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Aquatrol’s Bert Lowden on Buying the Family Business Back
He Bought His Grandfather’s Company — And Built It Into His Own Legacy (Aquatrol)
Bert Lowden bought Aquatrol from his family's estate, rebuilt it with a service-first mindset, and chose stewardship over shortcuts — a conversation about succession, manufacturing in the U.S., and protecting the people who built the business.
Episode Summary
Bert Lowden recounts buying Aquatrol from his family's estate, rebuilding the company after years of under-management, and ultimately selling to a private equity group when succession planning required a clean transition. We discuss switching careers at 50, the importance of service-first manufacturing in the U.S., mentorship, hiring younger talent, and protecting the people who built the business.
GuestBert Lowden, Former Owner, Aquatrol
HostGilbert Welsford Jr., Founder of ValveMan
PublishedDecember 2025
Runtime43:00
TopicsFamily succession, buying a family business, private equity transition, U.S. manufacturing, mentorship, service culture, lights-out machining
Show Notes
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Selling the company was extremely difficult
- 00:36 – Show intro – Gil & the Fully Open Podcast
- 01:01 – Live from VMA HQ – introducing Bert from Aquatrol
- 02:08 – 24 years in print advertising before valves
- 03:36 – Buying Aquatrol out of the family estate
- 06:01 – The leap at 50 – leaving a big career for valves
- 10:16 – Sticky customers and rebuilding the Aquatrol business
- 14:06 – Consolidation, private equity, and industry parallels
- 18:17 – Succession, selling at 70, and choosing private equity
- 21:23 – No shortcuts, eliminate debt, pick winning horses & jockeys
- 24:18 – Where are the young people? Talent pipeline in valves
- 28:29 – Mentors, Tom Bauman, and learning the valve business
- 31:01 – Mission: quality safety valves, service second to none
- 34:39 – Service culture vs slow manufacturing mindset
- 39:20 – What’s next for Bert after Aquatrol?
- 41:26 – Lights-out machining and an invitation to tour Aquatrol
- 43:00 – Closing thoughts and thanks
Key Themes
- Stewardship over quick exits — protecting employees during succession
- Service-first manufacturing and keeping production in the U.S.
- Mentorship and hiring younger talent to future-proof the industry
- Picking industries (winning horses) and people (winning jockeys)
- Investing in back-end capabilities (inventory, lights-out machining) to deliver service
Links Mentioned
Featured Quotes
"Selling this thing was extremely difficult for me."
— Bert Lowden
"If you take care of somebody, it's a sticky business."
— Bert Lowden
"Don't look for shortcuts. Eliminate debt and pick winning horses and winning jockeys."
— Bert Lowden
"We decided years ago we're not going to outsource — we're going to manufacture in the United States."
— Bert Lowden