American Power Muscles Valve into Poultry Market

American Power & Supply Co. is the “Hans and Frans” of the Arkansas poultry industry.

Like the Saturday Night Live body builder characters who are famous for wanting to “pump up” their audience, this Springdale distributor of pumps and valve supplies is flexing its muscles. That’s because the Springdale company recently introduced a rupture pin valve technology to Arkansas that’s both environmentally safe and cost effective.

The technology is already being used in the oil and natural gas industry. But poultry companies are also finding out this Taylor Valves product helps keep their products flowing safely.

American Power, which employees five people at its corporate offices at 4001 E. Robinson in Springdale, distributes and services about 300 pumps and valves annually for more than 13 manufacturers. The equipment is used to move everything from pretreatment waste water to chicken broth.

Poultry titan Tyson Foods Inc. in Springdale has already incorporated the new rupture pin valves in 25 to 30 of its plants in the United States and Mexico. Jim O’Gorek, a corporate engineer at Tyson Foods, said American Power has been a good vendor to his company for the last 15 years.

“They’ve supplied pumps and equipment for a variety of applications,” O’Gorek said. “That includes recent applications that we’ve made to maximize the performance and environmental efficiency of our waste water treatment facilities.”

American Power vice-president Ron McClelland and his wife, company president Robin McClelland, bought the 17-year-old pump and valve distributorship in 1998 from Linda and the late Peter Wilson of Springdale. The company does about $1 million in annual sales.

American Power, which has grown about 18 percent in the last two years, carries brand name products including Burks and Tarby. In addition to Tyson Foods, other local businesses the company supplies include Kraft, Fayetteville’s municipal waste water treatment facility, George’s Inc., Simmons Foods Inc., Allen Canning Co. and Superior Industries.

Ron McClelland said his company has a pump or valve for any application. But the rupture pin valves are currently American Power’s hottest item because they can be used as stainless, sanitary valves. That means they can be used in processing systems that pump chicken necks, gizzards and broth.

“When a regular disc valve breaks, the whole valve has to be replaced,” McClelland said. “And because the disc valve is actually in the line, the entire line may be polluted. With a rupture pin valve, the chance for contamination is greatly reduced. When a certain pressure is reached, the pin breaks on the exterior and the valve resets itself.”

American Power sells 1/2- to 48-inch pumps and valves and is the exclusive rupture pin valve distributor in Arkansas. McClelland admits his company has zoned in on a niche market, but said American Power also has other interests.

“We also sell rotary screens that plants use to separate solids out of water, and other plant equipment,” McClelland said. “And later this year, we plan to offer waste treatment chemicals that can actually be used to treat the water.”