Spirax Group
A British industrial engineering group providing steam, electric thermal and fluid-management technologies.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Spirax Group is a British industrial engineering company headquartered in Cheltenham, England. Formerly known as Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc, it develops and supplies equipment, systems and services used to control steam, heat, fluids and industrial processes. Its principal activities are organized around Steam Thermal Solutions, Electric Thermal Solutions and Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions. The group's origins date to 1888, when Herman Sanders established a business that initially imported thermostatic steam traps from Germany. After Mr Rehders joined, the enterprise became Sanders, Rehders & Co., commonly known as Sarco. The business later moved into domestic production, introducing steam traps under the Spirax brand in 1932. This combination of the Spirax and Sarco names ultimately became the basis of the listed company established in 1959. Spirax built its position through specialized products and a direct-sales model. Its portfolio includes steam traps, pressure-control equipment, control valves, heat-transfer systems, electric heating technologies, peristaltic and hose pumps, and related fluid-path components. The company generally serves industrial and commercial users rather than consumer markets. Its customers include manufacturers and operators in food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare, chemicals, power, water, mining and other process industries. A major turning point came in 1990 with the acquisition of Watson-Marlow, which gave the group a substantial presence in pump manufacturing and fluid handling. Further acquisitions expanded its controls, metering, hose-pump, valve, process-control and thermal-technology capabilities. The purchase of Thermocoax in 2019 strengthened the electric thermal solutions business, while the 2022 acquisition of Durex International broadened the group's thermal-energy activities. Spirax Group also took a minority position in Kyoto Group, a Norwegian company developing thermal-battery technology. The company emphasizes engineering expertise, application support and energy efficiency. Steam-management products can help industrial customers reduce energy loss, improve process reliability and manage condensate and pressure. Electric thermal technologies support controlled heating and electrification of industrial processes, while fluid-management products are used where accurate, hygienic or low-shear pumping is required. The group's exposure to relatively resilient industries such as food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare has historically helped moderate the cyclicality associated with industrial manufacturing. Spirax-Sarco Engineering became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and continued to operate internationally through manufacturing, sales and service organizations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for some products was supported by pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical-equipment production. The group stopped its business activities in Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In February 2024, it announced a proposed corporate rebrand, and on 3 June 2024 the company changed its name to Spirax Group. The present brand therefore represents both the group's historic steam-management business and its broader portfolio of thermal and fluid technologies.
History
Spirax Group traces its origins to 1888, when Herman Sanders founded a business in London. After Mr Rehders joined, the company became Sanders, Rehders & Co., generally known as Sarco. Its early business centered on importing thermostatic steam traps from Germany. In 1932, Sarco began manufacturing steam traps domestically under the Spirax brand, establishing the product identity that later became central to the group. Lionel Northcroft led the business from 1952 to 1968. During this period, the company expanded its engineering capabilities and in 1959 was admitted to the London Stock Exchange under the name Spirax-Sarco Engineering. In 1960 it introduced its first range of self-acting pressure controls. The following expansion included the 1963 acquisition of Drayton Controls, a rival business involved in control valves and instrumentation. The group diversified significantly during the late twentieth century. In 1990 it bought Watson-Marlow, entering pump manufacturing and building a platform for peristaltic-pump and fluid-management technologies. The acquisition of Jucker Industrial Division in 1993 added an Italian controls business. Bredel Hose Pumps followed in 1996, strengthening the group's high-pressure hose-pump capabilities. In 2001, M&M International, an Italian manufacturer of piston-actuated and solenoid valves, joined the group. In 2005, Spirax-Sarco acquired South African process-control businesses Mitech Actuators & Controls and Proportional Control Technology, followed later that year by metering specialist EMCO Flow Systems. The global financial crisis affected the company's performance in the late 2000s, although signs of recovery appeared within roughly two years. In 2009, the company acquired Turkish distributor Intervalf. In 2010 it opened a major facility in Shanghai combining regional offices, warehousing and manufacturing. It also began a £25 million program to modernize and consolidate manufacturing and research-and-development operations around Cheltenham. A new facility in Saint Petersburg was opened in 2011, reflecting the group's international expansion at the time. The early 2010s included both expansion and governance controversy. The company acquired Chilean distributor Termodinámica in 2012. That year, shareholders challenged a payment to a former executive director, and the company was criticized for failing to notify the market of the shareholder revolt as required under Listing Rules. The episode became the principal publicly documented governance controversy associated with the company in the supplied reference material. In the late 2010s, steam systems and electrical heating applications represented the majority of group revenue and profit. Spirax-Sarco's business model relied substantially on direct customer sales, application engineering and service support. Its customer base included relatively resilient sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and healthcare, while growing attention to energy efficiency and net-zero industrial processes supported demand for its technologies. In 2019, after regulatory approval in the United States, France and Germany, the company acquired Thermocoax, a multinational manufacturer of mineral-insulated cable. During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand from pharmaceutical and medical-equipment customers supported selected product categories. In 2021, the company opened a Cheltenham office named for former chairman Lionel Northcroft. The group expanded its thermal-energy portfolio in 2022 through the acquisition of Durex International and a minority investment in Kyoto Group, a Norwegian thermal-battery company. It also discontinued business activities in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, the company moved away from the Spirax-Sarco Engineering name and adopted Spirax Group, completing the change on 3 June. The rebrand reflects the wider scope of a group that now combines historic steam expertise with electric thermal systems, pumps and broader fluid-path technologies.
- 2024
Corporate name changed to Spirax Group
[1]The company completed its rebrand from Spirax-Sarco Engineering to Spirax Group on 3 June.
- 2022
Durex International acquired
[1]The group expanded its thermal-energy operations through the acquisition of Durex International.
- 2019
Thermocoax acquired
[1]The acquisition added mineral-insulated cable and electric thermal technology.
- 2012
Termodinámica acquired
[1]The group acquired a Chilean distributor based in Santiago.
- 2010
Shanghai facility completed
[1]A combined factory, warehouse and office facility opened in Shanghai as a regional hub.
- 2009
Intervalf acquired
[1]The company acquired Turkish distributor Intervalf.
- 2005
Process-control and metering acquisitions
[1]Spirax-Sarco acquired Mitech Actuators & Controls, Proportional Control Technology and EMCO Flow Systems.
- 2001
M&M International acquired
[1]The group acquired an Italian piston-actuated and solenoid-valve manufacturer.
- 1996
Bredel Hose Pumps acquired
[1]The acquisition expanded the group's high-pressure hose-pump activities.
- 1993
Jucker Industrial Division acquired
[1]An Italian controls business was added to the group.
Products and positioning
Specialist industrial engineering partner for energy-efficient steam, thermal and fluid-management systems.
Industrial steam management
Steam Thermal Solutions
This business supplies equipment and engineering support for generating, distributing, controlling and recovering industrial steam. Its technologies include steam traps, valves, pressure-control equipment, condensate systems, heat exchangers, monitoring devices and related services. Customers use these products to improve process reliability, reduce energy losses and manage steam and condensate networks across manufacturing and commercial facilities.
Industrial electric heating
Electric Thermal Solutions
Electric Thermal Solutions covers technologies for controlled industrial heating and thermal processing. The portfolio includes electric heating equipment, mineral-insulated cable and associated control and engineering capabilities. It supports applications where customers need precise temperatures, reliable heat delivery, process control or alternatives to combustion-based heating.
Industrial pumps and fluid handling
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions provides peristaltic pumps, hose pumps and related fluid-path technologies. These systems are used in applications requiring accurate dosing, hygienic operation, gentle handling of sensitive fluids or reliable movement of abrasive and viscous materials. Markets include pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and beverage, water and wastewater, mining and general process industries.
Industrial controls
Process valves and controls
The group's broader controls portfolio includes actuators, control valves, solenoid valves, piston-actuated valves, instrumentation and metering technologies. These products regulate pressure, temperature, flow and other process variables, either as standalone components or as part of engineered industrial systems.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2024
Rebrand to Spirax GroupStrategyBackground
The historic Spirax-Sarco name no longer fully represented the group's broader steam, electric thermal and fluid-technology portfolio.
Action taken
The company announced the proposed rebrand in February and changed its name to Spirax Group on 3 June 2024.
Aftermath
Spirax Group became the corporate name for the listed international engineering group.
2022
Acquisition of Durex InternationalM&ABackground
Spirax-Sarco was broadening its presence in thermal-energy technologies.
Action taken
The company acquired Durex International.
Aftermath
The deal expanded the group's thermal-energy activities.
Acquisition consideration. $342 million (2022)
2022
Investment in Kyoto GroupStrategyBackground
The group was exploring technologies supporting industrial thermal-energy storage and decarbonization.
Action taken
Spirax-Sarco acquired a 15 percent ownership stake in Norwegian thermal-battery company Kyoto Group.
Aftermath
The investment gave the group exposure to thermal-battery technology alongside its established steam and electric-heating businesses.
Investment value. £3 million (2022)
2022
Withdrawal from Russian business activitiesStrategyBackground
Russia's invasion of Ukraine created substantial geopolitical, operational and compliance concerns.
Action taken
The group ceased all business activities in Russia.
Aftermath
Russia was no longer treated as an active operating market in the company's business activities described in the reference material.
2019
Acquisition of ThermocoaxM&ABackground
The group was expanding its electric heating and thermal-technology capabilities.
Action taken
Following regulatory clearance in the United States, France and Germany, Spirax-Sarco acquired Thermocoax.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened the group's electric thermal solutions portfolio through mineral-insulated cable and related technologies.
1990
Acquisition of Watson-MarlowM&ABackground
The group sought to broaden its activities beyond steam management and enter industrial pump manufacturing.
Action taken
Spirax-Sarco acquired Watson-Marlow, creating a platform for peristaltic pumping and fluid-management technologies.
Aftermath
Watson-Marlow became a core part of the group's fluid-technology operations.
Recent events
Spirax-Sarco announces Nimesh Patel as CFO successor[3]
Reported:
Spirax-Sarco Engineering announced that Nimesh Patel would join its board as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director before the end of July 2020, succeeding Kevin Boyd as CFO.
Sources3 sources
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