Godwin Pumps, the largest manufacturer of portable rental pumps in the United States supplied 400 of its portable diesel-driven and electric submersible pumps to relieve floodwaters inundating the Midwest.
Within four hours of call from the US Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), Godwin’s Chicago branch manager, Jeff Pass, began to deploy 28 flagship Godwin Dri-Prime 6 in and 8 in pumps to the FEMA headquarters at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, USA. Over the next two days, the company’s Bridgeport, New Jersey headquarters mobilized 48 6 in pumps and an additional 20 6 and 8 in pumps to FEMA in Iowa.
In all, Godwin’s Chicago branch has helped to supply 174 pumps to locations including the Iowa Department of Transportation in Oakdale (43 6 and 8 in pumps), the city of Rock Island, Illinois, (nine 4-12 in pumps) and the Army Corps of Engineers in Terre Haute, Indiana (eight 8 in pumps and one light tower). These efforts have been supported by Godwin’s branch locations including Houston, Texas, Buffalo, New York, Atlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles, California, Tampa, Florida, and its branches in Virginia and the Carolinas that have combined to ship 20 tractor trailer loads of pumps and related equipment to various locations throughout the Midwest.
Moving fast
“These floodwaters were farther-reaching than you could grasp from watching news segments,” said Godwin Pumps’ Midwest corporate manager, Bob Spinner. “Having seen it first hand, we were well aware that the flooding wouldn’t stop while we loaded trucks. We moved as many pumps as we could, as fast as we possibly could. The amount of pumps that we were able to mobilize is truly impressive.”
“We are proud of the way our branches and distributors responded to these floods,” said Godwin president, John Paz. “They were tireless in identifying the needs of the people who called upon them – whenever they called upon them – and in quickly mobilizing the equipment that provided relief. It was a true team effort – one that you can only step back and appreciate once the threat is over. Our pumps remained on the scene until the waters recede.”
The equipment supplied included Godwin’s Sub-Prime® electric submersible pumps for sump dewatering, Heidra® hydraulic submersibles for situations including underground parking garage dewatering, power generators, light towers, and hose, pipe, and fittings to complete the pumping solutions needed to divert flow.
In addition to the pumps deployed directly from Godwin branch locations, Godwin also used its distributors to respond to the flood relief efforts. Roughly 300 units deployed to locations throughout Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Godwin Pumps has 26 branch oÿces and a network of over 100 distributors worldwide.
