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www.worldpumps.com

WORLD PUMPS January 2009Anniversary feature

When Gorman-Rupp began business

75 years ago, with a single pump, it

was simply a manufacturer. A need

existed, J C Gorman and Herb Rupp knew how

to meet that need with a solution that didn’t

currently exist – and a business began. From

that point, it became a manufacturer, devel-

oping products that provided liquid handling

solutions that actually met the needs of the

customers.

Advancements in machine tool technology

have resulted in faster turnaround for product

development, allowing engineers to improve

reliability and with tighter tolerances. Down-

time is minimized and parts can be reproduced

less expensively, more quickly and with an

unparalleled degree of repeatability.

Fluid fl ow

Today, Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD)

programs allow engineers to simulate the fl uid

fl ow through the pump and to examine its effi -

ciency and how various parts interact with

other components on the computer before

steel is even cut.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has

revolutionized how waste is pumped. Today,

orders are taken online from a customer and,

without even touching that order, it is entered

into our manufacturing process and built to

specifi cation and shipped with an invoice with

minimal human involvement.

Today, the internet plays a crucial role in the

operation of equipment. Now, we can view the

operation of a pump station, evaluate its fl ow,

anticipate how much total dynamic head the

pump is producing and be notifi ed via mobile

means of any unforeseen problems. The internet

has been an integral development initiative in

driving maintenance, labour and costs down.

Paradigm shifts throughout the past several

years have been widespread. Perhaps the

biggest shift is how technology has evolved to

help us better understand customers. Today’s

customers expect a deep understanding. Gone

are the days when you could show up, show a

product and sell a pump. Customers need and

expect you to solve their problems quickly, effi -

ciently and cost-eff ectively.

Water reuse and having solutions to maximize

water so it remains a sustainable resource is

reshaping the way we do business. Fuel costs

and energy are another natural resource issue,

and we must fi nd ways to conserve. The answer

lies in uncovering ways of moving the product,

with better equipment – so more water can be

pumped, using less energy.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes is that

today’s pump manufacturing environment is a

global environment. There are more pump

manufacturers today than ever around the

world, forcing US producers to improve quality

and lower costs.

China has a population and workforce that is

consuming more energy and more raw mate-

rials, yet without the infrastructure to support

traditional business safeguards as intellectual

property, patents or proprietary procedures.

Globalization has caused the rest of the world

to rethink how to contend with copied and

sub-par products. These have shaken confi -

dence and confused the marketplace when

high-quality, reliable solutions are also available.

Today the world’s pump industry is grappling

with issues it didn’t need to address a decade

ago. In the end it all boils down to how you

best manage sourcing, product development,

technology and manpower to meet the

customer’s ever evolving needs.

www.grpumps.com

Astronomical leaps and bounds in the past decade have meant better products delivering more

than ever before. Today, we can move waste in a municipality, within a chemical operation and in a

food manufacturing environment more quickly, more effi ciently and more safely than ever before.

Here, Tom Seymour, vice president, sales & marketing, Gorman-Rupp, presents his perspective on the

history of change and innovation within the pump industry.

50 years of World Pumps

Gorman-Rupp – a

history of change

Gorman-Rupp was established on a mission to 'enter

a fi eld of pumping service only when able to provide

superior products with better performance.'

The Gorman-Rupp Company was founded in 1933

by James C Gorman and Herbert E Rupp as a pump

manufacturer.

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