Water technology company A. O. Smith Corporation announced it acquired Master Water Conditioning Corporation, a Pennsylvania-based water treatment company in an all-cash transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Master Water joins other A. O. Smith acquisitions, Aquasana (2016), Hague Quality Water (2017) and Water-Right Group (2019) in the company's growing North America Water Treatment business, according to the press release.
"The acquisition of Master Water further demonstrates our commitment to the North American water treatment market, a key element of our strategy to deliver innovative, differentiated solutions that heat and treat water," said Kevin J. Wheeler, president and chief executive officer in the press release.
The second-generation, family-owned company is based in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and offers residential, commercial and light industrial products and systems to address a wide range of water issues. Master Water products include point-of-entry water softeners, filters and ultrafiltration systems, which are sold under the names Alliance, Clarifier, MasterFusion, Satin Series, PuroPro, UltraPro and Clear Reflections, among others. The company was founded in 1967.
"With its stellar reputation in the industry as being a market leader for innovative, high-quality products, market knowledge, established relationships, and highly complementary businesses, Master Water is a perfect fit to join the A. O. Smith family," said D. Samuel Karge, president, A. O. Smith North American Water Treatment in the press release.
"I am very pleased the business founded by my father-in-law, Maurice E. Kurtz, along with our family legacy, will be preserved as a result of this acquisition," said Richard Mest, president, Master Water Conditioning Corporation in the press release. "A. O. Smith is a global water solutions provider, and I look forward to working together to accelerate our growth and expand our market opportunities."
Mest will continue to lead the Master Water business and the Master Water offices will remain based in Pottstown. Mest is president of the Water Quality Research Foundation, past president of the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the Water Systems Council (WSC) and has received numerous WQA awards, including the Lifetime Member Award.
