What Summus does

Summus, formerly Certified Power Inc., is a privately held North American distributor and custom engineering platform for fluid power and motion control products, founded in 1974 and rebranded under the Summus name in October 2024. The company operates through eight wholly-owned subsidiary brands — Fluid System Components (FSC), Norcan, Hydrotech, Isaacs Fluid Power, Certified Power Solutions, Skarda Equipment Company, JEM Technical, and Certified Power Train — spanning 31 locations across the United States and Canada. Its core offering includes hydraulic, pneumatic, and electric panel solutions, custom valve manifolds, power transfer components, and engineered systems for mobile and industrial customers, with capabilities in custom engineering, custom manufacturing, and product repair and support.

Summus serves more than 1,000 customers across mobile equipment manufacturers and operators (construction, agricultural, material handling) and industrial facilities (manufacturing, processing, automation), with a reported 95% repeat-buyer rate. The business model combines one-time product sales from a vast multi-brand inventory, professional services revenue from custom engineering and design, and recurring revenue from product repair and support contracts. Distribution is conducted through direct field sales and on-site technical support across the 31-location footprint, with pricing on a quote basis tailored to each custom application. Hydrotech, one of the subsidiaries, is positioned as integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into fluid power and automation services, suggesting incremental exposure to connected-equipment and industrial automation trends.

Growth is being pursued through a dual organic and acquisition-driven strategy, with multiple subsidiary acquisitions completed in the 24 months preceding the 2024 rebrand. The unified Summus corporate identity is intended to consolidate brand equity, enable cross-selling across the subsidiary portfolio, and support continued geographic and capability expansion across North America.

Name

Summus

Legal name

Summus

Website

https://summusholdings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Summus is a privately held North American fluid power and motion control platform operating through eight subsidiary brands across 31 U.S. and Canadian locations, providing hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, and custom-engineered solutions to mobile and industrial customers with recurring repair and support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fluid Power and Motion Control Solutions

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydraulic Power Units & Systems (HPUs, Manifolds, Integrated Circuits) (IMAHAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Linear Motion & Mechanical Power Transmission (Ball/roller screws, linear guides, bearings, couplings) (IMAHAGAM)

Keywords

• 'pneumatic systems': ''}

Headquarters

HQ city

Mundelein

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fluid Power Products: Sale of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electric panel solutions from leading vendors through the FSC subsidiary and other divisions. Products include standard components and customized solutions.
2. Custom Engineering Services: Custom engineering solutions and product design services for mobile and industrial applications, including value-added consultation and continuous training.
3. Product Repair and Support: Product repair and support solutions for fluid power and motion control products, providing ongoing maintenance and support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Summus provides custom engineering, custom manufacturing, and product repair and support solutions for mobile and industrial fluid power and motion control products. Through eight subsidiary brands operating across 31 North American locations, the company supplies hydraulic, pneumatic, electric panel, power transfer, and vacuum components, alongside custom valve manifolds and engineered systems, with on-site technical support.

Product overview

Summus is a platform of fluid power and motion control solutions consisting of eight distinct subsidiary brands operating across 31 North American locations. The portfolio includes: Fluid System Components (hydraulic/pneumatic/electric panel solutions), Norcan (fluid power products with consultation services), Hydrotech (automation services integrating Industry 4.0 technologies), Isaacs Fluid Power (pneumatic and vacuum distribution), Certified Power Solutions (engineered hydraulics and electronic controls), Skarda Equipment Company (custom hydraulic/pneumatic/electronic systems), JEM Technical (custom valve manifolds), and Certified Power Train (power transfer solutions). These subsidiaries provide complementary capabilities spanning custom engineering, custom manufacturing, product repair and support, with access to a vast multi-brand inventory and on-site support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fluid System Components (FSC) Global supplier of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electric panel solutions with an expansive inventory, serving multiple industries from key US locations.
• Norcan Supplier of fluid power and pneumatic products offering value-added solutions and cost-saving measures through continuous training and consultation, based in Calgary, Canada.
• Hydrotech Fluid power and automation service provider with over 50 years of experience, at the forefront of integrating Industry 4.0 technologies into fluid power and automation services.
• Isaacs Fluid Power Distributor and representative of top-tier pneumatic and vacuum products, ensuring rapid and reliable service.
• Certified Power Solutions Mobile and industrial fluid power leader providing engineered hydraulics, pneumatics, automation, motion control, and complex electronic controls.
• Skarda Equipment Company Provider of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electronic system solutions with a commitment to technical customer service and custom solutions, based in Omaha, Nebraska.
• JEM Technical Designer and developer of custom valve manifolds delivering innovative, efficient fluid power solutions to optimize industrial applications across North America, based in Orono, Minnesota.
• Certified Power Train Specialist in power transfer solutions providing both standard components and customized solutions from design to delivery, based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
• Custom Engineering and Product Repair Support Custom engineering, custom manufacturing, and product repair and support services for mobile and industrial fluid power and motion control products, with on-site support delivered across 31 North American locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 customers rely on Summus for multi-faceted solutions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Certified Power Inc. (now Summus)coreOthers · 9 October 2024Certified Power Inc. rebranded as Summus in October 2024. This is a company-wide transformation maintaining the 50-year legacy while unifying 8 subsidiary brands under a new corporate identity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Global leader in motion and control technologies, including hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical systems. A direct competitor to Summus at the OEM level and a key supplier whose products Summus distributes through subsidiaries like FSC.
• Bosch Rexroth: Major manufacturer of hydraulic and motion control components and systems for mobile and industrial applications. Competes with Summus in engineered solutions while also being represented in Summus's multi-brand inventory.
• Danfoss: Global supplier of fluid power, motion control, and power solutions serving mobile and industrial markets. Directly competes with Summus's hydraulic, pneumatic, and motion control offerings across multiple end markets.
• Eaton: Diversified industrial manufacturer with significant hydraulics and motion control businesses serving mobile and industrial customers. Overlaps with Summus's engineered hydraulic and electronic controls offerings.

Direct peers

• Moog Inc. Specialist in high-performance motion control products and systems, including precision hydraulics and electromechanical components. Comparable to Summus in the motion control and engineered solutions segments.
• HYDAC: Manufacturer and supplier of hydraulic components, systems, and services for mobile and industrial applications. Directly comparable to Summus's fluid power distribution and engineered solutions business.
• Festo: Global pneumatics and automation technology provider. Comparable to Summus's pneumatic and vacuum product distribution (e.g., Isaacs Fluid Power) and Hydrotech's automation services.
• SMC Corporation: World's largest manufacturer of pneumatic components. Comparable to Summus's pneumatic distribution businesses (Norcan, Isaacs Fluid Power) and overlaps with the broader fluid power solutions offering.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Large North American industrial distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and other industrial products. Comparable as a multi-location industrial distribution platform serving similar customers with fluid power and motion control products.

Regional players

• Wajax Corporation: Canadian industrial distributor and provider of engineered solutions, including hydraulics, fluid power, and motion control across diverse industrial markets. Comparable as a North American distributor with custom engineered solutions, particularly relevant given Summus's Canadian presence via Norcan.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Summus