British pump manufacturer reaches significant milestone

February 2023 saw British pump manufacturer Crest Pumps celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The company was founded by Les Dashwood in 1973 when an opportunity arose to move from subcontract precision engineering to manufacturing a complete product. When a friend told Les he was riding the ‘crest’ of a wave and to maximise the opportunity, it seemed apt that this should become the company’s name.

The next phase of Crest’s journey saw Les’s son, Tony take over the day-to-day management of the business in 1978, before Tony’s son James became the third generation of the Dashwood family to join the business in 2007, taking over the day-to-day running of the business in 2018.
During the last 50 years, central to Crest’s focus has been to be the most trusted company for chemical pumps.

As a British manufacturer of chemical-resistant pumps, the company says it understands how the financial and reputational cost of a plant shutdown is unthinkable. So, when Crest puts its name on a pump, it says it makes a serious commitment to give its customers lifetime support for its products to last in the most corrosive of environments.

Commenting on celebrating 50 years as a British manufacturing business, Managing Director James Dashwood said: “It’s an honour to be the third generation in my family to continue to build Crest Pumps as a proud British manufacturer of chemical resistant pumps.

“The recent difficulties in supply chain issues, along with the increased environmental costs of importing from across the globe, have highlighted the need for businesses to consider local supply chains. Our UK manufacturing flexibility allows us to provide solutions to our customers far quicker than others. Being part of a local supply chain also helps to reduce the carbon emissions associated with our products.”

As for what the next 50 years hold for Crest Pumps, James is excited: “The UK has a long history of manufacturing excellence and is renowned for its quality and innovation. We are investing in the future through apprenticeships to help young people develop the skills they need. We are also adopting lean production techniques to further enhance our efficiency and speed of delivery for customers.

“This year will also see the launch of our Channel Partner Network to help us reach a wider customer base and better serve our target market in the years to come. We are looking to partner with distributors who share our values and commitment to customer service and integrity.”