Company History

The start of something great! This is where it all began. Ray Woosnam-Savage returned from working from a long term contract building Sewage Treatment Works in South Africa and formed Self Priming Pumps Limited, who became the UK Distributor for Gorman Rupp Pumps operating initially from his Garden Shed in Burton on Trent.

SPP relocated to Peterborough to work alongside, in shared premises, their first sub-distributor, Peterborough Seals Limited and their senior Sales Manager, Ross McLean. This was a key relationship in building the business for SPP and Gorman Rupp.

SPP moved into its own premises at 13 Stapeldon Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough. Ross McLean was recruited from Peterborough Seals as Sales Director to build a presence of SPP with Anglian Water and across the UK. Later that year Reg Parker was recruited in a Financial/ Commercial role to support the growing business activity.

During 1993 SPP took on the Cornell exclusive distributorship for the UK working closely with Roper Industries (owners of Cornell) from a satellite office at Bury St. Edmunds focusing on Food and Hot Oil Pumps for UK Manufacturing Plants.

SPP relocated to the present premises at 20/21 Stapledon Road, and continuing to build the profile of both GR and Cornell products in the UK.

Unfortunately Ray sadly passed in 1999 and Ross McLean the then Sales Manager/Director headed up the Company as Managing Director with Reg Parker the Commercial Director under the ownership of an off-shore trust.

Self-Priming Pumps was renamed to Hydromarque Limited to celebrate the new direction and expansion of the company.

Rob Newcombe was appointed Technical Engineering Director and Board Member.

In January 2005 the Management Team entered into negotiations with the offshore trust to purchase Hydromarque. The deal was agreed and the purchase made on 30th June 2005.

In April Gorman Rupp purchased the pump division of Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Limited in Cumbria which included the production range of submersible pumps and the obsolete range of Wallwin pumps. GR moved the current production of submersible pumps to their subsidiary manufacturer Patterson Ireland.

That November Hydromarque became the new supplier for all previous Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon customers for the submersible pump range and at the same time Patterson Ireland Ltd granted Hydromarque a licence to supply the Wallwin range of products still being used by many customers in the UK and overseas.

Hydromarque was awarded the ISO 9001 accreditation which it still holds today.

Hydromarque Celebrated 25 years in business.

A Management Buyout between the existing owners and the now Managing Director (Rob Newcombe) and Sales Director (Trevor Ellott) created a new structure within Hydromarque. Additional staff were brought on board to ensure the company continued their growth increasing turnover in the process.

Simon Stephenson and Tom Spencer have invested in the company partnering the existing management team and bringing their entrepreneurial skills to complement and help modernise and develop the company ensuring solid continuation and guiding it through the next chapter.

Following a rebranding exercise and a website redesign, the Company will be celebrating 35 years in business.