1. TEAM: Pictured from left are Neil Cooke, area sales executive; Shanene Cadwallader, internal sales support; Shirley Simpson, export manager; and Marc Dale, sales director
SKILLED: Jonathan Parkinson, foreman pump engineer
BASE: The company’s previous premises, at Boathouse Lane, in Stockton, in
the 1970s
BOSS: CJB Keville, ex-chairman and father of
present managing director, Tony Keville
Award-winning excellence driven by staff
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 201532 The Northern Echo
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/thenorthernechoJobs&Business NEWS FEATURE
33WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2015 The Northern Echo
Jobs&Business NEWS FEATUREFOLLOW US ON TWITTER @northernecho
Pump firm Tomlinson Hall is continuing to win plaudits around the world. Laura Facey finds out the reasons behind its success
C
OLIN SIMPSON
has several reasons
to celebrate.
As business de-
velopment direc-
tor of pump distributor and
manufacturer Tomlinson Hall
he has overseen the company
in Billingham, near Stockton,
during a period in which it has
been honoured with industry
awards and accolades.
But the lifelong Middles-
brough FC supporter is also
enjoying his team’s exploits on
the pitch.
The corridors of the 27-peo-
ple strong business are deco-
rated with signed Boro shirts.
Behind the walls of this un-
assuming building, on Cowpen
Lane Industrial Estate, is a
company that supplies a vast
range of pumps from leading
global brands and makes Liq-
uivac, its own innovative liq-
uid ring vacuum pump, as well
as offering servicing, repairs
and engineering supplies.
Soon to be celebrating its cen-
tenary year, the reins of this
business are now in the hands
of Tony Keville, the third gen-
eration running the business.
He took over from his father,
CJB Keville, who succeeded
his father-in-law, Alf Tomlin-
son, who founded the general
engineering supplies firm
with Frank Hall in 1919.
A graduate of Sheffield Uni-
versity, a chartered engineer,
a member of the Institute of
Engineering Technology and
chairman of the UK Pump Dis-
tributors Association, Tony
was part of the team which
first discovered the hole in the
ozone layer and transferred
his innovativeness and inge-
nuity when he joined the fam-
ily business in 1976.
“Tony has continued his fam-
ily’s legacy, integrating fam-
ily ethics into this business to
make it the success it contin-
ues to be,” said Mr Simpson,
who joined the firm in 1993.
“Tony is one hundred per
cent focused on our staff and
they reward us with their loy-
alty. When people join us they
stay and we are very proud
they choose to work with us.”
Tomlinson Hall boasts a
great deal of experience
within its workforce, which
enables the company to offer a
total service, including pump
selection and supply, problem
solving, site surveys, service
and repairs.
After his father passed away
in 1997, Tony continued as
chairman with the support of
his colleagues.
“Tony is a problem solver,
an inventor, who can look at a
product and improve it in ways
that other people wouldn’t
even think of and that’s what
makes our products sought af-
ter around the globe,” said Mr
Simpson.
The Teesside business has
gone from supplying major in-
dustrial pump brands, includ-
ing its own product Liquivac,
to businesses in the North-
East and across the UK, to
Europe and now to the Middle-
East, North America, South
America and Asia.
In fact, they are currently ex-
porting to more than 100 coun-
tries.
But success has not come
overnight and as director of
business development, it is Mr
Simpson’s job to continually
look for new opportunities.
“You’ve got to have a plan,”
he said. “It’s no good sitting
back and waiting for the op-
portunity to come to you, you
have got to go out there, meet
people and show them that
your product is the best one for
the job.”
Although they may not al-
ways agree, the relationship
between Tony and Colin is
based on respect and Mr Simp-
son is trusted with taking
Tomlinson Hall’s products to a
worldwide market.
“We had a very strong repu-
tation locally and we decided it
was time to broaden our target
area,” he explained.
“One of our first major na-
tional contracts was with Scot-
tish and Newcastle Brewery,
latterly Scottish Courage and
now Heineken, which got our
pump products in cities across
the UK.
“From there we had a ripple
effect, building our client base,
modernising our production
and ordering service and push-
ing our business forward.”
Honesty, offering realistic
expectations, integrity, a qual-
ity product and the highest
customer service is what this
company has relied upon.
“Late one Friday afternoon,
we had a panicked phone call
from one of our clients, a dis-
tiller in Scotland.
“They were planning a visit
from the Queen the following
Monday and had a disaster
with a ‘noxious’ gas, which
would’ve caused a great deal
of unpleasantness for Her Maj-
esty!
“One of our team jumped on
the first train heading north
of the border to solve the prob-
lem.
“Years later, we are still in
touch and laugh about the
close shave.”
Tomlinson Hall’s success
also comes down to a broad
customer base.
They serve end users across
a range of industry sectors,
including the process industry,
chemical processing, petro-
chemicals, shipping, food and
drink processing, land reme-
diation and environmental
management, water utilities,
energy, leisure and desalina-
tion.
Their products are even
aboard Roman Abramovich’s
super yacht, the Eclipse.
“We learnt the hard way not
to put all our eggs in one bas-
ket,” said Mr Simpson.
“A few years ago our turno-
ver dipped slightly, due the
mothballing of the Corus Red-
car steelworks, which had pre-
viously been our number one
customer for pumps and ancil-
lary equipment.
“We learnt to diversify, not to
rely heavily on one company
and we recovered.
“Since then we’ve more than
made up this shortfall with
new customers and continued
growth.
“We’re grateful to have the
opportunity to be able to work
within sectors built on basic
human needs.
“People will always need to
eat, drink and safely dispose
of waste and while these in-
dustries are in business, there
will be a need for our pumps,”
explained Colin.
T
OMLINSON Hall has
won the Pump Distribu-
tor of the Year Award
in the British Pump Industry
Awards four times, most re-
cently in April 2014 and will be
travelling to London later this
month to compete on a nation-
al stage for “Small Business of
the Year” at the British Cham-
ber Awards.
It is an exciting time for the
business as it begins to con-
template its future and, poten-
tially, the next hundred years.
“We always try to plan at
least five years in advance,”
said Mr Simpson.
“What products will we
push? What industry or coun-
try will we explore? What will
our staffing requirements be?
“There are skills in work-
shop that we don’t want to lose
when a hardworking employee
chooses to retire.
“Our pump engineer appren-
tice, Josh Chambers, works
alongside his mentor learning
the trade, acquiring new skills
and offering his own fresh
ideas.
“Tomlinson Hall is commit-
ted to providing opportunities
to young people and we believe
that training the next genera-
tion of engineers is important
for both our industry and the
North-East’s engineering and
manufacturing base.
“This is how we deal with
any potential skill shortage.
Colin Simpson
People will always
need to eat, drink
and safely dispose
of waste and while
these industries are in
business, there will be
a need for our pumps
“We predict where our gaps
may be in the future and find
a solution.
“Our workshop manager,
Michael O’Hare, started off as
an apprentice, as did his col-
league Jonathan Parkinson,
who is now completing an
HNC in engineering with our
support.
“It is imperative to invest in
your people – they are the fu-
ture of your business.”
It is a strategy that seems to
be working well so far with the
company almost doubling its
turnover since 2007.
“Between 2013 and 2014 we
saw a substantial increase in
sales of 12.9 per cent.
“This year we have increased
a further 7.89 per cent and our
goal is to increase total compa-
ny sales to £5m by 2018,” said
Mr Simpson.
“A key objective for us is to
build Liquivac into a globally
distributed brand and we are
aiming to secure additional
global distribution partners.
“Last year we visited the
Middle-East to attract more
end-users to the product, and
we were extremely glad to find
its capabilities are in high de-
mand out there, in a range of
sectors.
“We’ve developed an ambi-
tious export strategy and are
re-branding the product, build-
ing a new website and invest-
ing in a strategic marketing
campaign. We’re determined
and believe in the quality of
our product and people can see
that when they meet us.
“Over the next three years we
also aim to strengthen Tomlin-
son Hall’s position as a leading
pump distributor both in the
UK and in global markets, and
will add further major pump
brands to our distribution
portfolio, complementing the
existing products we offer.”
As part of its growth strat-
egy, the company has also
recruited a sales support ad-
CELEBRATION:
Colin Simpson,
business
development
director
ministrative assistant and
business administration ap-
prentice, Molly Pickett.
“It’s ambitious but we have
an aspiring team of employees
and if we all pull in the same
direction we will do it,” said
Mr Simpson.
“If I were to offer any advice
to other companies, it would be
to invest in their staff, to help
them reach their potential and
to place your trust in them.
“Nurture your working rela-
tionships with customers and
always be respectful, today’s
apprentices could be managers
of the future.
“I admire other business peo-
ple and try to learn from their
successes.
“It’s important to ask for help
when you need it and take ad-
vice from organisations like
NECC and UKTI who are ready
to help.
“Stay one step ahead, plan
for the future, offer a quality
product and customers will
come to you. And last of all,
find a job, and a football club,
you love.”
J
AMES RAMSBOTHAM,
chief executive of the
North East Chamber of
Commerce, will be attending
the national awards with Tom-
linson Hall, in London.
He said: “This company is an
excellent example of how a tra-
ditional, family business can
diversify, modernise and react
to ensure it is in a solid posi-
tion for customers and employ-
ees for years to come. They are
a leading light in the North-
East and will do the region
proud on the national stage.
“I look forward to accompa-
nying our seven–strong con-
tingent of NECC members
shortlisted for national BCC
awards and wish them all the
very best of luck.”
INVESTMENT: Josh Chambers, the company’s
apprentice pump engineer
EXPERTISE:PumpengineerDanHepplestone
at work
ROLE: Molly
Pickett,
business
administration
apprentice