Back in 1999, Ted Devine established T&E Pumps Ltd. out of Consort, Alberta after 24 years working in the oil patch. T&E Pumps is a perfect example of ingenuity born of necessity, of perseverance, and the entrepreneurial spirit evident in many oil boomtowns.
During his time in the oil patch Devine owned and operated tank trucks, spending 15 years infield hauling as a specialization. Those years included daily struggles with poor suction, leaking pumps, and pumps that couldn’t be repaired, rather turning into a product worth nothing after a couple of weeks, waste, and poor performance shortly after the initial new wore off.
Dealing with those problems, coupled with the Alberta oil patch becoming increasingly aware of its environmental impact, Devine was driven to fix the existing problems by making T&E manufactures the most reliable, longest lasting pumps on the market, as well as the most environmentally friendly.
1998 was the first year prototypes of T&E were put onto trucks other than his, and by 2001, Devine had a patent granted. They constructed a manufacturing facility that still operates as normal today. The next tricky step was figuring out how to manufacture the required parts on a larger scale, parts that were usually unavailable, or too costly to produce on a small scale.
Once the assembly line got rolling, selling the product was another story. Other pumps made the market tough, deterring retailers from even touching a T&E Pump.
That led Devine to put on the sales hat himself, and that was ok because the most important thing for Ted was making sure that the truckers who wanted a T&E, could get a T&E, and that they weren’t being taken advantage of by a middleman.
Although T&E Pumps has a dealer in Kindersley, and multiple outside Saskatchewan, it's still important for their business to maintain contact with end users, and make sure that they are getting what they need.
When it comes to T&E Pumps dealers are required to advise clients that the pumps can be repaired, and have core credit value, and they are strongly encouraged to sell at MSRP. They repair pumps in the shop daily, either on or off the truck, and once repaired they guarantee it will perform like new.
By cleaning up and re-using parts, the customer saves money and reduces waste. New pump installations are done in a streamlined fashion, allowing easy access to the pump for repair or maintenance.
"We understand, first hand, the importance of down time, our services are all completed in the timeliest possible way. You will often see three or more guys working to get you on the road quickly. Environmental impact continues to be paramount in our business, and we endeavor to reduce our footprint as much as possible. Almost every part put into a T&E can be recycled."
"We actively recycle everything from steel to paper, bronze to batteries, in our shop, and anything that can be purchased locally, is. As globalization becomes the norm, and Made in America and Canada with Global parts now everywhere, we go out of our way to manufacture and buy North American whenever possible."
Photo provided by T&E Pumps Unfortunately, Ted Devine passed away in February 2016. T&E continued on with his wife Elaine, and daughters Rachel & Erica at the helm guiding the many staff that keep the business rolling.
"Nothing in our business is more important to us than the quality of our product, our relationship with our clientele, and our staff, who are like family. It is our distinct pleasure to work with truckers to keep the fluid moving. We look forward to working with you!"
Sat, Apr 27, 12:00 PM
