Fleet Equipment
a couple other kinds of pumps in service
only because they haven’t failed … yet.
If we’ve purchased a truck with another type
of pump on it, they always fail and then we
replace them with a Blackmer,” said Shane
Verge, Fleet Manager for Dennis K. Burke.
“Why would you waste the time—which
equals money in our business—and go with
the knock-off pumps?”
“Without question, many of our
customers, along with Dennis K. Burke,
when they come to us to spec out a truck
for the process of oil delivery, gas delivery
or something similar, right away we’re
thinking Blackmer and we’re going to rec-
ommend Blackmer,” added Trask. “Several
years ago, Dennis K. Burke bought a host
of stock vehicles off the lot and with that
they had competitive pumps and they were
having trouble with those pumps over and
over again and they asked us what they
should substitute in place and they chose to
go with Blackmer. Unless they buy a truck
off the lot, everything they request from us,
we’re going to put a Blackmer pump on it.”
In addition to their reliable performance
in the field, the TXD pumps are also easy
to maintain and service. “Uptime is key
and crucial in this business and you have
to keep the product delivered,” said Verge.
“The thing about Blackmer pumps is that
they are very easy to work on. You just pull
the cover off and look at the vanes to see if
they are bad, pull the bad vane, replace it
and put the pump back in service.”
Blackmer offers a warranty covering
defects in materials and workmanship
under normal use and service for 60 months
after installation, or 66 months after ship-
ment, whichever comes first. Customers
can also choose a two-year Pump Assurance
Program in which the company will replace
any part (including worn parts) in a pump
over the first two years of pump operation.
CONCLUSION
Dennis K. Burke didn’t get to where it
is today by making haphazard choices of
equipment. The performance that Blackmer
TXD Series pumps deliver in diverse
applications means they will continue to
hold a hallowed place in Dennis K. Burke’s
wide-ranging fuel- and liquid-handling
operations.
“Over the years we’ve tried different
configurations, different technologies and
components, but we’ve found that the
reliability of the Blackmer pumps can’t be
touched. Never have. Never will. When we
build new trucks we mandate that Blackmer
pumps be included in that build,” said
Burke.
Take a chance on a new business oppor-
tunity? Sure. Go down that road with a fleet
or fluid-handling application that doesn’t
feature Blackmer TXD Series Sliding Vane
Pumps? Now that’s
too
risky!
As Fleet Manager for Dennis K. Burke, Shane Verge
(left) is in charge of keeping Ted Burke’s 75-strong
fleet of rolling stock on the road, not in the workshop.
26 • OIL
&
ENERGY
The success of many companies can hinge on the capability they have
in not only identifying potential growth areas, but also then having the
courage to act on their intuition.
Such is the case with Dennis K. Burke, Inc. and biofuels. The long-time
gasoline and diesel supplier was one of the first to distribute biofuels in
New England, and now it’s hard to go a day without seeing a fuel-delivery
truck or 18-wheel transport emblazoned with the slogan,
“Boston Breathes Better With Burke.”
“We’ve actually been on the leading edge of the transition to biofuels
and have had the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contract for biofuels
since 2001,” said Ted Burke, President. “We supply a number of municipal
entities, colleges or universities, really a lot of people who have a mandate
or sustainable initiative to use biofuels. Over the last several years, we’ve
also seen a trend where private fleets want to go ‘green,’ for lack of a better
word, and utilize alternative fuels and reduce their oil consumption, so we’ve
gotten more and more calls to introduce biodiesel to private fleets.”
Dennis K. Burke buys B100 biodiesel and blends it with traditional diesel
fuel as needed for specific customers. Playing a major role in helping
Dennis K. Burke blend and deliver its biofuels are TXD Series Sliding Vane
Pumps from Blackmer
®
.
But Dennis K. Burke didn’t stop expanding its repertoire with biofuels. When
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stricter new standards
regulating the amounts of nitrogen oxide
(NOx) that could be emitted through a diesel
vehicle’s exhaust system took effect
in 2010, a niche market for Diesel
Exhaust Fluid (DEF) was created.
Recognizing another opportunity, Dennis
K. Burke became one of New England’s first
distributors of DEF, which converts the NOx in
diesel exhaust into harmless nitrogen and water vapor through a process
called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). All new diesel vehicles contain
a DEF tank that must be refilled periodically to keep the vehicle in
compliance. Supplying that DEF to petroleum marketers is now a growing
business for Dennis K. Burke.
“Diesel Exhaust Fluid, from a growth perspective, is certainly the most
exciting part of our business now,” said Burke. “It takes a little longer for
fleets to kick over and introduce new (post-2009 model year) vehicles into
their fleets, but once that conversion starts happening it really moves at an
elevated rate, so we’re starting to see volumes ramp up quickly.”
Blackmer has also recognized the potential in the DEF supply and
transportation market and has responded with the STX2A-DEF and
STX1220A-DEF Sliding Vane Pump models, which were introduced to the
market in 2012 for use with DEF, which has a series of unique handling
characteristics.
Breathe Easier With Blackmer
®
