Spirax-Sarco Engineering
Encyclopedia
Spirax-Sarco Engineering is a leading British
-based manufacturer of boiler and pipeline control valves
for steam heating
and process plants. It is headquartered in Cheltenham
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
importing thermostatic
steam traps from Germany
. In 1932 it started to manufacture steam trap
s in United Kingdom
under the Spirax brand name. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
in 1959. In 1960 it introduced a range of self-acting pressure controls for the first time. Then in 1963 it bought Drayton Controls, a control valve and instrumentation business. The Company diversified in pump
manufacturing in 1990 when it bought Watson-Marlow
.
It acquired the Jucker Industrial Division, an Italian
controls business, in 1993 and M&M International, an Italian
piston actuated and solenoid
valve business in 2001.
In September 2005 it acquired Mitech Actuators & Controls and Proportional Control Technology, a pair of South Africa
n businesses making process controls. Then later that year it bought EMCO Flow Systems, a metering business.
Spirax completed a new facility in Shanghai, China in June 2010: the plant, designed as Spirax's regional headquarters, combines a factory, warehouse, and offices.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based manufacturer of boiler and pipeline control valves
Control valves
Control valves are valves used to control conditions such as flow, pressure, temperature, and liquid level by fully or partially opening or closing in response to signals received from controllers that compare a "setpoint" to a "process variable" whose value is provided by sensors that monitor...
for steam heating
Steam heating
For articles on Steam heating see:* District heating* Geothermal heating* Heating system* Seattle Steam Company* Steam generator...
and process plants. It is headquartered in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
The Company was founded in 1888 as Sanders, Rehders & Co. ('Sarco') in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
importing thermostatic
Thermostatic
Thermostatic are a Swedish electronic band, formed in Gothenburg in 2003. Their music can be said to fall within the genre categories of bitpop and synthpop, with the band inspired by the "video games and computer era of the eighties."...
steam traps from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1932 it started to manufacture steam trap
Steam trap
A steam trap is a device used to discharge condensate and non condensable gases with a negligible consumption or loss of live steam.Most steam traps are nothing more than automatic valves. They open, close or modulate automatically...
s in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
under the Spirax brand name. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1959. In 1960 it introduced a range of self-acting pressure controls for the first time. Then in 1963 it bought Drayton Controls, a control valve and instrumentation business. The Company diversified in pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
manufacturing in 1990 when it bought Watson-Marlow
Watson-Marlow Pumps
Watson-Marlow Pumps Group is an internationally operating pump manufacturer based in Falmouth, Cornwall, UK. It is part of the Spirax-Sarco Engineering Group. Watson-Marlow has offices in Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Africa,...
.
It acquired the Jucker Industrial Division, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
controls business, in 1993 and M&M International, an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
piston actuated and solenoid
Solenoid
A solenoid is a coil wound into a tightly packed helix. In physics, the term solenoid refers to a long, thin loop of wire, often wrapped around a metallic core, which produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it. Solenoids are important because they can create...
valve business in 2001.
In September 2005 it acquired Mitech Actuators & Controls and Proportional Control Technology, a pair of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n businesses making process controls. Then later that year it bought EMCO Flow Systems, a metering business.
Spirax completed a new facility in Shanghai, China in June 2010: the plant, designed as Spirax's regional headquarters, combines a factory, warehouse, and offices.
Operations
The company has two activities:- Spirax-Sarco: control valvesControl valvesControl valves are valves used to control conditions such as flow, pressure, temperature, and liquid level by fully or partially opening or closing in response to signals received from controllers that compare a "setpoint" to a "process variable" whose value is provided by sensors that monitor...
- Watson-Marlow Bredel: peristaltic pumps