How a small manufacturing company from Kent holds its own in a climate of austerity thanks to its in-house production superiority

mpb

You have probably come into contact with products from MPB Industries Ltd and not known it. They produce everything including flowmeters, sight glasses and flow alarms. Their range is manufactured in-house at their facility in Kent and their many high-profile clients include Grundfos, Xylem and Lutz Jesco, as well as smaller water treatment companies. During the pandemic the company worked around the clock producing tubes for ventilators. 

Grant Hobbs, Senior Sales Engineer of MPB Industries told Water Magazine why he thinks they are not a household name: “People in the know do know us but I think smaller companies are less aware of our existence, possibly because there is a worry that because we are made here in the UK we will be too expensive or not adaptable to small orders. Actually, the opposite is true. We have no minimum order and because all our products are made in-house (often using machines the company has made themselves), we can offer a huge variety of bespoke options. We have 4000 to 5000 different glass tubes for gases and liquids and if we don’t have what you want – we’ll adapt something for you. We can supply small batches on a very quick turn-around.”

Indeed, it seems that the key to MPB Industries’ success lies in its vast in-house expertise. As a proud British manufacturer, the company boasts a substantial depth of mechanical engineering knowledge and experience across diverse industry sectors. All the sales team are engineers themselves so getting what you need quickly and precisely first time is a given. But why have they gone to the trouble of making their in-house machinery? Surely it would be easier to buy and import?

Jason Bennion, Managing Director, explains: “We couldn’t find machinery that gave us the precision we required for our extensive range of flowmeters for dosing dry Chlorine, Sulphur Dioxide and Ammonia gases, so we decided to make our own using our own specially designed machinery. This allows our engineers to make uniquely precise, high calibre tools for use in water treatment systems, perhaps more difficult initially but much easier in the long-term for reliable, consistent results. Most of our sales are designed specifically to its customers’ requirements”.

The company started life in 1986 and Jason took over as managing director in 2019 when the company became part of the SDI Group. Jason enjoys managing the company as “every day is different. One day you are making parts for the Large Hadron Collider and the next for a small water treatment company who are searching for a bespoke flowmeter for their chemical dosing. I also like the fact that we still make things here in the UK, which we are very proud of in today’s climate. It’s important that next generation engineers are trained in the UK and apprentices can learn a trade.”

Over the last year approximately 54% of MPB’s sales have been to the UK, 32% to the rest of Europe and 14% to the rest of the world. The company sells to over 60 countries worldwide.

For readers of Water Magazine MPB Industries is offering a special 10% discount with the code WATER 10.

Terms and Conditions for 10% Discount Code

Validity: The discount code is valid from October 28th to December 1st.

Usage: The discount code must be quoted at the time of the order.

Only one voucher code can be used per company.

The code is not valid in conjunction with any other voucher code or offer, unless otherwise stated.

Product Availability: Promotion codes are only valid on specific products, while stocks last and may be withdrawn at any time.

Order Decline: We reserve the right to decline orders where, in our opinion, a promotion code is invalid.

Returns and Refunds:

In the event of product returns, refunds will be given for the value of the original purchase, i.e., with the applied discount, not at the RRP of the item.

In the event of part of the order being returned, the monetary value returned will be the value of the item(s) at the time of the transaction, i.e., with the discount applied. The promotional discount will not be applied to replacement items. If the offer is still valid at the time of making a return, you should place a new order using the original promotional code.

Changes to Terms: We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time.

Non-Transferable: Promo codes are not transferable or redeemable for cash or credit.

Previous Orders: Promo codes cannot be applied to previously placed orders.

Withdrawal: We reserve the right to withdraw the discount code at any time.

NEWS CATEGORIES

LATEST NEWS

Updating Bathing Water Regulations could better protect the public, says OEP

The regulations in place to protect people swimming in rivers, lakes and coastal waters in England could better protect the public if they were...

Smart meters help to drive a digital data success story

In this Water Vlog, Ruth Clarke, head of digital at Xylem UK & Ireland, discusses the many ways in which smart water meters and, in...

Wavin wins gold at the ESG & Sustainability Awards 2024 with its ‘See Water Differently’ campaign

Drainage and surface water solutions manufacturer Wavin has won gold at the ESG & Sustainability Awards 2024 with its ‘See Water Differently’ campaign. Run by PRMoment,...

Arqiva announces the appointment of Mark Steele as Chief of Operations

Arqiva, a leading global communications infrastructure and media services company, has announced the appointment of Mark Steele as Chief of Operations.  Mark joined Arqiva in...