biogas applications, the company provides specialized equipment including thermal operated shut-off valves, automatic and manual drip traps, condensate and sediment traps, and back pressure regulators. Products are manufactured in various materials including aluminium, carbon steel, stainless steel, Hastelloy, and plastics, with standard flange connections (ANSI/DIN/JIS) and international compliance with API 2000 and ISO 28300 standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- B100 Series Pressure & Vacuum Relief Valves
- B200 Series Vacuum Relief Valves Vacuum relief valves designed to protect tanks and vessels from excessive vacuum caused by emptying of product and temperature changes during climatic conditions.
- B300 Series Pressure Relief Valves Pressure relief valves ensuring tank and vessel safety during periods of excessive pressure caused by filling and temperature changes. Available in open or closed vent configurations.
- B400 Series Emergency Relief Manways Emergency relief manways that protect tanks during excessive pressure from external fire sources and provide access for inspection and cleaning purposes. Includes combined pressure-vacuum relieving emergency manway variants sized from 8 to 36 inches.
- B800 Series Overflow Valves Proportional control overflow valves providing pump and plant system protection during periods of excessive pressure, sized from 2 to 12 inches.
- B500 Series Gauge Hatches Screw-down and free-lift gauge hatches designed to provide access to tanks and vessels for sampling, measurement, and inspection, featuring O-ring seals and lockable free-lift options.
- B550 Free Vent Free vent designed for safe tank venting during storage, filling, and emptying operations, sized from 2 to 24 inches.
- B700 Rim Vent Pressure relief vent designed for installation on floating roof tank roofs to facilitate pressure relief when the tank is empty or being filled.
- B77 Tank Blanketing Valves Gas blanketing valves designed to control a blanket of gas above stored liquid while reducing blanketing gas losses and preventing air entry that could degrade the product.
- Flame Arresters Passive explosion protection devices preventing transmission of flame and explosion to plant and process equipment using proven flame extinguishing gap technology with metal foil cells. Range includes end-of-line deflagration, in-line deflagration, in-line detonation, and endurance burn arresters covering Group I methane through Group IIC hydrogen applications.
- Biogas Safety Equipment Specialised biogas safety and handling equipment for anaerobic digestion processes used in sewage treatment, landfills, and food processing plants. Includes 430 Series thermal operated shut-off valves, 245 Series automatic drip traps, 246/247 Series manual drip traps, 233 Series condensate and sediment traps, and 368 Series back pressure regulators.
- Inspection, Servicing, and Spares Comprehensive inspection and after-sales service supported by fully trained service engineers, with a wide range of industry spares despatched to accommodate plant shutdowns and minimise downtime. Products can be serviced on site or returned to 3B Controls' manufacturing facility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Minimum leakage less than 1 scfh at 90% set pressure for standard PV valves
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 3B Controls
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3B Controls technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
3B Controls partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
3B Controls competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enardo (Honeywell): Enardo, a Honeywell brand, manufactures tank vents, flame arresters, and pressure/vacuum relief valves for storage tank safety — a direct competitor in 3B Controls' core product categories and end markets.
- Protectoseal: Protectoseal is a long-established US specialist in tank venting, flame arresters, and storage tank safety equipment — directly comparable to 3B Controls' breather valve, pressure/vacuum relief, and flame arrester product lines serving the same end-user base.
- Crosby Group: Crosby manufactures pressure relief valves and tank safety equipment for oil & gas, petrochemical, and industrial applications — directly comparable to 3B Controls' pressure relief valve and storage tank safety product lines.
- Groth Corporation: Groth specializes in tank protection equipment including flame arresters, pressure/vacuum relief valves, and detonation arresters — overlapping almost one-to-one with 3B Controls' flame arrester and storage tank safety portfolio.
- Motherwell Tank Protection: A smaller UK-based specialist in tank protection equipment, including pressure/vacuum relief valves and flame arresters — a direct niche peer serving similar customers from a similarly regional base.
Broad incumbents
- Emerson Electric (Fisher): Emerson's Fisher brand is one of the largest industrial valve and pressure management suppliers globally, with overlapping products in pressure relief and tank safety. It is a broad incumbent rather than a focused tank-safety specialist.
- IMI plc: IMI is a large diversified industrial valve and motion control manufacturer with significant exposure to petrochemical and process industries — a broad incumbent with overlapping pressure management capabilities.
- Pentair: Pentair's industrial valve business serves similar end markets with a broad portfolio of flow control and pressure management products — a large incumbent competitor in industrial valves and tank protection.
- Flowserve Corporation: Flowserve is a global leader in industrial pumps, valves, and seals serving the same oil & gas, chemical, and power end markets as 3B Controls, but at materially greater scale and broader scope.
- Cashco: Cashco is 3B Controls' parent company post-2026 acquisition and a broader pressure management solutions provider based in Kansas. It overlaps with 3B Controls on pressure relief and tank management, but offers a wider portfolio including regulators and control valves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
3B Controls social profiles
Digital presence3B Controls financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3B Controls leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
3B Controls funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3B Controls M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 3B Controls
What does 3B Controls do?
3B Controls Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer of low pressure and vacuum relief valves, breather valves, emergency vents, manways, gauge hatches, flame arresters, and gas blanketing valves used for industrial storage tank safety. The company designs and produces valves in a range of materials (carbon steel, stainless steel, Hastelloy, aluminium, exotic alloys, and plastics) for tank protection in petrochemical, oil storage, biogas, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries. 3B Controls also provides inspection, after-sales servicing, and spare parts for plant shutdowns.
Is 3B Controls a public or private company?
3B Controls is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently acquired.
When was 3B Controls founded?
3B Controls was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 3B Controls based?
3B Controls is headquartered in Widnes, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 3B Controls make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Valve and Safety Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are inspection, Servicing, and Spare Parts.
Who are 3B Controls's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enardo (Honeywell), Protectoseal, Crosby Group, Groth Corporation and Motherwell Tank Protection. Broad incumbents are Emerson Electric (Fisher), IMI plc, Pentair, Flowserve Corporation and Cashco.
Does 3B Controls have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3B Controls.