AUSSIE’S DIFFERENCE DRIVES SUCCESS
Thirty years ago, Australian Pump Industries was born in a shed in Arcadia on the outskirts of Sydney. The original team of four, part of the Lorenz family, knew that to start a new pump business in an overcrowded market would require some unique thinking and a different approach.
“The justification for starting the business was that we would be different and better,” said Aussie Pumps Operations Manager, Hamish Lorenz.
The pump market was dominated by corporate companies. Their primary responsibility was to shareholders, sometimes at the expense of the customers. Aussie’s plan was to compete by putting the user first, producing a great product and putting it on the market at fair prices.
“We forged alliances with some of the world’s best manufacturers of componentry. Companies like Honda for petrol engines and Yanmar for diesels, and we had a firm policy to use only first world components”, said Lorenz.
30 YEARS OF GROWTH
After 30 years of intense product development, the operation has grown into a highly significant and quite unique supplier of pumps for the Australian market. The principles remain unchanged, products have to be better than those available on the market, supplying features and benefits to end users above their expectations.
Now in their 30th year, Aussie Pumps has the right to celebrate the market acceptance of their products.
“We are the descendants of farmers, and we have a unique appreciation of their requirements for products that work well, are safe and efficient to use, and value for money”, said Lorenz.
Within 18 months of start up, the company moved to a 2 ½ acre facility in Castle Hill with a huge warehouse and an equally efficient production area.
THE WORLD’S BEST FIRE PUMPS
When starting out in the fire pump business, Aussie invested in a design that delivered better performance with more features. The quality components enabled them to provide a unique five year warranty.
The Aussie Fire Chief, now claimed to be the world’s best lightweight portable fire pump, produces 75 metres head, has loads of user friendly features and is sold in line with Aussie’s ‘Fair Price’ policy.
It is powered by a 5.5 hp genuine Honda GX petrol engine, has a big 7” diameter impeller, steel skids and anti-vibration mounts and is sold for about half the price of a Davey or Onga equivalent.
“Why would anybody pay more for a lower spec product?” asked Lorenz.
Today the Aussie range of fire pumps includes the ‘Mr T’ twin impeller pumps and big 3” and 4” ‘Brigade Boss’ pumps for large scale fire protection duties.
SELF PRIMING, THE BIG ADVANTAGE
Putting the user first with products that deliver value, convenience and safety led the company to specialise in self priming pumps.
When it comes to convenience, a ‘self-primer’ is streets ahead of an end suction pump. Aussie now dominate this niche market with pumps for a wide range of applications from irrigation, water transfer and later, agricultural fertilisers for farmers.
FERT PUMPS … A NEW DEVELOPMENT
Aussie’s introduction of their ‘Smart Pump’ range coincided with the uptake of liquid fertilisers as an essential part of Australian agriculture.
In the early days, farmers were transferring liquid fertiliser with firefighting pumps! Those pumps, manufactured from aluminium, or sometimes cast iron, simply didn’t last, bearing in mind the aggressive nature of the liquid.
The Aussie Smart Pump is unique in its configuration, with key components being manufactured from injection moulded 30% glass filled polyester. That mix was developed for the NASA space program but it sure works with a wide range of chemicals, oils and other liquids. It also pumps water, both fresh and seawater.
Available in both 2” and 3” configurations, they move loads of fertiliser or any other liquid for that matter, without corroding. Performance is available in either high flow or high head. The high head versions have a slightly different impeller design, will produce up to 35 metres lift. The high flow version achieves over 1,000 lpm (3” models).
The company builds large quantities of Smart Pumps with Honda GX200 6.5 hp engines, close coupled and mounted on steel skids with anti-vibration mounts.
Yanmar diesel versions, designed for marine applications, are used by the Royal Australian Navy as a lightweight portable fire and salvage pumps. Called the Aussie Seamaster, this version has been successfully deployed on patrol boats, tugs and similar craft throughout the world.
Aussie Smart Pumps are ideal for fast loading agricultural sprayers, for batching fertiliser and for pumping water, diesel fuel and other ag chemicals, including pesticides and weedkillers. The pumps are particularly versatile and have changed the way farmers handle these chemicals, in terms of efficiency and safety.
AUSSIE GMP MOTOR PUMPS
Introduced to the Aussie line up some 15 years ago, the Aussie GMP self priming motor pumps added new a level of capability and convenience for water management, liquid processing and effluent transfer.
They are ideal for permanent installation besides rivers or dams. The most popular models are the 3” versions in high pressure or high flow. Flows over 1200 lpm and heads as high as 78 metres are proving as big success.
These are supplied in ‘semi-trash’ configuration with big open cast iron impellers, silicon carbide seals, stainless steel integrated wear plate and a front opening port that enables the pump to be cleaned of debris without disconnecting hoses or pipework.
These pumps are also a big hit in piggeries or any applications in livestock effluent including diaries, saleyards etc. The standard pumps are cast iron but nickel aluminium bronze or 316 stainless steel options are available for corrosive or abrasive applications.
“We owe everything to the market and our Gold Distributor network. Without the feedback, we would never have achieved the ground-breaking work we’ve done over the last 30 years”, said Lorenz.
Find your local Aussie Gold Distributor online … click here
