Press Releases

Aquion ramps up critical food service water treatment offerings with acquisition of Procam Controls

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Elk Grove Village, IL – November 11, 2015 – In a strategic move to strengthen and diversify its water treatment brand portfolio, Aquion, Inc. today announced that it is acquiring Plano, Texas-based Procam Controls, Inc., including the OptiPure® line of commercial food service products.

Since its founding in 1975, Procam has become a leading supplier of water and chemical management systems for food service and water treatment, as well as the printing, medical imaging and photographic industries. While manufacturing a complete line of OptiPure commercial water filtration and membrane separation systems, the company is especially well known for its reverse osmosis (RO) technology, which has established a strong customer base among food service equipment OEMs and major retail food and beverage marketers worldwide.

“Procam Controls’ stable of brands and OptiPure products in particular, strategically align with our existing businesses, which also include the H2Optimo™ line launched earlier this year,” says Mike Madsen, President of Aquion. “Advanced OptiPure RO technology and scale inhibition systems broaden and significantly strengthen our portfolio across a full spectrum of food service operations.”

Procam will operate independently, Madsen notes. Roy Seibert will continue to head that operation as business unit President and General Manager. He will work with Aquion Executive VP – Business Development Eddie Garmon to drive global growth in the Commercial Hospitality market segment.

“Going forward, activities for both brands will be centralized in Plano, Texas,” Madsen explains. “It will be the center of our food service water treatment universe. These product lines give us a comprehensive, two-tier offering of proven systems to meet virtually any food service or hospitality need.”

“Joining the Aquion family is a win-win situation,” observes Seibert. “Aquion resources coupled with complementary brands and technologies will enable us to more aggressively grow business in every area.”

Proven OptiPure® systems resolve ‘mission critical’ food service issues

Growth plans include expanding the roster of major food service marketers, with emphasis on RO and scale inhibition, according to Madsen. “Advanced OptiPure technologies in these areas are recognized for their superior performance in ‘mission critical’ applications throughout the food service industry,” he asserts.

Specialty coffee, for example: removing dissolved minerals (TDS) and preventing scale buildup not only boosts efficiency and extends machine life, it is a key to maintaining proper water temperature in the boiler chamber – a critical factor in serving the quality beverages customers expect, consistently. OptiPure RO systems already are the choice among major global marketers.

Another example: revolutionary OptiPure ScaleX2® nano-crystal technology for eliminating lime-scale build-up. This long-lasting, low-maintenance method is finding a home in coffee brewers, ovens with steam generators, misting systems and other applications. And scale inhibition using OptiPure’s IsoNet® cartridges ensures more-even distribution of media in the water path – resulting in up to 5 times the corrosion protection of competitive products.

Chloramine reduction, a major concern among soft drink and other beverage makers, is another ‘mission critical’ area where OptiPure systems offer superb performance. Their ChloraMax cartridges generate ultra-high catalytic activity and, in turn, ultra-high reduction capacity.

“The list goes on, with similar yet distinctly targeted systems and technologies that make Procam and OptiPure an excellent fit for Aquion,” observes Madsen.

Purchase fuels Aquion initiative launched at HOST-Expo Milan

“This acquisition also adds a timely boost to our Commercial Hospitality initiative recently launched during HOST-Expo in Milan,” he continues. “Technologies highlighted at the Expo include ‘smart’ H2Optimo systems that provide users with real-time water usage data, 24/7. Wi-Fi enabled filtration also alerts operators when the product needs servicing. This ensures water quality without a water quality test and, ultimately, allows components to be utilized months longer.”

Also featured at the Expo were hot water cabinet softeners that can handle water up to 149° F (65° C). Along with ability to treat kitchen-wide (Point-of-Entry) as well as single appliance (Point-of-Use) hot or cold water, these units’ bypass valves also have an integrated mixing valve for hardness blending. Several softener sizes can match the capacity demands of virtually any food service operation.

Furthermore, Madsen says, “Aquion is the only water treatment manufacturer to offer multiple disinfection technologies.” These include a clean-in-place ozone (O3) generator that effectively combats pathogens across a full spectrum of food production, processing and beverage applications. When it comes to reducing UV Transmittance (UVT), H2Optimo UV Purification systems for potable, reuse and rainwater as well as surface water from lakes, streams, cisterns and dug wells, can deliver water with UVT as low as 50%. And H2Optimo-CEDI systems by HydraNovation combine water softening and RO water treatment benefits without using salt or chemicals. ComAir™ air purification systems are part of Aquion’s offering, too, eliminating bacteria and viruses along with odors.

Sums up Madsen, “By expanding the Aquion portfolio with proven Procam and OptiPure brand technologies, the ultimate winners will be our current as well as new OEM and retail food service customers worldwide.”

About Aquion, Inc.

Aquion, Inc. is a leader in the manufacture, sales and marketing of residential and commercial water treatment and air purification equipment. It is the parent company for a number of strategic business units serving the global water treatment and air purification industries. This includes RainSoft, which manufactures and markets exclusive residential products through more than 150 branded dealerships worldwide, in addition to ClearWater Tech LLC, Erie Water Treatment, Procam Controls, and ProSystems. For more information, visit www.aquion.com.