Excel Fluid Group (EFG) prides itself on streamlining the pump station procurement process. Its approach is built on three phases: designing the pump station, building the pump station, and ongoing maintenance of the pump station. All three steps are handled under one roof, making project delays, fragmented procurement, and poor design choices much less likely.
“We take a wholistic approach going from the design all the way to the long-term maintenance of the project,” says Seth Grondin, project sales manager for EFG. “The design team works with the project management and production teams. Then the production and fabrication teams work with the maintenance team. By integrating design, fabrication, and long-term support within a single organization, we reduce the handoff gaps that often lead to delays, change orders, and operational challenges.”
Despite its advantages, EFG’s packaged solution approach is not always the norm in the pump station industry—historically, it can be rare to source engineers, contractors, and maintenance personnel from the same company.
Let’s break down each phase in more detail and how the three-step Design-Build-Maintain ideology naturally flow together and can help with procurement and reduce risk.
The engineering team supports the Engineer of Record (EOR) by translating design intent into a coordinated, buildable system. While respecting the EOR’s responsibility for final approval, the design process primarily mitigates risk for the EOR, as EFG works directly with them to make sure their design gets translated into a system that’s fully integrated and ready to be built. EFG offers pump station design services and value-engineered solutions for clients with project restrictions such as timeline or budget limitations.
“This means they can trust that the manufacturer providing the pump station is capable of meeting their design intent,” Grondin says. “We can do that by providing application specific design calculations (i.e. systems curves, wet well sizing, etc.), hydraulic analysis, 3D equipment drawings, technical specifications, and budgetary proposals for engineering review.”
To make the design process even more thorough, EFG offers a Design Assist Program. It’s available at three levels, each providing conceptual and comprehensive pre-construction documentation that can meet whatever stakeholder requirements.
Clients can also leverage EFG’s 3D renderings to better visualize how the pump station will be assembled and integrated before fabrication begins. This added level of clarity supports stakeholder communication and helps identify coordination or constructability considerations early in the process.
Having the entire procurement process under one roof is most valuable to contractors. This includes the project management team, the purchasing team, mechanical and electrical design teams, and the production team. Grondin emphasized how EFG has created a “controlled manufacturing environment” to reduce risk and miscommunication.
“Contractors have the biggest value add,” Grondin explains. “We’ve created a one-stop shop for them. Our control panels are built in-house by a UL-certified shop. They work with our mechanical designers to ensure everything in the system communicates accordingly. Then once production of the prefabricated pump station is complete, our team will test the systems before shipment to reduce start-up and integration risk. This strengthens the technical credibility and differentiates EFG from generic “prepackaged” suppliers.”
Rather than reaching out to different suppliers for system parts, contractors can simply pick up the complete system from EFG, drop it into the excavation, and connect the inlet and discharge pipes. That complete system comes from one company, not four or five different vendors.
The build step is straightforward, making maintenance simple and reassuring for project owners.
3) Maintain
The final phase of the procurement process is most beneficial to the pump station owner but also takes the most ongoing effort. Ongoing preventative maintenance provides long-term value for an operator and lowers the risk across the lifespan of the pump station.
By the time the pump station is up and running, owners know the EFG team well. The maintenance phase is customizable, meaning each pump station project has its own unique needs. By scheduling pre-planned downtime, EFG’s maintenance team can ensure optimal pump station performance when you need it most.
Trust Over Time
With EFG, trust is essential to a pump station’s success. Since owners are entrusting one company with the design, build, and maintenance of its pump station, a strong relationship must be established early on in the process.
“We’re not taking one part of the station, shipping it off to another facility, then sending it somewhere else,” Grondin explains. “We hardly ever refer to projects by their numbers. We’re on a first name basis, and our guys on the floor know who their product is going to.”
Knowing customers by name is a byproduct of seeing a project through from start to finish. One of the most prominent ways EFG builds trust is by following guidelines for wastewater facilities.
EFG’s approach is guided by established wastewater design and safety standards from the likes of the 10 States Standards and the EPA’s nationwide Greenbook. By combining standards-based design with an integrated delivery model, EFG helps stakeholders move forward with confidence that the system has been thoughtfully engineered, built, and supported for long-term performance. Additionally, we link to the 10 State and EPA Greenbook in that as well. So it could be redundant to link otherwise.
“Ultimately, trust is earned not through promises, but through repeatable processes and reliable results—project after project.”
Mitigating risk, abiding by safety standards, and simplifying procurement are all part of EFG’s effort to reach one goal: Reducing complications and frustrations for contractors on-site.
Putting the Contractor First
Field installing a pump station can be a long, strenuous process. It becomes even more difficult when multiple vendors supply parts. If one element of the system doesn’t fit into the other, it derails the entire project. That is where a pre-packaged pump station solution can really shine.
“Between the wet well, enclosures, pumps, control and even generators, our systems arrive coordinated, as preassembled as possible, and ready to install in a way that is effective and intuitive for contractors in the field.”
“Each system is custom engineered to the project specifications, with pumps and control panels tested together in our facility. By completing this integration and testing before shipment, contractors receive a system that arrives aligned and ready for installation. This reduces field assembly, coordination, and startup uncertainty.”
With EFG’s approach, when a crane rental is required, a contractor typically only has to rent a crane for one day instead of multiple days. They only have to dewater an excavation for one day instead of the typical 4-5 weeks. As shown in the Pump Station Cost Comparison: Packaged vs. Field Assembled blog, on a project like an 8 ft. diameter by 30 ft. deep pump station, the pre-planned process can save the contractor up to $70,000 in onsite and labor costs while also reducing the construction footprint on the property.
In the wastewater industry, fragmented procurement and field installation are still the status quo. EFG’s streamlined approach makes the process easier for engineers, contractors, and owners alike. Not only does this result in significant cost savings, but it also reduces the number of headaches that come from working with multiple vendors.