Keltech, Electro Industries, Heat-flo, FloLogic — Bradford White Corp. has made headlines recently for several acquisitions and new business announcements. While you can read about each individual acquisition, it is important to know that they are all anchored by our firm commitment to the success of our customers. 

Acquiring these companies has expanded our product portfolio and our team of employees. We are taking a much longer-term view of market dynamics than we ever have before and hiring talented people to carry out our vision. 

Through strategic acquisitions and significant investments in research and development (R&D), product development, advanced manufacturing capabilities and talented employees, we have positioned ourselves to serve our customers no matter how the industry evolves. 

Change is inevitable, and whether it’s driven by technological advancements, regulatory requirements or customer preferences, we are taking every step to be prepared so that our foundation, which is serving our customers like no one else can or will, is stronger than ever before. 

Each acquisition expands our manufacturing capabilities in America and offers our customers an expanded portfolio of our Built to be the Best ® products and solutions. Thanks to the support of our loyal customers, Bradford White is the strongest it has ever been financially, and we remain debt-free even after multiple acquisitions. 

(Check out “The Bradford White Story” on Vimeo (https://bit.ly/4hMJUVX) for a deeper look at our history and core company values.)

Strong today, preparing for an even stronger future

It’s no secret that certain markets around the world are rapidly evolving with a push toward electrification. With a forward-thinking mentality in 2017, we anticipated this trend and acquired the production assets from the heat pump water heater operations of GE Appliances, a Haier company. We moved those assets to our manufacturing facility in Middleville, Michigan, and our vision of the future paid off as we are now well-positioned to take on a leadership role in the heat pump space. 

While we’re paying close attention to heat pump technology trends as well as regulations, we know that heat pump technology isn’t the best solution for every application. We believe the customer has the final say and understand we must be able to produce high-efficiency gas products as well as heat pumps and electric products. 

We’re investing in all our water heating, boiler and tank technologies to make sure we have the right products to serve our wide-ranging customer base for residential, commercial and industrial applications. 

For instance, when our customers needed expanded commercial electric solutions, we acquired Keltech, a manufacturer known for its robust commercial electric tankless water heating solutions. A few years later, when our customers needed an electric boiler solution, we acquired Electro Industries, a Minnesota-based manufacturer with proven competencies in electric boilers, air-to-water heat pump technology, electric duct heaters and controls. 

This significant expansion of electric solutions was driven by the needs of our customers.

Additionally, as we continue to see movement toward electrification policies at the national, state and local levels, the products manufactured by Heat-flo, a Massachusetts-based company that designs, engineers and manufactures high-quality stainless-steel indirect water heaters and hydronic storage products for residential and commercial applications, are critical additions to our product portfolio. 

At the federal level, we stand ready for both the DOE Commercial Rule (2026) and NAECA 4 (2029). Through strategic investments in talent, technology, production capacity, new product development and significant investments in R&D, we’ve set ourselves up for success to continue to meet the needs of our customers while complying with federal regulations.

Our most recent acquisition was unique for Bradford White. FloLogic is a North Carolina-based manufacturer of premium plumbing leak detection and automatic shut-off solutions for homes and commercial buildings. FloLogic’s robust IoT platform presents great opportunities for us to potentially leverage for other Bradford White products. We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from customers about this acquisition and look forward to exploring new avenues in the leak detection solutions category.

Each of our acquisitions started as an industry acquaintance or partnership that grew into a strong relationship and even friendship. Longstanding, loyal relationships support every aspect of our business, including new subsidiaries, and we’re thrilled to have new team members on board.

Strength in numbers and capacity

In addition to growth through acquisitions and talented people, we’ve also expanded our production capabilities and distribution network. We have six U.S. manufacturing locations and recently purchased 100 acres of land and a 120,000-square-foot commercial building for future expansion. 

We believe that with regional adoption of heat pumps for hot water and hydronic heating products, there will be a growing demand for hot water storage products. Bradford White Corp. is prepared to meet that demand with our Built to be the Best tanks. 

We also have 21 North American distribution centers, making up an international distribution network that strengthens our ability to supply and support our customers with consistent lead times (see Figure 1). 

We’re proud of the many ways in which Bradford White has evolved. Our robust product offerings have grown both in the residential and commercial categories through forward-thinking initiatives. In this ever-changing landscape, the flexibility of our manufacturing and logistics capabilities allows us to better support customers’ success. 

However, one of our most significant areas of growth has been in the government and regulatory affairs category. We are actively involved in driving policy through open communication and advocacy with policy makers and have been for years. As an influential leader in this space, we are committed to carrying on that important work for our customers and for the industry at large. It’s a responsibility we do not take lightly.

We will continue to take a proactive approach when it comes to advocacy work, but that reaches far beyond interactions with lawmakers. We advocate for our customers with every business decision we make, whether it’s investing in companies, technology or production facilities. It is all driven by the commitment to manufacturing high-quality products that are Built to be the Best and striving to be the best — the best we’ve ever been. 

Our industry is changing faster than ever, and so are we; stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come. 

Bruce Carnevale is the president and CEO of Bradford White Corp.