An American Family Business Success … 

Harmsco was founded in 1958 by John Harms soon after he and his family relocated to Florida from the State of Ohio. At the time the company’s primary assets were John’s experience in the liquid filtration industry, his unique Up-Flow filter design, wife Laura’s trustworthy assistance and John’s resolve to manufacture high quality filtration equipment and market them worldwide.

Harmsco Hurricane® Filters were patented and introduced to the market in 1968. Almost immediately, people in the filtration industry took note of the many advantages such as the Up-Flow Cartridge Filtration combined with Cyclonic Separation for dense solids which Harmsco Filters provide. As a result, sales began to accelerate.

In 1972 we developed a complete line of filter cartridges to market with Harmsco filter housings. John Harms wasn’t satisfied, however, with conventional filter cartridges that provide marginal performance. John pioneered pleated polyester filter cartridges, which outperform conventional cartridges by lowering filtration costs. In 1991, Harold (Hank) Harms II was elected President of Harmsco, Inc. During Hank’s tenure as President and owner, there have been significant developments: Hurricane filters were introduced in 1992 and became an overnight success; marketing activities have been accelerated; expansion has been made to plant and facilities; as well as the addition of 90,000 square feet in Lake Wales, FL.

Today, we are a market leader in the water filtering industry. Our products are marketed through an extensive network of distributors located worldwide, and our dedication to research and development is ongoing, so our growth will continue into the 21st century.