Rotary Power Limited
An impressive turnover
Since Rotary Power Limited last appeared within European Oil and Gas Magazine during May 2012, the company has continued to surge ahead in its mission to provide benchmark solutions in the design, development and manufacture of high quality hydraulic pumps and motors.
The UK based company was founded in 1979 and is now headquartered in South Shields, with a current workforce of around 120 employees.
Although the business has endured the same challenges that have hindered the manufacturing sector during the past three to four years, Rotary Power has invested significantly in all areas of its business. These range from new product introductions through to the relocation of its manufacturing facilities to a 150,000 sq ft location in South Shields. The facility development leaves the company well positioned to grow with increased momentum and improve its overall market presence worldwide.
Market conditions within the manufacturing sector have indeed remained volatile in the face of an uncertain recovery from the global economic downturn. However, through careful deliberation and an agile response to fluctuating trading conditions throughout the world, Rotary Power has developed a strategy that it believes will propel it through 2014 and beyond, as CEO Geoff Willis explains: “Through very detailed and thorough market studies, we have identified a very clear strategy of growth. Of course we have set ourselves a very ambitious growth target and this is by no means a certainty, however the timing is right to press ahead with driving the business into a new phase. The analysis encompassed the obvious areas such as product design, innovation and sales development, but also identified the critical constraints on the business such as expansion of the manufacturing space. By aligning the strategic growth plan to a detailed assessment of our capacity constraints, it became clear that we needed to invest in larger manufacturing facilities.”
By moving production to larger premises Rotary Power has increased its manufacturing potential and taken a key position to engage the emergent market as the global economy moves towards future buoyancy. The facility itself is a ten year old, pre-existing building that the company has refurbished to a high standard, using almost exclusively local suppliers. Throughout the North of England, a mature and robust supply chain serves Rotary Power and this has enabled the transition into the new manufacturing base to proceed incredibly smoothly and efficiently.
Although increasing energy demands have invigorated movement within the oil and gas sector, the global market remains relatively challenging as Geoff observes: “Energy demands have been driven heavily by the economies of China and India and this has underpinned some of the confidence within the oil and gas markets. However this has not been universal and the uncertainties of the fracking market in North America continue to be a frustration. How fracking actually unravels within the UK is something that also remains to be seen.”
New products sit alongside the company’s existing range to allow it to service the oil and gas industry as well as the industrial, marine, subsea, offshore, chemical and construction sectors. From bespoke designs to standard products, Rotary Power is able to deliver motors and pumps to satisfy the most arduous application requirements. Its SMA motor range for example, is the solution of choice for heavy-duty applications and offers an excellent lifetime. The SMA range is able to withstand 350bar continuous pressure rating and delivers speed and power ratings far in excess of standard HTLS (High Torque Low Speed) motors as well as displacements ranging from 120 to 16,400 cm3/rev.
Other ranges deliver optimal solutions for mid to light weight applications, including a full range of motors that feature radial piston configuration offering static and dynamic breaks as well as wheel, shaft and torque-module mount options. Heavy-duty external load and high-speed options are available with capacities ranging from 376 to 8092 cm3/rev. For smaller, lighter applications the XF range of motors offer compact, modular design, high reliability and an increased range of capacities from 150 to 1120 cm3/rev. Furthermore, Rotary Power displayed its very latest range, the XJ CAM motor, at the Bauma Munich exhibition during April 2013. While the range is still in its infancy, according to Geoff: “It is showing very strong indications of market acceptance and it will be a focus to conclude this during 2014.” The company’s portfolio of motors is complimented by the ‘A’ and ‘C’ range of pumps, which offer high accuracy fluid metering with precision flow controls with capacities ranging from two to 125 cm3/rev. Each range offers high-pressure capacity with the ‘A’ range able to handle most fluid types, while the ‘C’ range is designed specifically for the Polyurethane industry.
Vital to the continued success of Rotary Power is its continued dedication to aftersales support and customer focus. The relationship between the company and its customers is something that Rotary Power takes very seriously and is an area that it supports through a strong global support network and a customer-facing presence at various trade shows, as Geoff elaborates: “Aftersales support is not a choice, it is a necessity to do business within the company’s chosen markets. Rotary Power has its own aftersales teams located around the world and these will continue to grow as our market share increases. Trade shows and exhibitions are also very important. It goes without saying that every business is working to maximise its return on every pound, euro and dollar that is spent. This means that it is no longer acceptable to just try marketing strategies that simply sound good. We need to embody a full creative marketing strategy of which tradeshows are just one part.”
Although the past three to four years have brought with them significant challenges across the manufacturing sector, Rotary Power has braved the storm and even flourished within a turbulent environment. As the company moves into 2014 it will look to introduce new products and take advantage of its expanded manufacturing base to propel it as a market leader in hydraulic pump and motor supply.
Rotary Power Limited
Services: Hydraulic motors and pumps