History Repeating

South Yorkshire based Industrial Pumps is River Group’s newest addition in the UK market. Get to know Managing Director David Carley, and how they built the company in the historic steel region.

A Formidable Growth Journey

If you’re familiar with English history, then you’ll know how important South Yorkshire was to the UK’s Industrial Revolution. And although the region has moved on from coal and steel production, companies like Industrial Pumps are playing a vital part in the area’s ongoing economic revival.

Founded in 1988, the company follows in the footsteps of the region’s proud steelmaking history. For the past 11 years, David Carley has been the Managing Director. But his history with the company stretches much further back.

“I actually started here back in 1996 as an apprentice pump fitter. Since then, I have moved up the ranks as a supervisor, workshop manager, and operations director, before I became a director and finally took over as Managing Director ten and a half years ago,” Carley says.

“Back then, we had 18 employees and a turnover of about €2 million. Last year, we turned over €9 million and now have approximately 55 employees, so we’ve had very solid growth,” he states.

Standing out with Complete Packages

Industrial Pumps is an engineering and specialist business that predominantly serves the water and wastewater sector, as well as the industrial sector. Their client list includes major UK authorities like Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent Water, and United Utilities. In a fragmented market, they clearly stand out from the competition.

“There are a handful of companies like us, but most specialize either exclusively in pumps, site work, or fabrication. Our strength is that we bring all of this together—site engineering, fabrication, mechanical work, and workshop capabilities—into one complete package for our customers.”

David highlights the large, technically demanding projects as the most engaging ones.

“It can start from a small inquiry, and end up with us utilizing our entire portfolio in a single project. One example is replacing a pump in a confined space, which requires cranes, scaffolding, pipework modifications, machining, and fitting.”

Ready to Grow Further with River Group

As Industrial Pumps now joins River Group, they do so with a long-term and ambitious perspective. David points out that they have known River Group’s founder, Carl Johan Callenholm, for 6-7 years already.

“We know each other well, we are very similar, and the companies are a very good fit. Both Dave Stacey and I are 47 years old, so we are still young, ambitious, and ready to be an active part of River Group’s significant growth in the UK.”

When asked where the growth will come from over the next 5 to 10 years, the strategy is clear.

“By growing with River, I’m hoping we get wider capabilities. It’s not just about organic growth, but also about supplementing our portfolio through small, targeted acquisitions of other services. Since River Group is also hoping to make more UK acquisitions, bringing them together should result in very good growth.”

An Industrious Family Man

When David isn’t building pump stations or strategizing for the future, his time is spent with his family. And football.

“I have a wife and two children; a 16-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. They both play football, and I manage my son’s team, so a lot of my spare time goes into junior football. And my whole family are loyal Sheffield United fans.”