42 | Tees Business
100
RAISE
A GLASS!
Michael O’Hare – workshop manager
Tomlinson Hall
pumped up
about centenary
celebration
Dan Hepplestone – pump engineer
I
f you’ve ever raised a glass of Scottish
whisky then chances are you will have a
connection to Tomlinson Hall.
Perhaps you might have been lucky
enough to be invited aboard Roman
Abramovich’s yacht? Or for that matter, Bill
Gates’ boat too?
No? Ah well, there’s always a next time.
And at least if you raise a glass of the
amber liquid you can celebrate the fact that
there is a key piece of Teesside engineering
and expertise involved in all of the things
listed above.
It comes courtesy of Billingham-based
pump manufacturer and distributor
Tomlinson Hall, who are experts in the
pump industry and serve businesses
globally and nationally from their 1.5-acre
site at the Cowpen Lane Industrial Estate.
Their specialist brand of knowledge
covers all sectors from the chemical
industry to construction, pharmaceuticals
to food, water treatment to waste, to name
just a few.
As well as being a leading distributor
of pumps, the company designs and
manufactures its own. The innovative
Liquivac can perform a wide range of
operations and is widely used by utility
companies, chemical processors, food
and drink producers and environmental
engineers. It is recognised for its durability
and reliability.
This year the business is celebrating its
100-year anniversary, marking a staggering
century of trading on Teesside.
It is also celebrating a double whammy
win at the recent British Pump Awards.
Tomlinson Hall was crowned UK Pump
Distributor of the Year and managing
director Tony Keville, a third generation
Tomlinson, was presented with a Lifetime
Achievement Award in recognition of his
outstanding contribution in the pump
industry.
Undoubtedly a North East success story,
Tomlinson Hall has been referred to as
Teesside’s “best kept secret” That secret is
definitely out.
“For us to get any sort of recognition
from the British Pump Manufacturers
Association is amazing,” said Colin Simpson,
business development director at Tomlinson
Hall.
“It was a double win - and for Tony to
receive a lifetime achievement award in our
100th year was just brilliant, the icing on the
cake”.
“A lot of companies sell pumps. We were
primarily known as a pump distributor but
the difference between us and others is
that we specify the correct product for each
individual application.
“We also manufacture our own pump,
the Liquivac.
“People want what does best for them. If
you like whisky, our pump will have touched
it at some point, as we are the definitive
pump of choice for many of the distilleries
in Scotland. Pumps we have supplied are
on both Roman Abramovich’s and Bill Gates’
yachts.”
The company reaches global markets
and trades across the world, forging
relationships in the Middle East, thanks in
part to a UK Department for International
Trade trip that enabled Tomlinson Hall to
present what they had to offer to new
markets. Southeast Asia is another growing
marketplace.
Closer to home, they distribute and
manufacture pumps for all kinds of
industries including right here on Teesside,
thanks to relationships forged through
the likes of NEPIC - the North East of
England Process Industry Cluster. Colin is
also a Northern Powerhouse ambassador,