Across various sectors within the process industry, the key to building value is partnership. In markets from pharmaceutical manufacturing through to wastewater treatment, each stakeholder provides a unique contribution. As engineers responsible for project specification select from process equipment manufacturers, the role of the distributor is often integral to assembling the best solution.
The distributor is central to communication between the specifier on one side, which could be the engineering services provider and their chosen contractor, or an OEM with in-house expertise, and on the other side, the equipment vendor. An experienced distributor with the right engineering knowledge ensures that the specification is met as quickly as possible within time-constrained projects. Assuming the distributor is equipped with a broad stock, they also typically facilitate rapid product supply.
In Ireland’s process control sector, this is exemplified by the partnership between flow control specialist Bürkert, and distributor Petrochem Group, which has provided value to end users and OEMs, as well as contractors, for over 15 years. Originally founded to supply the petrochemical market, today the vision includes all sectors within the process industry including pharmaceutical, food & beverage, water treatment and biotech. Supplying tubing and hardware is a mainstay of Petrochem’s expertise, but to provide a comprehensive solution, this is combined with valves and instrumentation, the point where Bürkert integrates within the portfolio.
“Among our biggest customers are contractors for large engineering firms who design and specify projects for the dairy and pharmaceutical industries. We also work on projects for some of the large multinational corporates based in Ireland, taking care of their process control requirements for office space and data centres,” says Petrochem’s James O’Driscoll, responsible for service to the company’s existing accounts.
Petrochem has a wide network of contractor relationships in Ireland as a result of the company’s broad ranging experience. When the distributor is approached for a new project, they typically engage with Bürkert’s engineering experts, dedicated to specific segments such as hygienic or pharmaceutical applications. This enhances advice provided by Petrochem in meeting a specification with specific expertise gained from working on applications around the world.
“The importance of Petrochem, in terms of their sector knowledge and experience, is crucial,” says Bürkert’s Ireland Account Manager, Des McCarthy. “The close contact they have with contractors and OEMs, from dairies to chemical plants, and the understanding of the engineering challenges that this brings, is very important. With their technical know-how of valves and instrumentation, they can arrive at a very close specification that, if required, our engineers can fine-tune.”
