Obart Pumps become Tsurumi Pumps UK
Name change part of natural step forward to form part of a single brand with a single vision
AS of today (1 September 2023), Obart Pumps officially become Tsurumi Pumps UK Ltd. The name change follows the acquisition of Obart Pumps by Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH back in 2020, when Obart Pumps first became part of the global network of companies that belong to Tsurumi Manufacturing Co. of Japan.
Matthew Hill (pictured), managing director of Tsurumi Pumps UK Ltd, said: ‘Following the acquisition in 2020, it is a natural step forward for us to become known as Tsurumi Pumps UK Ltd, so we form part of a single brand with a single vision. Tsurumi – pronounced Sir-roo-me – are becoming much more visible in the UK and are often associated with quality and reliability.
‘This transition will lead to a positive impact for our customers, allowing us to build on our position as a market-leading supplier of submersible and engine-driven pumps, Nevertheless, it is very much business as usual. All staff and management will remain in place supported by myself as managing director, and we will continue to operate from our existing head office and warehouse in Maidstone, Kent.
‘All our existing products and brands will remain unchanged. We will continue to offer Tsurumi, Speroni, APP, Honda, Faes and Umbra products alongside our own trusted Fit&Flow, DryMax and Floodmate product ranges,’ he continued.
The company has been a Tsurumi distributor since 1975 and the firm’s pumps are used widely across construction, civil engineering, wastewater treatment, tunnelling and domestic applications.
Matthew Hill’s father, John, first discovered Tsurumi pumps at a trade show in America in 1974, when he purchased Tsurumi’s compact single-phase 110V pumps. His company was the first to rent out lightweight, portable submersibles in the UK and he soon went on to sell them, through Obart Pumps, to other hire companies.
John Hill is credited with creating the 2in 110V submersible pump market which is always in the top 20 of tools hired by plant and tool hire companies across the UK. From these humble beginnings with small pumps, he went on to sell the larger pumps made by Tsurumi.
Tsurumi were formed in Osaka, Japan, in 1924 and now have more than 1,100 employees, manufacturing over 1 million pumps per year. The company has five factories – two in Japan and others in Taiwan, Vietnam and China – and is the world market leader in contractor pumps. Tsurumi developed the world’s first contractor’s submersible pump in 1954.
Tsurumi Pumps UK are the sole suppliers of Tsurumi pumps in the UK market. The contact details and ordering process for Tsurumi Pumps UK remains unchanged. The website URL and email address will change to ‘tsurumi.co.uk’, however the use of ‘obartpumps’ will still be redirected for the foreseeable future.
