Madison Safety & Flow adds provider of portable fire pumps to its fire safety offering

January 26, 2023 — CHICAGO, IL – Madison Industries, one of the world’s largest privately held companies has made a significant investment in WATERAX, a leading manufacturer of lightweight portable fire pumps. WATERAX bolsters Madison’s Safety & Flow offering, making it one of the largest providers of firefighter equipment and rescue tools in the world today.

“WATERAX fits perfectly with the Madison mission; to make the world safer, healthier and more productive,” said Kris Howard, President and CEO of Madison Safety & Flow. “The team that built WATERAX into what it is today are joining our team of over 20,000 entrepreneurs who are building a truly remarkable business. We live in a world where firefighters need lighter, more powerful portable tools to fight remote fires and WATERAX has the world’s leading solution. We are proud of our companies who are equipping firefighters with state-of-the-art tools to be more effective in their jobs.”

WATERAX’s mission is to place powerful, precision engineered lightweight portable pumps into the hands of wildland firefighters to move water to protect our forests and communities from the ravages of wildfires. Roughly 60,000 wildfires burn 8 million acres in the U.S. each year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). That number is projected to grow significantly over the next 20 years.

“We’re very excited about this partnership as it will enable WATERAX to launch truly revolutionary technology with a focus on our core elements of the portfolio, our mission-critical portable fire pump platforms”, said Raffaele Gerbasi, President of WATERAX. “We couldn’t be more excited to join the Madison team.”

About WATERAX

WATERAX has a long, proud and exciting history of moving water around the world. WATERAX originated as Watson Jack & Company, which was founded in 1898 by Montreal, Quebec native John Colquhoun Watson Jack. Today, WATERAX represents North America’s leading producer of wildland firefighting equipment, with an offering that includes its flagship product, the MARK-3® pump. Between the 1980s and 2010s the company continued to transform, operating under different banners until it was incorporated into WATERAX in 2014. Based in Montreal, Quebec, today the company exports wildland firefighting equipment to over 50 countries around the world.

About Madison Industries

Madison Industries is one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world. Madison builds entrepreneurially driven, branded market leaders that are committed to making the world safer, healthier and more productive by creating innovative solutions that deliver outstanding customer value. The team at Madison is committed to building something truly remarkable that long outlasts them while coaching others to reach their highest potential. Please visit www.madison.net and www.madisoniaq.com to learn more.