VENABLES MACHINE WORKS TO SUPPORT THORDON BEARINGS’ EXPANSION INTO NEW INDUSTRIAL SECTORS
Venables Machine Works Ltd., a large manufacturing and machining firm based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, has been appointed as an authorised distributor and service provider for Thordon Bearings’ industrial bearings portfolio.
The formal agreement follows a ten-year collaboration in which Venables provided sales and engineering support to Thordon’s customers across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Scott Groves, Regional Manager, Thordon Bearings, said: “We have enjoyed a partnership with Venables in the Canadian Prairies for several years, manufacturing Thordon finished parts and providing excellent service and value to our customers. Because of this service and capability, Thordon looked to Venables when the territory became available. We are very pleased to have Dustin Maffin and his team handling our pump and industrial business in the area.”
The company, which will focus on Thordon’s SXL and XL polymer bearings and engineered thermoplastics, ThorPlas-Blue and ThorPlas-White, has a successful history providing custom pieces for Canada’s steel mills, the region’s mining industry and generally supporting industrial pump and machinery repairs.
“Venables is adept at machining and engineering Thordon’s elastomeric material and, therefore, a logical choice to further develop the area and create new opportunities in new markets that Thordon has not traditionally had access to,” said Groves.
Axel Swanson, Business Development Manager, Thordon Bearings, concurred: “Non-traditional applications that utilise our family of products can prove lucrative in heavy industries, as the wear rate of traditional materials can be excessive, requiring frequent bearing replacement.
“Gaining access to the correct decision makers in a mine or mill, and subsequently convincing them of the value we offer, can take months or years. We are confident that with Venables expertise, machine shop service offering, and its established presence in the heavy industries across the Prairies, this relationship will be rewarding for both parties.”
“We have always had great product support from Thordon for over 20 years in our pump rebuilds. Since formally coming onboard with Thordon we have the opportunity to further develop the relationship and enhance the great service they provide,” said Venables’ Machine Shop Supervisor and Managing Partner Dustin Maffin.
“Venables has been in business for almost 100 years and it’s been our goal to build long lasting relationships with our customer and vendors. Thordon presents a great opportunity for Venables to provide a superior product beyond the industry we have traditionally supported while providing improved options to a vast list of customers.
“We are confident that Thordon will be well received by our customer base and beyond across a variety of different industries, including hard and soft rock mining, power generation, oil and gas, agriculture and hydro, to name a few.”
The company has recently completed several pump retrofit projects with Thordon’s bearings and has been involved in a bid for large turbine bushings and fabrications. “We are currently in discussions with our customers about the commercial and technical possibilities available with Thordon products, which we hope should yield favourable results in coming months,” said Maffin.
With over 40-years’ experience supplying non-metallic bearings across a variety of industries, Thordon Bearings designs and manufactures the most complete line of oil- and grease-free, self-lubricating journal bearings, seals and wear pads.
Typical applications where Thordon’s technology is used includes waste water and sewage treatment systems; grapples or grabs; vertical pumps; hydro turbine bearings; mining systems, such as car rocker arms and wheel bearings; agricultural systems; doctor and mixer bushings in the pulp and paper/forestry sector; cranes and hoists; stackers, reclaimers and bucket scoops; and gate and door bushings.