It’s a tough life for an engine working in the Middle East. If anyone knows that, it’s ACTION International Services. Based in Dubai, ACTION specializes in ground water control, industrial services and piling and ground engineering works. It also rents pumps to companies working in the construction, oil and gas, pipeline, marine and wastewater industries in the Middle East, CIS and North Africa.
The company installs more than 200 diesel engines in its pumps each year but until recently didn’t have a preference for one particular brand. Last year it decided to standardize its engines and approached several major brands, including Volvo Penta, to determine which company could provide the best engines for its purposes — as well as the best aftermarket support.
“Volvo Penta was the only company that came to the table with the offerings we were looking for,” says general manager Declan Breen. “From service and support to spare parts, the overall package they delivered was excellent. They gave us exactly what we were looking for.”
And now Volvo Penta’s six- to 16-liter engines are the only ones the company uses.
Relationships over hardware
ACTION, a Godwin Pump representative, had been using Volvo Penta engines for around eight years. For the Emirati pump company, the decision to expand the partnership came down to its relationship with Volvo Penta — more so, even, than the engines themselves. “We know Volvo Penta engines are excellent — but the competition also has good engines,” Declan says. “However, we know we are going to be well-supported with Volvo — it’s that peace of mind that made the difference more than anything. Volvo has our backs. Their service is the best in the region.”
Because ACTION assembles its pumps in Dubai and rents them to customers around the region, an extensive service network is important. “When we were using competitor engines, we often ran into problems getting them serviced in the field,” Declan says. “If one of our pumps stopped working in a remote location and we went to the local dealer for help, they would refuse to fix it because they hadn’t sold the engine to begin with.
“But if I call Volvo, they tell us it’s no problem, and they sort out the problem straight away. That’s exactly what we need in our region. We have quick access to Volvo Penta’s service support, no matter where the engines are working.”
While service is highly critical, these remote areas of the Middle East and North Africa are difficult environments for any machine — so engine strength and durability are paramount. ACTION pumps are employed in oilfields, in offshore oil rigs, and in the middle of the Emirati desert pumping fresh water — all in hot, dusty, dry conditions. When machines have to work around the clock — as one ACTION pump does in an Omani oilfield — it’s all the more difficult. “That pump has performed flawlessly for two years,” Declan says. “You have to ensure that pumps working in these conditions are reliable — and reliability is what we get. That’s why we’re sticking with Volvo Penta.”
High resolution engine image >>
For more information, please contact:
Ann-Charlotte Emegård
Volvo Penta PR & Brand Management
AB Volvo Penta
Tel: int +46 (0) 31 323 42 19
E-mail:
ann-charlotte.emegard@volvo.com
