Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With only a couple of weeks left in 2015, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Our closure period is shown below and we will be publishing an emergency contact number should any of our customers need assistance or urgent deliveries over the holiday period.

Thanks for all your support during the year and we look forward to being of service in 2016 and beyond.

So there is such a thing as a free lunch!

Lunch & Learn at Irish Water Treatment Contractors

IPS Flow Systems has recently presented a series of Lunch & Learn seminars to the Water consultancy and contracting sector in Ireland. The subjects covered included Material Selection & Chemical Compatibility in Municipal Water Systems and Environmental Protection through Double Containment Systems in Dosing Plants.

The Seminars formed the basis of round table discussions with contracts managers, engineers and project managers on innovative solutions to common problems in the Municipal Water Sector. IPS are very keen to collaborate with clients on challenging applications. One key system that was enthusiastically received was DuoSafe FLEX.

DuoSafe Flex is engineered for applications where long, continuous lengths of small diameter double contained pipe is required. It is ideal for point to point dosing applications in water treatment where there may be multiple dosing points drawing from a single chemical storage unit. The system uses high quality flexibles that are manufactured as double contained products in a single extrusion process. They are supplied either in standard coil lengths of up to 300 metres, or may be cut to specific shorter lengths or specially manufactured in longer coils should the job require it. Connections between lengths or at termination points are made using a special range of rigid PVC-U fittings.

If you would like more information on DuoSafe Flex or are interested in hosting a Lunch & Learn seminar at your company, please contact Mark Casciani at mcasciani@ipsflowsystems.com

An Indian Summer......

Well, here we are in October, already in to the final quarter of 2015 and who would have thought the penultimate sales meeting of the year would see most of the IPS sales team posing for a group photograph in short sleeved shirts.....??!!

From left to right - Kevin Curran, Les Walker, Mark Casciani, Paul Wright, Andrew Lamb, Andy Robins, Peter Noyce, Dave Whalley, Ian McNicol, Kevin Davidson, and Terry Duell.

We're already making plans for our big anniversary weekend later this month and I'm sure afterwards we'll manage to find at least a couple of photographs which are suitable for the public domain.....

On a more business-like note, October is scheduled to be an even busier month than usual with three trade exhibitions scheduled:-

• Water Sewerage and Waste Exhibition - Thursday 8th October 2015
• Location: Holiday Inn West, Peterborough
• http://www.ipsflowsystems.com/kessel.html

• PHEX The Plumbing & Heating Exhibition - Weds & Thurs 14th & 15th October 2015
• Location: Old Trafford Football Stadium, Manchester.
• http://www.ipsflowsystems.com/pressfit.html

• Flood Expo 2015 - Wednesday & Thursday 14th & 15th October 2015
• Location: ExCel London.
• http://www.ipsflowsystems.com/kessel.html

If you get a chance, please come and visit our stand at any of the above shows where we would be delighted to discuss the latest additions to the IPS product range, namely Kessel Hybrid Drainage and Backwater Protection systems, and RM Press-Fit metallic piping systems.

Have a great weekend everyone and let's hope you all enjoy the same sunny weather as we are enjoying here in the beautiful North-East region of the UK.  

Exhibition Season Approaches Fast.....

Whilst Autumn may already be upon us, here at IPS Flow Systems we are far from slowing down towards the end of the year.

In fact, the next few months should be one of our busiest periods in terms of UK trade exhibitions.

With two new exciting product ranges now in stock (Kessel Hybrid Drainage Systems and RM Pressfit systems) we will be featuring these, together with some of our traditional product lines, at the forthcoming exhibitions:-

Water Sewerage & Waste one day shows:-

Warrington Thursday 24th September, The Park Royal Hotel, M56 Junction 10.

Peterborough Thursday 8th October, Holiday Inn West A1(M) Junction Wood.

Gatwick Thursday 5th November, Copthorne Hotel Effingham, close to M23 Junction 10.

For anyone interested in the Kessel range, our National Product Manager, Dave Whalley will be in attendance at all of the above exhibitions and will be on hand to answer any requests for information or any of your technical questions. Dave can be contacted on 07469 859871.

Flood Defence and Prevention Expo 14-15th October ExCel London.

PHEX 2015 14-15th October Old Trafford, Manchester United Football Club

For anyone interested in the RM Pressfit range, our National Product Manager, Andy Cairns will be in attendance at the above exhibitions and will be on hand to answer any requests for information or to arrange any installation training. Andy can be contacted on 07469 854216.

All in all it looks like being an exciting few months and we'd love to see as many potential customers as possible at the above exhibitions.

New IPS Handbook - 25th Anniversary Edition

Hopefully by now all of our customers will have received the latest IPS Handbook showcasing our comprehensive range of thermoplastic piping systems, tools, welding equipment and accessories.

Just a gentle reminder, until 31 August 2015, you can win a brand new iPad Air 2 with built in WiFi by sending us a photograph of the oldest IPS Handbook in your possession.

Simply email a photograph of the front cover to ccarroll@ipsflowsystems.com

The winner will be selected by random draw on Tuesday 1 September 2015.

Should you or any of your colleagues require any additional copies of the handbook just email to sales@ipsflowsystems.com

Good luck to everyone who enters!

IPS Handbook - 25th Anniversary Edition

Well folks, after many long, hard months of dedication and commitment by our marketing department, the latest IPS Handbook is now readily available.

The Handbook features the full range of IPS thermoplastic piping systems together with a number of new product lines which we are launching for the first time ever in the UK.

As well as our standard products, we also feature the new Praher M1 Ball Valve and the new PolyFlo double containment piping system from Agru.

  

For customers using our PVC-u piping systems we now have the new THF free solvent cement (Weld-On 919XG) from IPS Corporation, available from stock.

We also have information on our new metallic Press-fit system from Raccorderie Metalliche in Mantova, Italy as well as our new backwater protection and hybrid drainage systems from Kessel in Lenting, Germany.  These two new product ranges have their own technical catalogues and price lists. 

If you are an existing customer then your own free copy of the new Handbook will be delivered in the next week or so and if you would like any additional copies for your colleagues, then please contact us at sales@ipsflowsystems.com

Ok that's the hard sell over and done with - now for a little bit of fun...!!

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we are having a little competition so to win a brand new iPad, simply take a photo of the oldest IPS Handbook you may still have and email it to ccarroll@ipsflowsystems.com

By way of a clue, our very first Handbook was published way back in 1995.

The competition closes on 31st August 2015 and the winner will be announced on Tuesday 1st September 2015.  

Vätternrundan 2015

The world’s largest recreational bike ride, the Vätternrundan, is a truly challenging experience. 
The 300 km circuit of Lake Vättern tests all the participants to the furthest extremes of their physical and mental capabilities. The race takes place in June each year and starts and ends in the town of Motala. This year marked the 50th anniversary of this prestigious event.

Last month, as in previous years, three madcap cyclists from IPS Flow Systems joined another twenty or so from our parent group Indutrade AB.

Pictured above from left to right are, Paul Johnson our new Internal Sales Engineer, Caroline Riley, our Accounts Administrator, and Andrew Lamb our National Projects Manager.

Starting out at 10.00pm on a beautiful Friday evening, they cycled for almost 12 hours and including some much needed pit stops and refuelling breaks, finished the course at just after 1.00pm on Saturday afternoon making a total completion time of around 15 hours - a fantastic achievement!

Apologies in advance for the quality of the photo below but you get the gist....

  
Anyhow, we're pleased to report everyone finished the course safe and sound and despite some mutterings of "Never Again!" we know the training will be starting soon for next years' event.  Onwards and upwards....

ISO 9001 Accredited CPVC Installer Training

Does your company install fire sprinkler systems for both commercial and domestic/residential occupancy?

Have your sprinkler fitters received the appropriate training under ISO 9001 and do they carry the required photo ID card which is valid for 2 years?

If so, then great, you're right up to speed.  If not, then what can you do?  Quite simply contact us here at IPS Flow Systems on +44 (0)191 5213111 and speak to our Sales Office to arrange the next available training session.

We have a team of regional Instructors trained and qualified by our manufacturing partners to provide you with up to date on-site training.

You can also download our Design and Installation Guide together with our current price list at our dedicated fire protection website.  Just follow the simple registration process and we will keep you up to date with all the latest product developments and approval information.

Just click on our website at www.ipsflowsystems.com and follow the link to our dedicated fire protection site.

25th Anniversary Celebrations Continue.....

If you have been reading our blog recently, you will already know that 2015 is a special year for all of us here at IPS Flow Systems with the company celebrating 25 years in business.

We have been running various promotions throughout the year and as July is our official birthday month, we decided to have a 25th anniversary buffet lunch for all our staff.

A fantastic array of goodies was all prepared and assembled by our Sales Administrator, Claire Carroll and we think she could easily take up a second career in catering....!!

During the remainder of 2015 we will be running a series of special promotions, focusing on different product ranges each month, so please check our website for further details.

Finally, we would not be here celebrating this special occasion without you, our valued customers, so we would like to take take this opportunity to say a huge "Thank You" for your continued support and we look forward to you joining us for the next 25 years of this epic journey.

BlazeMaster - How Fire Sprinklers Work

For more than 20 years now, IPS Flow Systems has been instrumental in the development of CPVC Fire Sprinkler Systems in the UK and Ireland and it's fair to say there is now widespread acceptance of this system as opposed to more traditional materials, especially in the domestic and residential fire sprinkler market.

The CPVC system is fully tested and approved by UL, FM and LPCB, as well as being accepted by all leading insurers. In the UK the product has also been tested and is listed by WRAS for use with wet fire sprinkler systems.

The short video below (courtesy of The Lubrizol Corporation) might help dispel some of the urban myths surrounding the installation of fire sprinklers and how they operate in a real-life fire situations.



Here at IPS Flow Systems we hold substantial stocks of pipes, fittings, hangers, valves, controls, accessories and just about anything else you think you might need to install a fire sprinkler system!
All orders placed before 4.30pm can be delivered to your works or site address the very next day - either on our own fleet of vehicles or our appointed national carriers.

IPS Flow Systems is the only company in the UK who can offer certified installer training, accredited by SGS under ISO 9001.  Once approved, all installers are given an individual photo ID skill card which can be carried on to site for inspection by the relevant authorities.  

Please feel free to register on our dedicated fire sprinkler website at www.ips-blazemaster.com

For further information on this system or any of our other product ranges, please call our sales office on +44 (0)191 5213111 or email to sales@ipsflowsystems.com

And finally, please remember - FIRE SPRINKLERS SAVE LIVES!

  

Water Sewerage and Waste Exhibition - Scotland

We're looking forward to Thursday this week when we will be showing off our latest exhibition stand at the Scottish WS&W Exhibition at

MacDonald Inchyra Hotel

Just off Junction 5 on the M9

Grange Road

Polmont

FK2 0YB

The stand is dedicated to the latest addition to our product range, the innovative Kessel hybrid drainage system. Our product manager Dave Whalley will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, and will be conducting live demonstrations of the unique technology.

The show runs from 10am to 3pm and all visitors receive complimentary drinks and lunch. You will also be entered into a draw to win a £250 cash prize.

We look forward to seeing you.

Love is in the Air!

Our congratulations go to one of our warehouse team, Kevin Callaghan, who is marrying his lovely fiancé, Laura today.

Kevin joined us as a fresh faced 18 year old in September 2003 and has become an important part of the warehouse operation. At 6 feet 7 inches tall, Kevin is a gentle giant of a man, and is the only member of the team who doesn’t need to worry about the “Working at Height” regulations – steps are unnecessary for him!

Kevin and Laura have been together for 7 years, and live in Penshaw, just outside Sunderland. As Laura is quite tall as well, there’s every chance that, should there be the patter of tiny feet, they may be rather large “Tiny” feet!

We wish Kevin and Laura a long and happy marriage.

Newly Refurbished Trade Counter Office

In today's fast track world, and with more and more local companies collecting their orders on the same day, we thought it would be nice to try and make our trade counter collection area more inviting and ultimately, make the whole experience of purchasing from IPS Flow Systems a more enjoyable one for our customers.

Over the course of the last few weeks and months, we have decorated the office and installed glass display cabinets and literature stands to promote our new and existing product lines.  If you follow our blog on a regular basis, then you will know we have recently introduced two new product lines - namely Kessel Hybrid Drainage Systems from Germany and RM Press-fit lightweight metallic piping systems from Italy.

Samples of these, together with some of our more well established product lines are now on display and our experienced counter staff are on hand to answer your questions on any of our product lines.

We always try to pick and pack your orders as quickly as possible and in the unlikely event that you have to wait for 5 or 10 minutes, we have installed a drinks vending machine so if you are calling in to collect your order, please feel free to have a tea, coffee, soup, hot chocolate, or Bovril on us!

Newly Refurbished Training Room

Do you have the necessary skills to install plastic piping systems?

Here at IPS Flow Systems we have developed our own purpose built training facility and we provide installer training in all aspects of thermoplastic welding.

From basic solvent cement welding through to the latest infra-red high purity welding technology, we can guide you through all the correct welding protocols.

For our CPVC Fire Sprinkler Systems we also offer certified installer training, accredited under ISO 9001 and this can be carried out at our Head Office or alternatively at our customers' site address.

If you would like any further information regarding any of our training programmes, please contact us via email to sales@ipsflowsystems.com or alternatively call us directly on +44 (0)191 5213111.

IPS and Kessel – taking our product range to a new level

We are certainly keeping ourselves busy in our 25^th year!

Just a few weeks after introducing the RacMet range of Pressfit fittings, we have added the Kessel range of drainage products to our portfolio.

Once again this marks a departure from our established product ranges, and reinforces our commitment to developing the company to see us through the next 25 years.

The Partnership between IPS and Kessel brings together the UK’s Leading Industrial Pipe Systems Supplier and the highly regarded German Drainage Product Manufacturer. Focusing predominantly on Hybrid Drainage and Back Water Protection Products, IPS and Kessel will be working with UK Water Companies, Drainage Engineers and Contractors alike to provide a complete service from consultation and system design, through training on installation, repair and maintenance, to supply, commissioning instruction and after sales support, giving our customer true added value and a route to supply they can trust.

Dave Whalley, our newly appointed Kessel Product Manager, would be delighted to come along and introduce this innovative range to you. He can be contacted on 07469 859871 or by e-mail dwhaley@ipsflowsystems.com. Alternatively, if you would like some information on the Kessel product, please contact our sales team.

                                                                                                                                                                  

Meet Dave Whalley National Product Manager Kessel Drainage

For the second time this year here at IPS Flow Systems we are expanding our range, by becoming the premier distributor for KESSEL Drainage Products in the UK. We are delighted to welcome aboard Dave Whalley, who as our KESSEL National Product Manager, will be responsible for developing sales in Backwater Protection, Pumping and Hybrid Drainage Systems. Working closely with all the UK Water Companies, Drainage Consultant Engineers and Contractors, Dave will use his considerable experience to help our customers to deliver reliable, cost effective and sustainable solutions for the protection of properties from internal flood through the waste water network. 

We will be providing further details regarding this product very soon, but in the meantime we thought it would be good for Dave to introduce himself to you.

“Hi I’m Dave Whalley, I’m 46 and though originally from Cheshire, I’m now living in Pickering on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. A Design and Technology graduate, I’ve been working in the construction industry for over 15 years, as a Design Engineer,  Bid Manager,  in Business Development, Specification Sales, and now Product Management. I’ve always been involved in drainage, but for the last three years my focus has been on Internal Flood Protection Systems, Small Package Pumping Stations and the KESSEL range of products.

I’ve travelled in South East Asia, South Africa, and lived and worked in Spain and Belgium, but now with my feet firmly on the ground, I share my lovely house in the hills with six dogs, two cats and my fabulous long suffering partner Julie. When I’m not working, I like to spend my time with the gang at home, hiking, normally on the North Yorkshire Moors or in the Lake District where I have family. “

We are confident that, Dave will be a fantastic ambassador for IPS and Kessel and are looking forward to seeing this new side to our business develop and prosper. 

Ecobuild 2015 - Last day

Ecobuild 2015  at Excel London.ends today.

We've had a great couple of days at the show, and there's still time to visit the show.

Come and see us on Stand N5130 where, with our colleagues from Raccorderie Metalliche we will be showing the RM Pressfit system of Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel.

There will be demonstrations of the jointing systems together with information on the full range available.

Our National Product Manager, Andy Cairns, will be on hand each day to answer any questions you may have, and will be joined by other IPS staff throughout the show.

The show starts at 10.00 am and runs until 6.00 pm (4.00 pm on Thursday)

We do hope you will have time to visit the show, but if not, give our sales team a call and ask for further details.

Ecobuild 2017 - Only Five Days to Go!!

We are delighted to announce that IPS Flow Systems has been appointed the UK Distributor for the RM Pressfit System, manufactured by Raccorderie Metalliche of Mantova, Italy.

Pressfit fittings are an established and cost effective way to install piping systems easily. With no threading, welding, or soldering to be done, the system provides tight, leak free joints using a simple, portable press tool.

There are a number of options available depending on specific applications, but initially the most popular systems in Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel will be held in stock

We will be joining Raccorderie Metalliche to formally launch the system at ECOBuild 2015  being held at  London Excel from 3rd – 5^th March, and would like to invite you to join us. Come and see what we can offer you on Stand N5130. The show is open from 10.00am to 6.00 pm Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4^th, and 10.00am to 4.00 pm on Thursday 5^th .

We look forward to seeing you.

Mupro Special Offer

As part of our 25^th Anniversary celebrations, we are pleased to announce the first in a series of “25” themed promotions.

Throughout February we are offering an additional £25 off any order from the  Mupro Pipe Clamp and Accessories range over £500 nett. The Mupro pipe Clamp system is suitable for a wide selection of applications with both plastic and metal pipes.

Different styles and insert materials cover a clamping range from ½” to 6” and 15mm to 1500mm

Mupro have a reputation for quality and reliability second to none so you can be assured of a premium product with the added bonus of an extra £25 discount.

Contact the sales team for further information, or advice on selection.

1990-2015 25 Years and still No.1

2015 is a special year for us here at IPS. On July 1^st it will be 25 years since the company first started trading.

From humble beginnings in a “borrowed” corner of a friend’s warehouse, our founding Directors, Peter Ferries and Trevor Atkinson, began to build the business we see today. With three employees, Kevin Curran (now our M.D.), Joanne McKeown (18 at the time, and still with us) and Eric Burney (with us until his retirement in 2013), they determined to set the standards for quality and service within our industry. That ethos is still with us today, and although Peter and Trevor have moved on to pastures new, we still have the same passion to remain the best in our business. We now employ 40 people, with plans for more this year, and every one of them is dedicated to complete customer satisfaction.

A series of moves has culminated in our current location in Seaham where, with a total of 58,000 square feet of storage, we maintain a high level of stock, which we dispatch to all parts of the UK for next day delivery. We average a complete, first time dispatch rate of 94% - how many suppliers can do that?

We are really proud of what we have achieved so far and, with exciting new product ranges being introduced this year, we are confident that the business will continue to provide our customers what they want, when they want it!

The IPS Mission statement is simple:-

“To be the Number 1 Partner for our Customers, Suppliers and our People”

To our customers old and new we say, “Thanks for being part of our success”. To our potential customers we say “ Come and join us, you won’t be disappointed “ 

Spatex 2015

We are finalising our plans for exhibiting at Spatex 2015 at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry next month and hope to see many of our customers there.

Spatex is the premier pool and spa show in the UK and is now in its 19^th Year. It features over 100 exhibitors together with educational workshops.

The exhibition is on from Sunday 1st to Tuesday 3rd February and is open from 9.30 to 5.00 Sunday and Monday, and from 9.30 to 4.00 on Tuesday. There’s free car parking on-site and free entry to the exhibition.

Come and see us on Stand A7 where we will be delighted to show you what we have to offer. You can also collect your free copy of our extensive product catalogue.

Remember, entry is free and you can register on line at www.spatex.co.uk.

We hope to see you there.