Member Article

Teesside firm winning new friends in chemical world

A young Teesside engineering firm is winning a string of major new contracts within the chemicals industry thanks to its growing reputation for specialist technical work.

C & A Pumps and Engineering launched in 2012 to install and maintain electrical and mechanical systems primarily for building firms, local authorities and managed workspaces.

Although the chemicals sector was in the firm’s sightlines, orders have come quicker than expected as the company’s reputation for specialisation grows.

Now the Hartlepool-based firm is winning a spate of contracts with some of Teesside’s largest chemical firms including Huntsman, Ineos, Univar and steel manufacturer SSI.

Managing director Alan Roberts said: “Traditionally, we were known as a water pump specialist but when the new business was launched we wanted to diversify and the chemicals industry was high on that list.

“It has really encouraged me to make significant in-roads into the chemicals sector and it’s largely down to our strength for completing specialised, technical jobs that other firms might not be able to provide.”

Mr Roberts relaunched C & A Pumps with his own money after its former parent company decided to close the original business last year.

Since moving from employee to employer, he has managed to increase market share within traditional sectors such as housing and buildings maintenance, and is on target to turnover £1.2m next year.

C & A Pumps has just won a significant contract to provide engineering works at the Bellway Homes’ housing development at Mowden Park, in Darlington, while its training division and partnership with Teesside University to provide ISO accreditation training is going from strength to strength.

New work within the chemicals sector includes maintenance and training contracts with Univar and the supply and installation of specialist ultra-sonic and radar equipment to detect depth levels in chemical tanks at Ineos and SSI.

Huntsman has also purchased a range of specialist equipment and machinery including pump controls and spares.

Mr Roberts added: “The work with the chemical companies is a bonus because we expected to be concentrating on our core markets in our first years, particularly housing.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .