NEWBURYPORT, MA, USA – September 10, 2019 – This year, Zampell proudly celebrates the 40th anniversary of its engineering department’s creation! Founded in 1966, Zampell began as a small refractory maintenance contractor in Beverly, Massachusetts. In 1979, Zampell invested in evolving to become a premier designer of refractory solutions for its clients, including the optimization and retrofitting of furnaces and boilers. This is a tradition that is proudly continued today and was recently marked with a Zampell engineering meeting, hosting engineers from across the USA service locations.
In 1979, Zampell hired two engineers to create its engineering department. Harold “Dick” Bulmer was a refractory engineer with experience in the design and construction of turnkey furnaces and Raymond “Ray” Flynn was a new college graduate in engineering with experience in wastewater management and the local tanneries. Jim Zampell knew at the time that in order to provide the best value for his clients, he needed to have an engineered refractory solution for his jobs.
“I knew that, as a refractory company, I didn’t want to be stuck doing the same for less. I wanted to give my customers a solution that would help them be more successful, even if it meant less future work for Zampell. I believe that if we don’t bring the new ideas to our customers, someone else will,” remarked Jim Zampell, Chairman of the Board.
Very quickly, the engineering department began to create quick-reference documentation and quality standards. As a company founded on craftsmanship and doing things the right way, it was fundamental for Zampell to have engineers who could create a systematic path for identifying and defining the “right way”. This systematic approach is carried on today with the many Zampell employees across the USA and Europe.
“I’m proud to have an organization around me that values a balance of practical and technical capabilities. I don’t think there are many companies in the USA or the world for that matter that deliver such a consistent service level due to the engineering roots that drive it, and that’s something I’m very proud to be a part of,” reflected John Heffernan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Engineering.
The engineering meeting that took place focused on various elements of the department’s scope, included engineering and technical standards for installation, project reviews, engineering capability developments, and expanded training for the department’s 3-D computer aided design capabilities. The meeting also highlighted some recent patents and objectives for protecting innovation as a company. It also included a bit of fun with the engineers successfully cracking two escape rooms at a local team-building establishment.
Zampell is a family business that is chiefly involved with the engineering and construction of refractories, insulation, and scaffolding within the industrial and commercial sectors, and facilities management in all sectors. It was established in 1966 by Tom Zampell and continues to grow due to its core value of quality craftsmanship. Zampell is headquartered in Massachusetts and has branch offices in Maine, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Zampell also has a subsidiary, Zampell A/S, with locations in Jutland and Sjælland in Denmark, and subsidiaries Zampell Ltd. and Vulcan Refractories, Ltd. in England. It also operates a janitorial products company, Custodial Partners, in Massachusetts, ZAR-Tech, a refractories distribution company with locations in Massachusetts and New York, and Western Industrial Ceramics, a refractories distribution and fabrication company in Oregon and California. Zampell also has a collaboration agreement with New England Mechanical Overlay in the USA to provide steel fabrication and pressure vessel repair services. For more information on the Zampell family of companies, please visit their website at www.zampell.com. For more information about NEMO, please visit www.nemoinc.net.