The past year has been one of growth and achievement for Quinn Pumps.
The Red Deer business, which is a division of Quinn’s Oilfield Supply Ltd., has been opening new sales offices, is poised to relocate its headquarters to bigger and improved facilities in Riverside Heavy Industrial Park, and its president and CEO Doug Quinn recently received an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
All this during a slow period in the oil and gas sector that Quinn Pumps serves.
The largest Canadian manufacturer of reciprocating rod pumps, it operates 18 field stores in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan — as well as fabrication facilities in Red Deer and a sales office in Calgary.
Quinn Pumps also has 24 field stores spread across eight American states, and a U.S. head office in Texas.
In 2010 alone, it acquired Red Iron Pump & Supply Inc. of North Dakota, which supplies and services rod pumps; announced the development of a new carbon coating for pump components with partner Sub-One Technology Inc. of California; opened a new store in Texas; and acquired the assets of GrenCo Industries Ltd., a manufacturer of progressive cavity pump equipment with manufacturing facilities in Edmonton and Swift Current, a sales office in Calgary and seven field stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
And another Quinn Pumps field store is scheduled to open next month in Virginia.
The GrenCo purchase, said Quinn, was particularly significant because it diversifies his company’s operations.
“That will give us full-fledged manufacturing capacity for the PC (progressive cavity) pump area.
“Whether it’s rod pumps or PC pumps, we can handle both now.”
Ironically, the slowdown in the energy sector has contributed to Quinn Pumps’ growth.
“Now it’s easier to make deals, and we’re just taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and expand,” said Quinn.
“Some of the deals, they just kind of keep falling in my lap, so I want to take advantage while they’re still there.”
But as Quinn Pumps’ distribution network grows, so do the demands on its manufacturing facilities.
That was a key motivation for Quinn’s purchase of the former Leader Energy property in Riverside Heavy Industrial Park and a 50,000-square-foot expansion of the buildings there.
He anticipates that Quinn Pumps’ headquarters will relocate in about two weeks, although much of its manufacturing operations will remain at 6798 52 Ave.
“We’re just going into our busy time right now. To move all of my manufacturing equipment right now would be a little disruptive.”
When they do relocate, Quinn expects product flow-through to improve. And the 11 acres of land upon which the facilities sit could become very important in the future.
“It gives me lots of room to continue to expand down the road.”
As a Canadian manufacturer selling into the United States, Quinn Pumps has been adversely affected by the rising loonie. But Quinn downplays the significance of this trend.
“It’s a fact of life,” he said, adding that losing its exchange rate advantage made his company more competitive.
“We’ve reinvested in new equipment, we’ve reinvested in new procedures and systems — it’s forced us to get better with our manufacturing.”
The recent economic slowdown, he added, also gave Quinn Pumps a chance to look inward and make improvements.
“Actually, the downturn kind of helped us a lot in the sense of really cleaning up our internal operation.”
Quinn received a measure of recognition for his efforts last month, when he received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Prairies region in the Energy — Private category.
“That was kind of an exciting time,” he acknowledged, adding that the award reflects the efforts of his staff.
Quinn Pumps was started in 1965 by Quinn’s father Jim, with Quinn taking the helm in 1996.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com