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Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions has opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Lubbock, Texas.  The site opened on February 21, and substantially expands the operations of the Taco Family of Companies. Taco is headquartered in Cranston, RI.

Hydroflo’s new 45,000 s.f. location in Lubbock, Texas, is in the manufacturing and transportation hub of northwest Texas, 40 miles north of its prior location in Brownfield, Texas.  With the new facility also comes the advantage of added space for future growth, additional capabilities and team expansion.

“The opening of this new Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions facility signifies a renewed focus on ensuring that our customers have access to the most dependable high quality vertical and submersible pumps in the market,” noted Cheryl Merchant, President and CEO, Taco Family of Companies. “Our investment in the infrastructure, testing equipment and expanded workforce is just the beginning of the next phase of the Hydroflo story.

“I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to our new landlord, Randy Teinert, the City of Lubbock, and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce,” continued Merchant.  “Family is at the core of everything we do at Taco, and I want to thank all of you for making us feel like family. Your warm welcome to this community has made all the difference.

“The Hydroflo team, along with the more than 1,200 Taco team members, are leading us into the future,” she added.  “A future of opportunity, a future of growth and a future of well-earned success.”

According to Hydroflo’s Director of Sales, Clay Williams, the facility substantially expands their manufacturing, warehouse and quality control operations. New manufacturing equipment was purchased for the facility, and a state-of-the-art test pit have expanded their testing capabilities as well.

“The new test pit is much larger and deeper and greatly improves our range of testing,” explained Larry Jones, Hydroflo VP.  “We now have the ability to test all current pump models, something we previously had to outsource.”

Hydroflo manufactures a wide range of submersible turbine, vertical axial-flow, vertical mixed-flow, and vertical turbine pumps for use in the agricultural, commercial, industrial, municipal, marine, mining, and power generation markets. The company uses high-quality ductile iron discharge heads and fabricated steel or 316 stainless steel L, F, and T style heads. Ductile Iron bowl castings with impellers in 201 stainless steel impellers are also used for greater strength. For applications that require resistance to corrosion, Hydroflo offers castings and impellers in 316 stainless steels in order to provide the best materials of construction to meet specific application needs.

Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions is an integral part of the Taco Family of Companies, an expanding global network of industry-leading brands that strive to be the first source for durable, high-efficiency heating, cooling, plumbing and fluid-control solutions that help its customers save money, energy and resources while maximizing comfort and productivity.

Grundfos, a global leader in water technology, and its primary owner the Grundfos Foundation announced a $65,000 donation to the American Red Cross of Central California – Central Valley Chapter in response to the recent wildfires that continue to have a devastating impact on communities in Central California.

“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by these wildfires, some of whom must now start over,” said Antonio Rodrigues, Grundfos plant director. “This hits close to home, because it is our home. We want to help the community—our neighbors, friends and partners—who are affected by this disaster.”

Grundfos employs more than 290 employees at its manufacturing plant in Fresno, California. At the facility, the company manufactures pumps that serve customers in groundwater and irrigation, domestic heating and hot water recirculation, commercial buildings HVAC and plumbing, and industrial applications. To support production, the Fresno office houses engineering, supply chain, finance, service and IT.

The company was introduced to the American market in 1973 after its founder Poul Due Jensen had discovered a growing market for pumps in California, especially where they are essential for farms and vineyards.

On October 19, the Board of Directors of the Grundfos Foundation awarded 315,775 DKK ($50,000 USD) to the American Red Cross of Central California – Central Valley Chapter. Grundfos Americas has also awarded a $15,000 USD donation to the chapter.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the many victims of the wildfires. It is however heartwarming to see our colleagues in the U.S. exercising this level of compassion towards their fellow citizens. That is why we are also proud to support the Red Cross,” said Kim Nøhr Skibsted, executive director of the Grundfos Foundation.

As part of the local rebuilding efforts, Grundfos is creating a program that will provide a significant discount for a selection of its pump products to those that have lost water service due to the wildfires.

“Grundfos is committed to supporting the relief efforts for those who are being displaced or have lost homes, as well as those who are trying to save people, homes and property,” said Dieter Sauer, Grundfos Americas regional managing director. “We hope our donations encourage others to join in assisting those who have been affected.”

Taco Comfort Solutions’ VT Series vertical turbine pumps provide the ultimate in reliability and ease of installation. With six-inch to 18-inch bowl diameters, the VT Series provides quiet, dependable performance for cooling tower, chilled water, water transfer, pressure boosting and water supply applications.

The Taco VT Series vertical turbine pumps offer upgraded materials of construction as standard features. All impellers are investment cast stainless steel to provide longer life and better abrasive and corrosive resistance. All bowls and discharge heads are ductile iron for higher hanging weight and better tensile strength.

For more information, visit www.TacoComfort.com

Cedarburg, Wis. — WILO USA LLC, a subsidiary of WILO SE, through its newly-established subsidiary, American-Marsh Pumps LLC., has acquired the assets of US manufacturer J-Line Pump Co. d/b/a American-Marsh Pumps. Headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee, American-Marsh Pumps currently employs 55 people.

“The acquisition of American-Marsh Pumps strengthens our strategic market position in the US, and expands the product portfolio for our customers in the Water Management, Industry and Building Services segments,” explains Oliver Hermes, President and CEO of the Wilo Group. “This acquisition marks another important milestone in the execution of our growth strategy, following the successful acquisition and integration of the Cedarburg pump manufacturers Weil Pump & Scot Pump in 2017.”

American-Marsh Pumps has a history dating back to 1873, and is a leading manufacturer of centrifugal pumps, vertical turbines, and fire protection equipment. The acquired production facilities in Tennessee will not only enable Wilo and American-Marsh to meet customer requirements in the US market quickly and efficiently, but also to offer a wider range of high quality products serving the Commercial, Industrial, Municipal, AG, and Fire Protection markets, that are made in the USA.

“We are excited to have American-Marsh Pumps join the Wilo USA family. Their experience and expertise aligns extremely well with our organization, and accelerates our strategy for long-term growth in the US,” says Jeff Plaster, CEO of WILO USA. Mathias Weyers, Chief Financial Officer, and Executive Board Member at WILO SE, adds, “We are very pleased to have succeeded in completing this acquisition, and very much look forward to our collaboration with the acquired company and its integration into the Wilo Group.”