About Us

The Tweed Heads business, now known as Coastal Pumps and Irrigation, had been operating for about 15 years before Jeff and Daniel bought it. In the 12 years since, the father-son team have more than doubled the size of the premises and the number of staff, and sales have quadrupled. “When we started I really didn’t know much about pumps. I certainly didn’t know how many different types there are. But I am pretty hands on and like to learn about things and Jeff has the accounting background so we were actually quite well placed to take on the business,” Daniel says. He says business growth has been about giving customers an excellent experience. “About 80% of our work is commercial, including a lot of apartment complexes. We often find that we will work a facilities manager at one apartment operation then when they move to a new role, they take us with them.

A big part of looking after customers is having good staff, Daniel says. “Staff can be hard to find because the job is really a mix of trades – electrical, plumbing, fitter and turner. Often people will come in with one of those but they need to learn the others. So when you get a good staff member, you really want to keep them. We invest in our people and make sure they are happy.” The business currently has five technical and five admin staff and has seen strong growth particularly over the past three years, including a big increase in Davey sales. “We sell and service a lot of commercial storm water and sewer pumps plus booster pumps. I love the fact that Davey is pretty much the only brand manufacturing the majority of its product in Australia. Customers really care about that. “Plus, the product is very good quality and the support and warranty back up are excellent.”