Flowtech __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Progressive innovator
Fluid power leader Flowtech leverages engineering expertise to transform industrial operations
With over 40 years of experience working across a wide range of industries , Flowtech is the largest supplier of fluid power products , systems , and solutions across the UK , Ireland , and the Benelux . Equipped with a strong brand reputation based on high service and engineering excellence , the company specializes in products , services , and solutions linked to fluid power and motion control . Mike England , Chief Executive Officer at Flowtech , gives us a detailed introduction to the company .
“ When Flowtech was founded 41 years ago , its original purpose was a wholesaler , to provide products related to fluid power , such as pneumatics and hydraulic solutions , to a wide variety of local distributors . At that time , we operated as a catalogue company embracing a white label and mail-order model . This involved stocking products from various suppliers
Mike England , Chief Executive
Officer ▶ and serving as the go-to source for other distributors to acquire their catalogues and sell to market . For these distributors , we functioned as a silent partner , providing them with catalogues they could then personalize with their own branding on the front cover , back and inside covers . Subsequently , they would place orders through us , and we would handle the delivery process putting their labels on the delivery boxes . This was our modus operandi , running this white-label model and by the mid-1990s , Flowtech had become a £ 30 million business .
“ After undergoing an Initial Public Offering ( IPO ) and becoming a PLC in 2014 , we experienced rapid growth through acquisitions . The white label catalogue offering continued to stay core to our business but the expansion saw the addition of other Fluid Power product distribution companies , and we also acquired a range of diversified engineering businesses specializing in the maintenance , repair , and overhaul of industrial assets related to fluid power . Over the four-to-five years preceding the pandemic , we expanded our capabilities by acquiring 17 different companies , although we still operated as several independent businesses .
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