Valve specialist Truflo Marine acquired by Fairbanks Morse Defense
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has entered into an agreement with IMI plc to acquire its UK-based Truflo Marine business, enhancing the company’s valve design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities and strengthening its ability to support allied naval submarine and surface vessels around the world.
Truflo Marine, based in Birmingham, specialises in advanced valve design and control solutions for mission-critical naval systems. Its portfolio includes a suite of intellectual property and high-performance valve designs currently in service on more than 34 allied navies worldwide.
With approximately 270 employees, its solutions include high integrity valves, actuators, and pressure reducing stations for submarines and surface vessels. These solutions cut maintenance needs, boost durability, and keep critical naval operations mission ready. Its specialist corrosion-resistant valves are built to withstand extreme shock conditions, including underwater explosions (UNDEX), with the portfolio including ball, gate, globe, butterfly, and check valves, as well as actuators and pressure regulators engineered for systems like weapons handling, cryogenic isolation, exhaust control, and ballast management.
Fairbanks Morse Defense builds, maintains, and services naval power and propulsion systems on the planet. For more than 100 years, FMD has been a supplier of a growing array of leading marine technologies, OEM parts, and turnkey services to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and Canadian Coast Guard.
With its HQ in Beloit, Wisconsin, the company has manufacturing facilities across the US and Europe, producing electromechanical actuators such as the Victory, Thomson™ WH (SPEEDLINE) and WM (POWERLINE) product lines.
Steve Pykett, CEO of Fairbanks Morse Defense, said:
“Adding Truflo Marine’s advanced valve capabilities to our portfolio will allow us to bring the best solutions to our customers. Truflo Marine’s suite of highly-engineered products, including their exceptional hull valves, perfectly complements our existing capabilities. The result is an unmatched combination to ensure operational readiness of our customers.
“Truflo Marine’s products have ensured the integrity and survivability of submarines and their crews for decades. We are proud to welcome the Birmingham team to the FMD family as we continue to invest in world-class technology and talent to support navies around the world.”
The acquisition includes Truflo’s Birmingham UK facility and employees, further increasing FMD’s operational footprint. This expanded engineering and manufacturing base enhances FMD’s capacity to deliver high-performance components that advance fleet readiness.
Pykett continued:
“This acquisition represents another strategic investment to reinforce our international and domestic capabilities.
“By combining Truflo’s design expertise with FMD’s manufacturing and service network, we are better positioned to deliver integrated valve solutions that meet the evolving needs of today’s allied naval forces.”
Eversheds Sutherland advised Fairbanks Morse Defense on the acquisition. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review and approval.