Why This Matters to Distributors: Motion & Control Enterprises is using acquisitions to add specialized products, repair capabilities and geographic coverage. Its purchase of MJ Systems strengthens its Gulf Coast presence and adds chemical injection systems for petrochemical and oil and gas customers.
Motion & Control Enterprises has acquired MJ Systems LLC, expanding the industrial distributor’s Gulf Coast operations and adding chemical injection pump systems to its growing portfolio of flow-control and industrial products.
The Zelienople, Pennsylvania-based company announced the acquisition Aug. 18. Terms were not disclosed. The deal is MCE’s fourth acquisition of 2026 and continues an acquisition strategy that has significantly expanded its product, service and geographic reach.
Based in La Porte, Texas, with a second location in Metairie, Louisiana, MJ Systems distributes chemical injection pump systems, related equipment and aftermarket parts. The company primarily serves petrochemical and oil and gas customers in Texas, Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
The acquisition expands MCE’s position in the Gulf Coast energy market, where chemical injection systems are used in oil and gas production, pipelines and petrochemical operations.
“We are excited to welcome MJS to the MCE team,” CEO Charles Hale said. “Together, we’ll provide an expanded set of highly engineered products and technical expertise that adds scale to our growing Gulf Coast presence.”
MJ Systems founder Matt Schroeder, who started the company in 2007, will continue to lead the business following the acquisition.
“The combination with MCE positions our company to better serve our customers and suppliers,” Schroeder said. “We believe our combined resources will help accelerate growth and the team is excited about our shared future.
The MJ Systems deal follows three acquisitions this year as MCE continues to add specialized distribution and repair businesses.
MCE acquired Dallas-based TLR Hydraulics in May, adding five locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth market along with hydraulic cylinder and pump repair, high-pressure hydraulic repair and machining capabilities. TLR serves industrial, commercial and municipal customers in Texas and surrounding states.
Later that month, MCE acquired Tripp Electric Motors in Belle Glade, Florida. Tripp repairs and maintains electric motors, gearboxes, pumps and related process equipment for municipal and industrial customers, expanding MCE’s repair capabilities in Florida’s water and wastewater market.
MCE also recently acquired Salentine Pump & Equipment in Wisconsin, extending its pump distribution and service operations.
The deals show MCE building around two related strategies: expanding its geographic coverage and increasing the amount of technical service and repair work it can provide throughout the life of industrial equipment.
The MJ Systems acquisition adds another element by strengthening MCE’s exposure to Gulf Coast energy customers and expanding its product portfolio in chemical injection and related equipment.
Founded in 1951, MCE distributes fluid power, automation, flow-control, rotating equipment and filtration products and provides service and repair capabilities. Following its recent expansion, the company says it serves more than 33,000 original equipment manufacturer and end-user customers through 62 facilities in 18 states.
The expansion has accelerated under Chicago private equity firm Fronteac, which acquired MCE in 2018. In 2023, Frontenac completed a secondary transaction designed to provide additional capital for MCE’s growth, including acquisitions. At the time, Frontenac said MCE had increased earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization more than 15-fold since its initial investment.
MCE has since been an active consolidator of smaller industrial distributors and service companies. Its acquisitions have added businesses specializing in hydraulics, pumps, valves, automation, electric motors and repair services across multiple regional markets.
The strategy increasingly extends beyond simply adding distribution revenue. Deals such as TLR Hydraulics and Tripp Electric Motors have brought repair and maintenance operations that allow MCE to support equipment after the initial sale, while MJ Systems adds specialized products and technical expertise aimed at Gulf Coast energy customers.
For distributors, the acquisition is another example of how private equity-backed platforms are consolidating specialized industrial distribution markets by combining local customer relationships and technical expertise with a broader product and service network.
With MJ Systems, MCE gains another foothold in Texas and Louisiana and a specialized product line serving petrochemical and oil and gas customers, while MJ Systems gains access to the resources and broader capabilities of a 62-location industrial distribution platform.
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