The
late Elmer Cook founded Pumps of Houston in 1960. Seeing the need for a
full-service water well supply company that not only carried all the equipment
required, but also stressed after-sale service and good tech support, Cook (a
Myers factory rep at the time) agreed to take over the fledgling Pumps Inc. in
1960, and Pumps of Houston was born. Typical American success story: Cook
literally lived in the office for months until he sold his home in Dallas and moved the family to Houston. He worked 12 hour days, 7 days a
week for several years to pay off the bills and get the company on its feet.
Cook believed that if he took care of his customers, everything else would take
care of itself. Slowly but surely the business grew and
prospered.
The second generation: Tommy and Skip Cook now run the business that’s been in
their family for 50 years. “Over the years, as my brother and I came into the
business, we have expanded our product offering and service capability,” says
Skip Cook, CEO.
And Pumps of Houston
is still expanding. The third generation of Cooks now is working for the
company. Aurora (a premier line of large municipal pumps) and the new Grundfos
municipal waste water line were recently added to its product line, and the
company has started construction of a new facility slated to open this fall.