.png?width=660&height=510&name=Cognito%20Front%20view%20(1).png)
Part of what makes SANDPIPER the best is the unmatched quality of our Distributors. As the frontlines of how our products are matched to your needs, sold at competitive pricing, and are serviced, we wanted to spend some time showing you what it’s like to work with the best of our best.
The team at GPM Pump & Seal has one goal: To make their customers’ lives easier. How? By selling, delivering, and servicing high-quality pumps at a fair price and in a timely manner. GPM’s line sheet includes air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps from SANDPIPER Pump.
Kemah, Texas-based GPM has been in business in Houston and the Gulf Coast of Texas area for 15 years. It sells pumps, sealing solutions, power transmissions, and more to clients of all sizes in a variety of markets, including the petrochemical, shipyard, and environmental service industries.
How AODD pumps help GPM clients save
GPM customers often tackle nasty tasks, like pumping tar out of barges, processing wastewater, or moving other harsh fluids. In many of these cases, the only option besides an AODD pump is an expensive hard chrome or white iron slurry pump.
Many GPM clients are learning the benefits of AODD pumps over these pricey, complex centrifugal pumps. Advantages include affordability, ease of operation, and ease of maintenance.
For instance, consider the experience of one GPM customer that pumps wastewater for a petrochemical company. The firm operated many submersible slurry pumps that cost more than $100,000 each brand new. On top of that, repairs to these pumps cost tens of thousands of dollars. At GPM’s suggestion, the client replaced the slurry pumps with SANDPIPER Signature Series AODD pumps, which cost approximately $4,000 each. They get the job done for much cheaper, often requiring less maintenance, which saves the customer a lot of hassle and many thousands of dollars in terms of pump costs by avoiding maintenance-related downtime.
History as a SANDPIPER distributor
Before GPM began selling and servicing SANDPIPER AODD pumps, the company distributed Versamatic pumps. Versamatic is a sister brand to SANDPIPER. Both companies are part of Warren Rupp, Inc. — the leading manufacturer of AODD pumps, based in Mansfield, Ohio. Both work with networks of independent pump distributors to expand their reach and enhance the user experience.
About five years ago, GPM became an authorized independent distributor for SANDPIPER in addition to Versamatic. This part of GPM’s business has steadily increased thanks to SANDPIPER’s premium product line, including exclusive products such as the Signature Series, which elevate AODD pumps above commodity status.
GPM’s Favorite Pumps
Because pumps in our SANDPIPER Signature Series are engineered to operate in the most severe applications under harsh conditions, they are a good fit for many GPM customers.
Our Signature Series includes the following AODD pumps:
- Heavy-duty flap valve pumps for fluids containing up to line-size solids.
- Heavy-duty ball valve pumps for fluids containing settling, suspended, and floating solids.
- Containment-duty ball valve pumps, which feature superior fluid containment; protecting people and environments.
These are not just any old AODD pumps. They have exclusive features that set them apart from competitive pump types and competitive AODD pump brands. In many cases, they are the only pumps of their kind in their class. For example, a big seller for GPM is SANDPIPER’s industry-leading, clog-resistant 2-inch metal flap valve pump known as The Beast. Another popular pump is SANDPIPER’s unique heavy-duty ball valve pump — well known for easily handling abrasive and viscous products, especially during pump startup and shutdown.
Some end-users commonly view AODD pumps as throw-away, commodity-type products, but that is not the case with our Signature Series. Rather than considering SANDPIPER AODD pumps as disposable, GPM customers see them as assets they are willing to maintain and repair.
In fact, service is a big part of GPM’s business. As one of the most well-stocked AODD pump distributors in the U.S. with an in-house service department, GPM prides itself on repairing pumps ASAP, keeping their clients’ downtime to a minimum.
As you can see, both GPM Pump & Seal and SANDPIPER are all about helping clients save money and work smarter. When your pump manufacturer and distributor are aligned about providing top-notch sales and service, the customer wins.
To learn whether you may be able to save time and money by replacing an expensive, complicated centrifugal pump with an affordable, simple-to-operate AODD pump, contact the SANDPIPER team, GPM Pump & Seal, or your local distributor.
