Ford Meter Box Acquires Baker Coupling

Middle-market investment bank Jordan Knauff & Company (JKC) is pleased to announce that The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc. (Ford), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Baker Coupling, LLC, has entered into an agreement to acquire certain assets of Baker Coupling Company, Inc. (Baker). JKC served as exclusive financial advisor to Ford.

Founded in 1898, Ford is a manufacturer of water meter setting and testing equipment, service line valves and fittings, and pipeline coupling, repair, and restraint products for the waterworks industry. The transaction will expand Ford’s line of pipe products manufactured in Pell City, Alabama.

Located in Los Angeles, California, and incorporated in 1939, Baker is a privately held manufacturer of sleeve-type couplings, transition and reducing couplings, expansion and dismantling joints, tapping sleeves, flanged coupling adaptors and related items. Its engineered products may be found in such large-scale applications as pump stations, aqueducts, and treatment plants.

Baker President, Mr. Ram Satyarthi, said, “I am extremely pleased that Baker Coupling Company and Ford Meter Box will join forces after so many decades as respected business partners. The products, cultures, and legacies of these two companies are a great match.”

Mr. Steve Ford, President of Ford, noted, “Baker is a longtime industry ally and a dependable Ford partner. We look forward to the expanded capabilities they will bring to our waterworks and treatment plant customers and utilities.”

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. William Snow, Managing Director at JKC, said, “Baker Coupling’s long track record of innovative products is a great complement to Ford Meter Box’s growth plans, and we are delighted to have helped bring together these two companies.”

About Baker Coupling

Baker Coupling Company, Inc., founded as R.H. Baker and Company over 100 years ago, manufactures a full line of pipe couplings, fittings, repair clamps, and related products for water, sewage, and industrial systems. Manufacturing experience ranges from 3-inch pipe size to 27-foot pipe size, the latter among the largest couplings in the world.

About Ford Meter Box

The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc. is a manufacturer of water meter setting and testing equipment, service line valves and fittings, and pipeline coupling, repair, and restraint products for the waterworks industry and ancillary markets. Founded by Edwin Ford in 1898, the company operates manufacturing facilities in Wabash, Indiana, and Pell City, Alabama, and is certified to the ISO 9001 quality standard. A member of the American Water Works Association, Ford Meter Box employs a workforce of approximately 800 in support of water purveyors and stocking distributors in sixty countries around the world.

About Jordan Knauff & Company

Jordan Knauff & Company is a knowledgeable and experienced provider of comprehensive investment banking services to private companies. Services include mergers and acquisitions advisory, debt and equity capital formation, and strategic financial advisory services to companies in a variety of industries, including among others, business services, energy logistics and distribution, flow control (pumps, valves, filtration), real estate, plastic injection molding, healthcare services, and building products and services. Typical transaction sizes range from $10 million to $300 million in total consideration. To learn more about Jordan Knauff & Company, visit www.jordanknauff.com. JKC is a member of FINRA.