“The vast majority of our Zoeller pump sales were large sewage pumps,” says Sales Manager Fred Hettinger. “A lot of our customers are in commercial facility, apartment building and warehouse management – all areas where high quality, cast iron sewage pumps are in heavy use. Zoeller puts out a strong product and we stock a lot of it. In 2012 this translated to 30% of our total sales.”

Liberty Pumps came in second, supplying 14% of all pumps sold. The Upstate New York-based manufacturer specializes in commercial grade sewage pumps for use in both commercial and residential markets. In 2012 Pump Express began promoting Liberty sewage pumps for their quality design, solid construction and short lead time.

“Liberty keeps everything in stock so customers never wait more than two days for delivery, which has been a strong selling point,” says Hettinger. “They have an incredible grinder pump called the Omnivore. I have customers requesting that pump over other grinder pumps at a rate of 3-to-1.”

Berkeley irrigation pumps took third place, comprising 13% of sales.

“Our strongest market for Berkley pumps is in the Midwest,” says Hettinger. “Berkeley picked a small market and cultivated it. That, coupled with great pricing, make their product very tough to beat.”

Armstrong came in fourth, providing 10% of total sales, but was Pump Express’s #1 supplier of HVAC equipment.

“Armstrong has done a very good job of creating a product that’s as good as other leading brands, but more cost effective,” says Hettinger. “When our customers are looking to buy a new pump, they’ll often choose an Armstrong pump. By comparison, Bell & Gossett pumps tend to be more economical to repair than to replace.”

Bell & Gossett rounded out the top five, comprising 8% of Pump Express sales in 2012.

“B & G has been a leading name in HVAC equipment across the Northeast for 60 years. Last year we sold a lot of parts to support pumps already out in the market, often in areas affected by flooding.”

While Hurricane Sandy gave a major boost to the sale of sump pumps and other flood remediation equipment in 2012, the sluggish economy continued to temper large commercial and industrial pump sales.

“We sold a lot of pump parts because we have the knowledge and expertise to match the parts to a customer’s product. Replacing a $300 pump is one thing, a $6,000 pump is one you’re going to try and repair. In the last year we’ve increased the parts we stock for Armstrong pumps, Bell & Gossett pumps and Taco pumps because the demand is so strong.”

Browse these and other top brand pumps at www.pumpexpress.com or call us for details: 1-800-298-4100

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©Grundfos

At Pump Express we pride ourselves on expert sizing, stocking and express-shipping of top-of-the-line pumping equipment by manufacturers known for efficient, reliable and skillful design. The companies we represent are often at the forefront of pump industry trends and many have in recent years produced consumer-oriented pump apps that can be downloaded to a Smartphone or tablet. Some are even using mobile phone applications to improve lives in areas of the world where water is scarce.

Portable and pocket-sized, mobile apps can be a great resource for tech savvy installers, contractors and homeowners seeking quick solutions to pump-specific questions.  Taco, Bell & Gossett, Berkeley, Grundfos and Wilo have produced mobile apps providing customers with a variety of features  including unit converters, energy savings calculators and planning guides.

Grundfos has brought mobile technology into the realm of practical applications with the addition of SMS (self-managing system) modules that enable units like it’s LC/LCD level controllers to communicate directly with facilities managers via cell phone in alarm situations, minimizing the need for system spot-checks and speeding up response time in the event of an emergency.

Along the same lines, Liberty‘s ADC-1 Auto Dialers for Alarms and Control Panels  will send an alert  message to up to four separate telephone numbers.

But it’s the remote “roaming” zones of the world that stand to reap the biggest benefits from new synergies in the pump and mobile industries. The expansion of mobile phone networks in Africa, India and other developing countries has given rise to many communities where cell phones outnumber reliable water sources.

Responding to complaints about water mismanagement among the residents of a rural community in Musingini, Kenya, Grundfos began working with one of Africa’s leading telecommunications companies to implement a solar-powered, water vending program. The centerpiece of the resulting system was a solar-powered cell phone activated with a smart card permitting water to flow until either the card was removed or the user’s account ran out of credit. This arrangement made it possible for Grundfos to monitor how efficiently a solar well was operating, for a regulating body to gauge water use and for resource administrators to determine how much income was generated. Communities across Kenya have adopted the mobile banking/solar powered well model developed by Grundfos in Musingini.

In the future, rural communities in Africa, India and other countries where demand for potable water often exceeds supply may benefit from improved water access thanks to the application of mobile phone technology to hydronics by pump industry pioneers.

For more information on innovative products by Grundfos, Liberty or any of the other quality manufacturers we stock and sell call us at 1-800-298-4100 or visit us at www.pumpexpress.com

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