Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group Acquires Aflex Hose Ltd

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG), the world leader in niche peristaltic pumps and associated fluid path technologies, has acquired Aflex Hose Limited and its subsidiary Aflex Hose USA LLC (Aflex) through its parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc, for £61.4 million. Aflex, based in Halifax, England and with a sales/assembly operation in Pennsylvania, USA, specialises in the design and manufacture of PTFE lined flexible hose for the pharmaceutical, food and chemical process industries.

Aflex is highly synergistic with, and a natural extension to, the WMFTG fluid path product portfolio and further strengthens WMFTG's already strong global presence in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, industrial/chemical and food & beverage sectors. Aflex utilises patented, market-leading technology to produce PTFE lined flexible hose, which outperforms other PTFE and standard hose-types within the most demanding applications, ensuring the highest levels of chemical resistance, superior flexibility and sterility.

Aflex joins a fluid path product range comprising Watson-Marlow Pumps, Watson-Marlow Tubing, Flexicon Filling Systems, BioPure single-use tubing connector systems, Asepco aseptic valves, FlowSmart seals and gaskets, Alitea OEM Pumps, MasoSine Process Pumps and Bredel Hose Pumps.

Jay Whalen, President of the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group comments: "The strategic acquisition of Aflex further broadens our fluid path product range and strengthens Watson-Marlow's position in across all our major market sectors. For example in the Biopharmaceutical sector we now have a complete and comprehensive product range to enable customers to source the world’s leading, most technically advanced products from a single trusted partner. Our range covers all aspects of technology required for fluid transfer from source to delivery point. This is another exciting milestone for Watson-Marlow and we are looking forward to accelerating our growth with our broadened product portfolio coupled to our process expertise”.

We are pleased that Rod Anderson, founder, will continue in a technical advisor capacity and that senior management will remain.

Jeremy Hudson, Managing Director at Aflex commented, “I am very excited to be part of the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group and look to drive sales further with the expansive WMFTG sales network.”