02/18/2025
Busch Group USA, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has expanded its market presence by acquiring Total Maintenance Solutions (TMS), in Milan, IL. This strategic acquisition brings together two respected companies in the vacuum and overpressure industry, strengthening Busch’s market position.
Nick Taiber of St. Martin Holding Company, Rod Schmitt of TMS, Sami Busch and Turgay Ozan of Busch and Jeff Schmitt of TMS (left to right)
Turgay Ozan, President, Busch Group USA, said, “TMS has built a strong reputation for exceptional responsiveness, timely delivery and cost-saving solutions for its customers. We welcome TMS and its growing business into the Busch Group family of companies.”
After 25 years of healthy competition and growth, this collaboration – founded on shared expertise, resources and relationships – aims to bring significant value to all team members, customers and suppliers. “Our initial strategy is to leverage our combined strengths in the food packaging and protein markets to drive accelerated growth and innovation,” said Ozan.
In 2018, St. Martin Holdings Company, based in Cedar Rapids, IA, acquired TMS. Following the acquisition by Busch, TMS will continue to operate as an independent division, keeping all staff unchanged. Customers and distributors will continue working with their established TMS contacts, and the company will maintain production of its Made in USA rotary vane vacuum pumps, rotary lobe blowers and other vacuum solutions.
Jeff Schmidt, General Manager, TMS, said, “As our leadership team engaged with Busch, it became clear that we share common values and a vision for the future. Both companies emphasize a family-oriented culture, technical craftsmanship and a commitment to customer success. This acquisition provides TMS with enhanced resources, allowing us to offer even more vacuum solutions to our customers while providing expanded growth opportunities for our employees.”
Nick Taiber, President, St. Martin Holdings Company, said, “We acquired TMS as part of our generational operating company portfolio. While we rarely sell businesses, the fit with Busch was too compelling to overlook. This acquisition offers a true win-win-win for all parties involved. We’re excited for Busch and TMS as they embark on the next phase of growth and development.”
About Total Maintenance Solutions
TMS was founded in 2000 by Mark Gilmore and Rod Schmidt, who began their vacuum pump repair business in a modest hog shed in Andalusia, IL. In 2018, TMS was acquired by St. Martin Holdings Company, a privately held investment firm in Cedar Rapids, IA. In 2022, TMS relocated from a 24,000-square-foot facility to a 75,000-square-foot warehouse, transforming the space into a state-of-the-art, vertically integrated manufacturing, machining, inventory, sales, service and training facility. For more information, visit https://www.tmsvacuum.com.
About the Busch Group
The Busch Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, vacuum systems, blowers, compressors and gas abatement systems. Under its umbrella, the group houses three well-known brands: Busch Vacuum Solutions, Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions and centrotherm clean solutions. The Busch Group manufactures in its 19 own production plants in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Romania, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Vietnam. For more information, visit https://www.buschvacuum.com.
