Apocalypse Well Pumps is a small, family-owned business located in Montana. The company offers hand-operated emergency well pumps, designed to be permanently installed into a well that already has an electric pump. When the power goes out, an Apocalypse Well Pump provides water security in emergencies.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Kurt Blomback, Pump Meister at Apocalypse Well Pumps and founder of the company. Kurt shared with us about his business and products and noted how Rolled Threads Unlimited serves his needs.
Tell us more about your business and the products you offer.
When a family loses power, their electric well pump is useless. In response to this need, my wife and I started Apocalypse Well Pumps in 2015. We aim to provide the capability and confidence for families to access their well water when they have no electricity, by means of adding a hand-operated emergency well pump. Our pumps are reliable, easy to install, and reasonably priced—plus freeze-proof, rust-proof, and maintenance-free.
What type of customers does Apocalypse Well Pumps generally serve?
Our business provides pumps to the emergency preparedness community. The “prepper” and “off grid” communities are fast-growing demographics and markets—and very interesting markets to be involved in. Believe it or not, they actually have expos and shows all over the country.
What products does Rolled Threads Unlimited produce for you?
Rolled Threads Unlimited supplies two custom products for us. One, an extended thread length tie rod, is a key component used in one of our three types of pumps; thus, we only use about 100 or so of these in a year. But by far, the most-used component Rolled Threads Unlimited supplies is a stainless steel tie rod, known to us as a “pump rod.” We buy these by the thousands, a few times a year. These 5 ft. rods enable us to offer hand pumps in 5 ft. length increments, so our customers can dial in the exact pump length they need based on their well.
Why did your company choose to work with Rolled Threads Unlimited?
Since we were a very small, side-gig company when we first contacted Rolled Threads Unlimited, we were looking for a small company for our custom parts. (Larger companies also tend to have high minimum-quantity run requirements.) Based on the street view of Rolled Threads’ location on Google Maps, it looked like a smaller operation, but certainly had the quality and customer service we were looking for.
Our first requested quote from Rolled Threads Unlimited in 2016 was for quantities of only 50 and 100. The pricing was good for a small lot, the service was excellent, and Rolled Threads was willing to make the parts from simple hand sketches. Then when we got the parts, they were perfect—saving us a ton of time, since hand-tapping the rods was very time-consuming. Rolled Threads Unlimited has helped us grow.
What makes Rolled Threads Unlimited stand out from other options?
I visited Rolled Threads Unlimited last year. I was a bit surprised by the size of Rolled Threads: many times larger than I expected. I am still thankful that Ted Ladky, now the current president of Rolled Threads Unlimited, took the time to help a small company like Apocalypse Well Pumps many years ago. Rolled Threads has been a key supplier for us since then.
Any other comments or anything that you would like to add?
We ship hundreds of pumps all over the U.S. and Canada every year. We actually have pumps in every state (except Hawaii)—plus the Philippines!
Also, Rolled Threads Unlimited rocks!
At Rolled Threads Unlimited, we are truly thankful for customers like Apocalypse Well Pumps who trust us to expertly thread roll a wide variety of fasteners in many different materials. We are committed to our customers by meeting their requirements and providing defect-free products.