About Gilmore Valve Company

Gilmore Valve Company started as a family-owned business that was incorporated by Sam E. Gilmore in 1969. A graduate engineer from Tri-State University in Indiana, Sam Gilmore ventured to Texas in the mid 1950s to make his mark in the energy business. After several years of working for other companies, he created a line of relief valves under the Gilmore Valve Company name.

Sam Gilmore's first major breakthrough was a regulating valve designed to control pressure created by the bank of accumulators supplying the rams on a blowout preventer. His patented design remains the standard for the drilling industry and led to the development of control valve components of various configurations.

During the energy boom of the 1960s and 1970s, Sam Gilmore’s company flourished. Thanks to his conservative financial management, the company remained solid and competitive when the downturn came to the oil patch in the early 1980s.

When Sam Gilmore retired in the mid 1980s, then-general manager Susan Gilmore Johnson took the reins, successfully leading the company through the decade and expanding Gilmore’s capabilities to encompass high-specification, fast-turnaround machine-shop work.

Gilmore is now part of the Galathea Group of companies, which specializes in subsea drilling and production valve products. The firm has undergone considerable facilities, systems, equipment and test area upgrades since joining the group. As a result of this investment and our lasting heritage, Gilmore proudly continues the work of our founder by offering individual attention and customized solutions to customers who value results, above all.