Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (Franklin Electric) designs, manufactures and distributes water and fuel pumping systems, composed primarily of submersible motors, pumps, electronic controls, water treatment systems, and related parts and equipment.
The company’s water pumping systems move fresh and wastewater for the residential, agricultural and other industrial end markets. The company also sells various groundwater equipment products to well installation contractors, including water pumping sys...
Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (Franklin Electric) designs, manufactures and distributes water and fuel pumping systems, composed primarily of submersible motors, pumps, electronic controls, water treatment systems, and related parts and equipment.
The company’s water pumping systems move fresh and wastewater for the residential, agricultural and other industrial end markets. The company also sells various groundwater equipment products to well installation contractors, including water pumping systems, through its and third-party distribution branches located in the U.S. With a growing global footprint, the company has also evolved into a top supplier of submersible fueling systems at gas stations, making pumps, pipes, electronic controls and monitoring devices.
The company’s products are sold worldwide by its employee sales force and independent manufacturing representatives. The company offers normal and customary trade terms to its customers, no significant part of which is of an extended nature. Special inventory requirements are not necessary, and customer merchandise return rights do not extend beyond normal warranty provisions.
Markets and Applications
The company’s business consists of three reportable segments based on the principal end market served: Water Systems, Energy Systems, and Distribution.
The company’s Water Systems and Fueling Systems products and related equipment are sold to specialty distributors and some original equipment manufacturers (‘OEMs’), as well as industrial and petroleum equipment distributors and major oil and utility companies. The company’s Distribution segment sells products primarily to water well contractors.
Water Systems Segment
Water Systems is a global leader in the production and marketing of water pumping systems and is a technical leader in submersible motors, pumps, drives, electronic controls, water treatment systems, and monitoring devices. The Water Systems segment designs, manufactures and sells motors, pumps, drives, electronic controls, monitoring devices, and related parts and equipment primarily for use in groundwater, water transfer and wastewater.
Water Systems motors, pumps and controls are used principally for pumping clean water and wastewater in a variety of residential, agricultural, municipal and industrial applications. Water Systems also manufactures electronic drives and controls for the motors which control functionality and provide protection from various hazards, such as electrical surges, over-heating and dry wells or dry tanks. In the three years ended December 31, 2024, the company only completed one significant acquisition in the segment when it acquired substantially all of the assets of Action Manufacturing & Supply, Inc. in 2023 expanding its portfolio in water treatment systems. In February 2025, the company acquired PumpEng Pty Ltd. (PumpEng), a manufacturer of submersible pumps for the mining sector headquartered in Australia. Also in February 2025, the company signed a definitive agreement to acquire Barnes de Colombia S.A. (Barnes), a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial and commercial pumps based in Colombia.
Water Systems contributed about 60 percent of the company’s total revenue in 2024. Significant portions of segment revenue come from selling groundwater and surface pumps, motors, and controls for residential and commercial buildings, as well as agricultural sales, which are more seasonal. The Water Systems segment generates approximately 25 to 30 percent of its revenue in developing markets, which often lack municipal water systems. As those countries install water systems and further develop with an expanding middle class or improving quality of living, the company views those markets as an opportunity. The company’s principal competitors in the specialty water products industry are Grundfos Management A/S, Pentair, Inc. and Xylem, Inc.
2024 Water Systems research and development expenditures were primarily related to the following activities:
Development of new integrated pressure boosting systems for residential and commercial applications.
Electronic variable frequency drives and controls for Pump and HVAC applications, including enhancements to include tethering and IOT capability for its drives and making its key platforms easier to utilize by the company’s customers.
Development of expanded offering of standard electric skid pump package designs including the Smart Prime variable frequency drive skid packages and updated stackable units for rental and municipal dewatering markets.
Development of new HVAC condensate product offerings including new externally mounted mini-condensate pump.
Greywater pumping equipment, including the expansion of the company’s electrical submersible pump lines with addition of range, materials, and control packages for the global market.
Submersible pumps for commercial, municipal, and agricultural applications, including the development of global standardization of updated cast iron submersible turbine hydraulics and upgrading the performance of line shaft turbine product offering.
Water treatment products focused on component performance improvements.
Energy Systems Segment
Energy Systems is a global leader in the production and marketing of fuel pumping systems, fuel containment systems and monitoring and control systems. The Energy Systems segment designs, manufactures and sells pumps, motors, pipe, sumps, fittings, vapor recovery components, electronic controls, monitoring devices and related parts and equipment primarily for use in energy system applications.
Energy Systems offers a complete array of components between the tank and the dispenser, including submersible pumps, motors, station hardware, piping, sumps, vapor recovery, corrosion control systems and electronic controls and monitoring. The Energy Systems segment growth has been sustained by a commitment to protecting human health and the environment while delivering the lowest total cost of ownership. Energy Systems takes steps to ensure its products are installed and maintained properly through robust global certification tools for their third-party contractors. The segment serves other energy markets such as power reliability systems and includes intelligent electronic devices that are designed for online monitoring for the power utility, hydroelectric, rail, and telecommunication and data center infrastructure.
The company’s principal competitors in the petroleum equipment industry are Vontier Corporation and Dover Corporation.
2024 Energy Systems research and development expenditures were primarily related to the following activities:
Developed new overfill protection valve for the Indian market with a more robust valve design.
Developed Distribution Transformer Monitoring antenna, which allows for improved wireless monitoring transmission.
Developed new fiberglass tank sump and cover to withstand increased weight and side compression.
Developed Remote Integration Panel to allow remote control and power cycling of breakers at fueling stations.
Developed Trip Signature Monitor for continuous monitoring of substation circuit breakers.
Developed EV-Controls NexPhase 800 & 2000A, an upgraded electric vehicle charger switchgear.
Distribution Segment
The Distribution segment is operated as a collection of wholly owned leading groundwater distributors known as the Headwater companies. Headwater Companies deliver quality products and leading brands to the industry, providing contractors with the products and services they demand to meet their application challenges. The Distribution segment operates within the U.S. professional groundwater market. In 2023, the Distribution segment acquired substantially all of the assets of LCA Pump, LLC, which operated Water Works Pump, a professional groundwater distributor operating in the Midwest.
Acquisitions
During the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024, the company acquired substantially all of the assets of FSHS Incorporated, a water treatment systems distributor.
During the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023, the company acquired substantially all of the assets of Aqua Systems of Fort Myers, a water treatment systems distributor.
Research and Development
The company incurred research and development expenses of approximately $21.5 million in 2024.
Seasonality
The company’s sales in the first quarter (year ended December 2024) are generally less than its sales in other quarters due to less water well drilling and overall product sales during the winter months in the Northern hemisphere.
History
Franklin Electric Co., Inc., an Indiana corporation, was founded in 1944. The company was incorporated in 1946.