Vintage Flood Pumps Replaced After More Than Half A Century

In the pump business, making sales is all about relationships.

No one knows that better than Jeff Lukemeyer, who spent 14 years getting to know contacts at the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District and the Army Corp of Engineers in order to land a $6.9 million sale of seven Peerless flood pumps.

“There’s no question that it was the relationship,” said Lukemeyer, business development manager.

An Opportunity Comes to Fruition

He first discovered the opportunity in the mid-90s, when he took over the Kentucky region and began looking through historical files. Lukemeyer noted that seven vintage Peerless pumps had been installed at the Metropolitan Sewer District in Louisville, Ky., in 1952 to handle the city’s storm water.

Although the pumps’ superior quality meant they were still in good shape, Lukemeyer figured the chance to replace them would be soon approaching. For nearly 15 years he built a relationship with the customer and, in 2009, when they finally decided to purchase new pumps, motors and controls, the sewer district once again put its faith in Peerless pumps.

Lukemeyer said knowing contacts in both the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District and the Army Corp of Engineers played a key role in making the sale.

“I had somewhat of an advantage,” said Lukemeyer, who began working at Peerless Pump Company in 1979. “I had a working relationship not just on the sales side but also when it came to the installation.”

The sewer district gave him the last look at the prices of his competitors, which included Fairbanks Morse, Flowserve, Patterson and ITT. And after he lowered his price by just 3 percent, the district granted Lukemeyer a nearly $7 million sale.

Upgrading a Good Design

The first pump was delivered Aug. 2 with plans to ship the rest of them periodically throughout the following year. Because of their role in flood prevention, the pumps must be replaced one at a time.

The new pumps include updated control and motor technology, as well as upgraded electronics such as vibration detectors and heat sensors.

As part of the agreement, the old pumps will be sold for reuse or for scrap and all the revenue will go to the charity of Metropolitan Sewer District’s choice.