Water Pumping Systems Mfg. Franklin Electric Acquires Cerus Industrial

Water pumping and fueling systems manufacturer Franklin Electric Co. has acquired motor controls maker Cerus Industrial for $25.7 million in cash.

Based in Hillsboro, Ore., Cerus designs, manufactures, and distributes motor controls, motor starters, contactors, protection devices, and variable-frequency drives for the HVAC, industrial motor sales and service, and pumping systems markets in North America. 2011 sales for Cerus were approximately $14 million.

Scott Trumbull, Franklin Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said Cerus has technical and manufacturing strengths in several areas that are of strategic interest to Franklin Electric, including variable-frequency drives, starters, and control panels.

“The demand for electronic drives and controls for pumping applications is growing rapidly because these devices allow our customers to reduce energy cost, increase system life, and manage system parameters such as pressure and flow,” Trumbull said in a prepared statement. “While Franklin has been a leader in applying drive and control technologies to groundwater pumping systems, we believe that the Cerus acquisition will enable us to further accelerate our growth by increasing our technical and product development capacity, broadening our product line, reducing our manufacturing costs, and moving us into adjacent market areas.”