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On June 1st, the town of Wrightsville, Pennsylvania was shaded not underneath a blanket of clouds but by ash colored plumes of smoke rising from an industrial fire at the Donsco Incorporated facilities. Hundreds of firefighters from every corner in York County assembled to combat the blaze. The fight lasted hours. Workers knelt, knees close to scraping against the foundry floor, in order to keep their noses and mouths just underneath the enveloping smoke. They escaped the building as organized as 100 people can be during a real fire drill. One worker told the story of being lost amidst the smoke and only finding his way out when a flashlight cut through the dark clouds, like a lighthouse reaching out to lost ships. Thanks to the bravery of local firefighters and the emergency preparedness of the Donsco employees, no one was seriously injured. Though the fire was referred to as “one of the largest fire losses in Wrightsville history,” according to fire chief Chad Livelsberger, facilities can always be rebuilt. Three fire fighters and one Donsco employee were checked for heat exhaustion and dehydration but nothing serious beyond that. The flames originated when molten iron was being poured and splashed onto tanks of flammable fluid. After a few hours of fighting off the fire, firefighters set up a perimeter and pushed the public and news media back for fear of an explosion. Luckily no such catastrophe occurred. You might be asking, “But why make particular mention of this fire” Donsco represents an important step in the process of pump manufacturing. Donsco Incorporated (according to their website) is North America’s leading single source of machined iron castings. Many of these iron castings end up on pumps manufactured by brands such as Goulds and Liberty. These pumps in turn, end up at the PumpProducts.com warehouse before getting shipped out to customers all across the country. After terrible things happen, sometimes things are put into perspective. Call it the ripple effect or whatever you want but we get the chance to see how one thing affects another. People rely on pumps. Industry and infrastructure depend heavily on pumps. How would sewage be dealt with if we didn’t have pumps Pumps have even saved lives (i.e. the recent story of a Thai soccer team comprised of young children being rescued from a cave). So when something tragic happens that may slow the production of pumps, we get to see the important role pumps play in our everyday lives, even without us noticing most of the time. Simply stated: events like the Wrightsville fire remind how much we need pumps and how vital they are to making sure that our society runs like clockwork. PumpProducts.com would like to thank the firefighters who reported to the scene and all who made sure the sun set on June 1st with everyone at the scene being safe. Pump Products applications engineers are standing by to help you find the right pump, as well as to provide price quotes, availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800.

Pump Products recently held a training seminar and Q&A session with Michael, the Northeast territory manager representing A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. This training session was just one of a number of such sessions designed to familiarize Pump Products application engineers and marketing staff with a manufacturer’s products, processes and customer service capabilities. Pump Products employees will in turn be able to better communicate about those products to customers. The talk centered specifically on A.Y. McDonald’s versatile and well-built submersible well pump line. The strength of A.Y. McDonald well pumps lies in their quality construction; all pump ends are made and manufactured in the United States. The target market for these well pumps is the discerning consumer who is willing to pay for quality manufacturing. While A.Y. McDonald has experimented with imported pump ends in the past, according to Michael, the company has rededicated itself to domestic manufacturing centered in its factory in Dubuque, IA. Keeping design and manufacture in-house allows the company to have “wonderful customer service,” according to Michael. “It’s a very tight knit and family-oriented group,” he said. The focus on customer service is particularly important for A.Y. McDonald because it is a “boutique” manufacturer. That focus extends to shipment (A.Y. McDonald can drop ship directly from the factory) and to the warranty process. Most pumps carry a one year warranty, but extended warranties up to three and five years are also available. Michael estimated that he fields about one warranty request per month. The group also talked about A.Y. McDonald’s vaunted SludgeMaster pump. Commonly used to get radon out of water cisterns, the SludgeMaster is powered by an air compressor and can evacuate mud, gunk, leaves, twigs and other waste from a system. While it can’t run on pure solids - the pumping medium should be about 70% liquid - the SludgeMaster is still a heavy duty pump. It has been described as an “animal” or “beast.” All in all, it was an enlightening and invigorating training session that strengthened the partnership between Pump Products and A.Y McDonald and has better equipped Pump Products to better serve the customer needs. Pump Products application engineers are standing by to help you find the right pump, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800.

Pump Products teamed up with manufacturing representative Thermco (the rep for Armstrong pumps) for a customer appreciation BBQ at our Westwood, NJ location. Food, snacks and pump displays were featured. Customers and other businesses came to celebrate pumps. W'e're planning more events like this for the future so stay tuned! Subscribe to our channel for more how-to guides, product highlights and general information about pumps.