At commercial pools and water parks around the world, Marlow pumps are helping to keep things wet and wild.
The company produces a broad line of centrifugal pumps used to circulate and filter the water in large swimming pools maintained by municipalities and resort hotels. Marlow pumps also help many water slides and tube rides refresh their riders: Water is pumped to the top of slides and through high-pressure jets that create the current that keeps the water flowing and the tubers tubing.
Marlow Pumps was founded by Al Marlow Sr. in 1924 in Bartley, New Jersey. In 1953 the company merged with the Bell & Gossett Company of Morton Grove, Illinois. When ITT Corporation acquired Bell & Gossett in 1963, Marlow Pumps became a division of Bell & Gossett. Today the companies are part of the ITT Industries Fluid Technology Group.
Marlow Pumps manufactures its products at facilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas. Its advanced R&D facility in Morton Grove keeps the company on the leading edge of pump-related technology. The Marlow line includes self-priming, end suction centrifugal, split case and vertical turbine and trash handling pumps as well as in-line strainers.
Capacities range from relatively small 100- to 200-gallons per minute (GPM) close-couple pumps for swimming pools all the way up to large double suction and vertical turbine pumps capable of operating in the 15,000 to 16,000 GPM range -- just what's needed for that wild ride down the slide.
While Marlow's focus is pumps, the company has good working relationships with companies that create complete systems. "They specify Marlow products because one of our greatest strengths is our intrinsic knowledge of the systems and how all of the components work together," says Steve Schmitz, senior product line manager.
"There's a huge amount of brand recognition with our products. They're well known for their durability and quality, as well as the service and support that comes with them. That's really what people are looking for today."
It's also what they'll be looking for tomorrow, and Marlow stands ready to oblige them. "A lot of the growth that's taken place over the past few years was with the bigger water theme parks, and we expect that to continue," Schmitz says. "We still supply smaller pumps for traditional hotel swimming pools, but the trend is toward bigger and bigger water theme parks. That means that the traditional pool or smaller water slide is going by the wayside, while the water attraction feature is becoming a much more critical factor when families are deciding where to spend their leisure time.
"As a result, many sites have begun using the swimming pool as the focal point to attract families," Schmitz adds, "and we'll be able to provide them with the larger pumps that allow them to accomplish what they want to do."
