Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group strengthens its product portfolio through the acquisition of Aflex Hose Limited.

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group , the world leader in niche peristaltic pumps and associated fluid path technologies, has acquired Aflex Hose Limited and its subsidiary Aflex Hose USA LLC through its parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc, for £61.4 million.

Aflex, based in Halifax, England and with a sales/assembly operation in Pennsylvania, USA, specialises in the design and manufacture of PTFE lined flexible hose for the pharmaceutical, food and chemical process industries.

Aflex is highly synergistic with, and a natural extension to, the WMFTG fluid path product portfolio and further strengthens WMFTG's already strong global presence in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, industrial/chemical and food & beverage sectors. Aflex utilises patented, market-leading technology to produce PTFE lined flexible hose, which outperforms other PTFE and standard hose-types within the most demanding applications, ensuring the highest levels of chemical resistance, superior flexibility and sterility.

Aflex joins a fluid path product range comprising Watson-Marlow Pumps, Watson-Marlow Tubing, Flexicon Filling Systems, BioPure single-use tubing connector systems, Asepco aseptic valves, FlowSmart seals and gaskets, Alitea OEM Pumps, MasoSine Process Pumps and Bredel Hose Pumps.

Jay Whalen, President of the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group comments: "The strategic acquisition of Aflex further broadens our fluid path product range and strengthens Watson-Marlow's position in across all our major market sectors. For example in the Biopharmaceutical sector we now have a complete and comprehensive product range to enable customers to source the world's leading, most technically advanced products from a single trusted partner. Our range covers all aspects of technology required for fluid transfer from source to delivery point. This is another exciting milestone for Watson-Marlow and we are looking forward to accelerating our growth with our broadened product portfolio coupled to our process expertise".

We are pleased that Rod Anderson, founder, will continue in a technical advisor capacity and that senior management will remain.

Jeremy Hudson, Managing Director at Aflex commented, "I am very excited to be part of the Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group and look to drive sales further with the expansive WMFTG sales network."