Business primed to take on the world

THE directors of Kalpumps Pty Ltd and Galvin Engineering Pty Ltd have joined forces, developing and marketing pump replacement equipment for the State’s mining sector.

Galvin Engineering principals Chris and Paul Galvin have packaged their plumbing engineering expertise with that of Paul Meneghel and Steve Bettridge, directors of pump repairer and selling agent Kalpumps. The result, PumpEng, is involved in the production of patented parts that enhance and adapt pumps to meet local conditions.

Mr Meneghel said that, through the venture, the partners were taking on the world’s largest pump manufacturer and parts supplier, ITT Flygt.

ITT Flygt has manufacturing facilities in Sweden and annual sales of more than $US4 billion.

While not expecting to make a dent in Flygt’s international dominance, PumpEng is hoping to realise more than 18 months of research and development by winning some substantial orders over the next months.

Mr Meneghel estimates the Australian pump market to be worth around $20 million a year, with many of the larger mining contractors spending up to $1 million in carrying and maintaining their pumps.

The team at PumpEng believes its products’ enhanced performance and design quality sets them apart from many of their competitors’ offerings.

PumpEng recently signed dealer agreements with Tasmanian Cable Rewinds and Repairs and Truflo Pumping Systems in NSW, and is talking to dealers in other States.

While content for the moment to fit enhanced parts into pumps, Mr Meneghel said a long-term dream would be to produce their own pumps.

However, he said, that would not be occurring anytime soon because the increased development and liability costs would be too prohibitive.

“It’s one thing to put parts into a pump but it is quite a different issue to supply the pumps,” Mr Meneghel said.

Bedding down contracts with mining contractors remains very much the focus for now, in what is still a tough mining market.

“It [mining] has been pretty depressed. The mining industry had hard times about seven years ago and I think we are just getting out of that now,” Mr Meneghel said.