VACCO
Designer and manufacturer of specialty valves, filters, and advanced fluid control products for space, defense, and commercial markets, with additive manufacturing capabilities for mission-critical components.
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Acquired
- Latest Round
- Acquired
- Key Investors
- RBC Bearings Incorporated (acquirer); ESCO Technologies Inc. (former parent)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Specialty valves (cryogenic, high-pressure, pressure-regulating); metal filters (etched disc filters); advanced fluid control systems; CubeSat propulsion systems (MarCO MiPS, NASA C-POD); manifolds and regulators; precision etched parts (ChEMS technology)
Technological Advantage
70+ years of engineering heritage; vertically integrated manufacturing (design, engineering, assembly, testing); proprietary ChEMS (Chemical Etched Miniature Systems) technology; AS9100/ISO certified quality systems; additive manufacturing qualification for naval applications (Cu-Ni LPBF valves); NASA flight heritage
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Mission-critical fluid control solutions engineered for the most demanding environments—from deep ocean to deep space—with over 70 years of proven reliability.
How They Differentiate
Over 70 years of domain expertise in extreme-environment fluid control for space and naval applications; vertically integrated design, engineering, and manufacturing; proprietary etched disc filter technology (ChEMS); proven flight heritage on NASA missions including Artemis, MarCO CubeSats, and InSight; early adopter of additive manufacturing for naval sustainment.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
US Department of Defense (Navy, submarine fleet), NASA/JPL, prime aerospace contractors, commercial satellite manufacturers
Industry Verticals
Aerospace; Defense; Space; Naval/Maritime; Commercial Industrial
Competitors
The Lee Company; Tech-Etch; Garlock
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
$118M revenue (12 months ending March 31, 2025); ~450-550 employees
Major Milestones
1954: Founded as Vacuum and Air Components Company of America; 1960s: Renamed VACCO Industries, supplied 50,000+ components for Gemini and Apollo programs; 1983: Acquired by Emerson Electric; 1990: Became part of ESCO Technologies; 2000: Acquired Eaton/Consolidated Controls space operations; 2018: Provided CubeSat propulsion for NASA MarCO mission (first CubeSat to reach Mars); 2025: Acquired by RBC Bearings for $275M-$310M; 2026: Delivered first additively manufactured (LPBF) Cu-Ni pressure regulating valve to US Navy submarine fleet
Notable Customers
US Navy (submarine fleet sustainment); NASA/JPL (Artemis, MarCO, InSight); US Department of Defense; Defense Logistics Agency