CompareNetworks, the parent company of Gulf Energy Information and GlobalSpec, is looking to expand its industrial media community by acquiring Empowering Pumps & Equipment and launching the Flow Systems brand. This new brand focuses on pumps, valves, seals, motors, drives, and tools.
Combining the Strengths of Three Companies
Flow Systems brings together the strengths of three reputable businesses: the specialized industrial community created by Empowering Pumps & Equipment, the technical media expertise and access to the energy industry from Gulf Energy Information, and the engineering product discovery platform GlobalSpec. This new brand aims to provide industrial news, technical content, and educational resources for engineers, operators, and maintenance professionals who specify, purchase, operate, and maintain industrial equipment, while also creating opportunities for manufacturers to engage with relevant technical audiences through the communities and platforms of these three companies.
Leadership of Charli Matthews Carruth
Charli Matthews Carruth, founder of Empowering Pumps & Equipment in 2010, has been introduced as the leader of the Flow Systems brand and will work alongside the existing Empowering Pumps team. Carruth stated, "It's not just about pumps. It's about the systems that support them and the people behind them." She emphasized that a pump does not operate in isolation and that the industry is interdependent.
Empowering Pumps has transformed from a website serving the global pump industry into a reputable community of manufacturers, engineers, operators, maintenance professionals, and industry leaders. Its programs, including the Empowering Industry podcast and the Industry Access factory tours, will continue under the Flow Systems brand.
Expanding Coverage and New Opportunities
The new brand will expand coverage and editorial content in the field of connected industrial equipment and technologies, addressing topics such as controls, reliability, and energy efficiency, and will also operate in the areas of refining, petrochemicals, pipelines, gas and LNG processing, water and wastewater, and industrial processing.
Paul Gatti, CEO of CompareNetworks, said, "This acquisition is about bringing complementary strengths together, not just adding another publication." He added that Carruth and her team have built a trusted community with deep industry relationships, and by combining that with the technical expertise of Gulf Energy Information and the engineering resources of GlobalSpec, an opportunity has been created to build something of greater value for professionals and manufacturers serving these industries.
The Flow Systems brand will be introduced at the Pumps & Valves Innovation Conference (PVIC) in Houston. The full website for the brand is set to launch in January 2027, at which point the Empowering Pumps community and content archive will be transferred to Flow Systems. Existing Empowering Pumps programs and commitments from its partners will continue until the end of 2026.
Readers and industry partners can find more information on the Flow Systems website and sign up for updates.
