Curtis Instruments becomes a queen in Parker Hannifin’s chess game

We met with Parker Hannifin at bauma, where we also interviewed Mark Anders from Curtis Instruments. You’ll find the full interview in the upcoming July–August issue of POWERTRAIN International. This marks the first strategic move by Platinum Equity, which acquired Kohler’s energy business in May last year and rebranded it Rehlko. This naturally raises the question: what will happen to the rest of the group? Will the former SDMO and KPS – the power generation business – give in to the advances of suitors eager to feed the ever-growing energy demand of data centers and other mission-critical applications? And what about the internal combustion engines division, formerly Lombardini, after renamed Kohler Engines, and then Rehlko, the Italian legacy of the group? Below is Parker’s official announcement regarding the transaction.

Parker to acquire Curtis

Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE:PH), the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that it has agreed to acquire Curtis Instruments, Inc. from Rehlko, for approximately $1 billion in cash. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, and is expected to close by the end of calendar year 2025.

Curtis designs and manufactures motor speed controllers, instrumentation, power conversion and input devices that complement Parker’s strength in electric vehicle motors, hydraulic and electrification technologies. Curtis expects calendar year 2025 sales of approximately $320 million.

“This transaction is aligned with the long-term electrification secular trend and meets our disciplined financial criteria for acquisitions designed to create shareholder value,” said Jenny Parmentier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Curtis adds complementary technologies to our existing industrial electrification platform, better positioning us to serve our customers as they continue the adoption of more electric and hybrid solutions. We anticipate a smooth closing and look forward to welcoming the Curtis team. Using our proven business system, The Win Strategy, we believe we can deliver strong operational synergies, creating shareholder value.”

Rehlko and its financial sponsor Platinum Equity praised the deal and the synergy between Parker and Curtis.

“Rehlko is proud of the legacy and performance of Curtis as a high-performing, innovation-driven business,” said Brian Melka, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rehlko. “Parker is an exceptional company and we are confident Curtis will thrive from Parker’s increased scale, focus, and investment.”

“We have great respect for Curtis, its leadership team and its innovative products, and we are confident that Parker Hannifin is the right home for the business going forward,” said Platinum Equity Co-President Jacob Kotzubei and Managing Director Matthew Louie in a joint statement.

Advisors

Guggenheim Securities, LLC is serving as financial advisor, Jones Day is serving as principal deal counsel, and Eversheds Sutherland is serving as European legal counsel to Parker. BofA Securities, Inc. and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is serving as legal counsel to Rehlko.