Kohler to acquire Curtis Instruments

Kohler announced it will acquire Curtis Instruments, whose product portfolio incorporates motor speed controllers, HMIs and instrumentation, power conversion, CAN modules and other accessories.

In its second acquisition in the last seven days, Kohler Co. announced that its Power Group – a global supplier of engines, power generation and clean energy solutions – has signed an agreement to acquire Curtis Instruments. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Mount Kisco, N.Y., Curtis is an electrification partner to OEMs across a broad range of markets including material handling, golf and recreational vehicles, mobile elevated work platforms, construction, agriculture, turf care, marine and select on-road segments. Founded in 1960, the company employs approximately 1100 individuals and operates in 16 countries, with manufacturing locations in Puerto Rico, Bulgaria, China and India.

Curtis Instruments will operate as a standalone entity within the Kohler Power Group with Stuart Marwell, president, reporting to Brian Melka, Group President – Power. Kohler Power and Curtis now have more than 160 years of combined technical experience in energy management solutions.

Brian Melka.

The transaction was announced a week after Kohler’s acquisition of Heila Technologies – a microgrid software controls company – and follows the creation of a separate Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) business unit focused on residential energy storage. Kohler said the moves represent its continued commitment to lead in diversified distributed energy solutions.

“We’re excited to welcome Curtis Instruments to our Kohler Power organization,” said Melka. “This business, under the leadership of Stuart and Nick Marwell, is highly regarded for its market-leading position and expertise in electric and hybrid off-highway applications.

“For more than 100 years, Kohler has been a preferred source of power for homes, businesses, and equipment, and integrating the Kohler and Curtis product portfolios and existing OEM relationships will create substantial growth opportunities for both brands. With this acquisition, we are leveraging our history of trusted expertise in power resiliency, as clean energy continues to play a crucial role in the continued expansion of Kohler Power.”

The Curtis product portfolio incorporates motor speed controllers, HMIs and instrumentation, power conversion, CAN modules and other accessories. With a roster of talent across five engineering centers, Curtis also focuses on development of advanced software solutions. The acquisition expands and diversifies Kohler’s power portfolio by leveraging Curtis’ electrification expertise with Kohler’s well-established gasoline and diesel engine business to best serve off-highway OEM customers.

“Our entire Curtis Instruments organization is excited to join the Kohler Co. of global businesses and be part of a forward-thinking privately held company,” said Stuart Marwell. “We were drawn to Kohler because of its nearly 150-year history of strong family leadership and innovation, as well as its commitment to embracing the growing shift to electrification and hybridization. We are excited to help lead this next chapter for Kohler. Kohler and Curtis brands both stand for quality, innovation and commitment to long-term customer success.”