Jamie Longman
Managing Director – Water & Industry Business Unit – UK & Ireland
Stuart Anderson
Factory General Manager & Managing Director – Ireland
Veronica Jergelind
Head of Water Treatment Solutions
Modernising manufacturing drives productivity, quality and digitisation, enabling customers to manage critical water infrastructure through advanced technological oversight and reduced lead-times for maximum efficiency.
Across Europe, water companies face ongoing challenges in the supply and treatment of water. They work against a backdrop of population growth, leaking, outdated infrastructure and an evolving regulatory landscape holding them to exacting standards regarding environmental compliance and quality control.
Partnerships that help improve water quality and supply resilience
“Meeting the water demand and legislations for both utilities and industries require a more resilient water system,” explains Veronica Jergelind, Head of Water Treatment Solutions at Sulzer.
Sulzer is a global industrial-engineering and manufacturing firm, delivering innovative solutions wherever fluids are treated, pumped, or mixed, through its specialised ‘flow division’. Present in over 160 countries, and with a network of local Tier 1 contractors and supply partners, they’re a market leader in pumping solutions and an ideal partner, not just for water utilities, but for any sector required to move or treat wastewater.
“We can upgrade and modernise assets, making them more efficient and reliable,” continues Jergelind. “By leveraging the global expertise centred around key technologies, we’re committed to working collaboratively with the industry and regulatory bodies to help meet national energy, environmental and water targets.”
Long-established manufacturing presence in Ireland
Deeply rooted in Ireland since 1973, the company’s largest Irish site (Wexford) employs around 270 people across R&D, engineering, manufacturing, sales and service support. Pulling together a comprehensive water and wastewater treatment solutions portfolio across the entire water cycle, designed to help customers achieve sustainability and operational targets.
“Having such a strong local presence enables us to respond quickly to any issues or operational needs in the field,” explains Jamie Longman, Managing Director. “Having streamlined the supply chain, we have a much higher capacity to supply products next-day, with the added benefit of reduced carbon emissions.”
Wexford produces a range of products, including submersible pumps, mixers, dewatering pumps, grinders, alongside domestic and commercial products aligned with a global network of strategically placed distribution centres to offer same-day shipment across 60% of their product range. “We’re always expanding our services to become an even better and more active partner,” says Stuart Anderson, Factory General Manager.
Having streamlined the supply chain, we have a much higher capacity to supply products next-day, with the added benefit of reduced carbon emissions.
Smarter factories by design
Sulzer is applying Industry 4.0 principles to drive productivity, quality and space utilisation, supporting an annual output from the Wexford factory of more than €100 million. “We’ve applied smart-factory principles to our XFP pump production cell,” explains Anderson. “The step-change in output and efficiency has been transformative. If we continue improving at this rate, we’ll have freed up around 20% of our production capacity, enabling expansion into other product ranges, alongside further operational improvements.”
Leveraging technologies to streamline processes, enhance control and monitoring operations and enable asset visibility in the field, they’re transforming how customers manage critical infrastructure. Jergelind explains. “With improved asset health insights and predictive maintenance capabilities, we can better support customers through forecasting, early intervention and optimised lifecycle performance.”
Investing in Ireland is part of its long-term strategy, with ongoing partnerships and projects across the Irish community. “Wexford has a highly skilled and experienced team, drawn from the local population, with employees spanning several generations of families,” explains Longman.
The Wexford factory recently initiated a full apprenticeship programme with the Waterford & Wexford Education and Training Board. “We’re actively engaged with local schools, colleges and engineering programmes to nurture the next generation of talent,” adds Anderson. “By investing in skills development and providing real-world experience, we aim to give back to the community that has supported us for decades.”
Sulzer’s continued investment in the manufacture of IoT and digital-enabled solutions marks a new era in water management — helping customers anticipate challenges, act proactively and unlock long-term operational resilience.
