Hydra-Tech manufactures pumps, power units in Nesquehoning

ubmersible pumps and pump systems are rarely seen or given a second thought, but these powerhouses of equipment keep our modern world turning.Pumps are the driving force behind many construction and service operations, from assisting with flood control and aerial forest fire fighting to construction, marine and mining uses.But did you know that one of the leading manufacturers of submersible pump and hydraulic power units is in our backyard?Hydra-Tech Pumps is located on the outskirts of Nesquehoning. The New Jersey-born business has been operating for more than 35 years and has been located in Carbon County since 2007."Because we were one of the early innovators in the world of hydraulic and submersible pumps, we have a lot of practical knowledge," said Darryl Cunfer, sales engineer. "We are able to use this knowledge to help our customers meet their unique needs."Hydra-Tech offers a wide variety of standard and custom-built submersible pumps for a variety of uses, and power units that can be used to drive these pumps or other equipment.Every piece of machinery begins on the work floor within a large holding area for raw materials. The materials used for each pump or power unit depend on its eventual use. Some finished products must be lightweight and portable (this typically calls for aluminum), while others might need to be resistant to abrasion to withstand harsh materials such as sand, sea water or sewage. All raw materials are handled at cutting and welding stations, formed into pump reservoirs, power unit trailers and more.The company also has a large inventory of ready-made parts, allowing them to assemble most pumps and power units quickly. Pumps are tailored to meet the customer's needs: Do they need to push a large volume of water a long distance, or are they dealing primarily with abrasive materials such as sand? Depending on the pump application, Hydra-Tech workers can choose from several different styles of impellers, the part of the pump that physically moves fluid or materials."It's the same pump, but just by changing the impeller you can dramatically change the performance," Cunfer said. "We try to have all of the parts we'll need in stock, so that when we get an order we can move it into production, assemble it, and move it out the door."Supplies for their power units are also stored on site. Each unit must be customized for the customer's needs, from a lightweight 2 horsepower unit to 600 horsepower units, with optional sound deadening. Power units have been used from everything from driving high-capacity winches to powering underwater equipment.Finished parts can be sent to the company's in-house machine shop, which is supplemented by two outside machining companies. Their in-house machine shop is home to one CNC machine, which allows workers to do larger runs of parts. A manual lathe and mill is used on smaller runs, typically one to five pieces.Most parts make a final trip to the paint booth, where they might receive a special coating of paint to increase qualities such as abrasion resistance, and then assembled into their final product.Every pump can be tested on site for proper performance, including maximum flow and shut-off points.Orders at Hydra-Tech are split fairly evenly between standard and custom requests. Cunfer said the research and development team works directly with clients, and is also constantly working to add pumps to their catalog for new applications. They're often inspired by customer needs, but also try to stay a step ahead of requests."We're flexible, and small enough to adapt to changing needs," he said.Hydra-Tech was recently awarded a contract with the Government Services Administration, which will allow the company to list its products on the GSA's online marketplace and market directly to government agencies. Hydra-Tech is still in the early stages of utilizing this contract, which took a three-year process to obtain, but considers this a positive step towards expanding its existing market."We've been in a steady growth cycle since 2005. The demand for Hydra-Tech products in particular has gone up," said Andy Falco, general manager at Hydra-Tech.Falco said that while Hydra-Tech is growing, primarily in its international and national presence, the company continues to work toward keeping local employees on the job when outsourcing parts or labor."We made a concentrated effort to stay as close to home as possible," he said, adding that the company is utilizing four local foundries within 50 miles of Nesquehoning, and two local machine shops. "We try to support our fellow local businesses as much as possible."