Pleatco

In the world of aftermarket components, brand loyalty can be a powerful moat. For Pleatco, a company founded in 1950, that moat was built around replacement filter cartridges for pools and spas. For decades, it operated as a small regional manufacturer on the East Coast. The company's trajectory shifted in late 2006 when it was acquired by entrepreneurs Howard Smith and John Antretter. With backgrounds in distribution and manufacturing, they invested in upgrading the company's infrastructure and technology, aiming to grow its established customer base. The next chapter began in 2017 when private equity firm Align Capital Partners acquired Pleatco. This wasn't a simple buyout; it was the start of an aggressive growth strategy. Align Capital Partners professionalized the management team and embarked on a series of acquisitions, expanding Pleatco's product lines. The company acquired APEL International, Milton Manufacturing, and TVS Filters, which pushed Pleatco decisively into the industrial air filtration market alongside its core pool and spa business. Under this new parent brand, "Pleatco Filtration," the company integrated these once-separate entities to leverage their combined engineering and manufacturing strengths. By 2021, Pleatco had more than doubled its revenue and employee count since the private equity investment. This transformation culminated in a significant event: an acquisition by Pentair, a major player in water treatment solutions, for approximately $255 million. The deal provided Pentair with an expanded portfolio of aftermarket filters and gave Pleatco access to a global distribution network, securing its position as a key manufacturer in both water and air filtration.