The significance of this milestone goes beyond the longevity of the site itself. It represents continuity of accumulated engineering, manufacturing, and application knowledge – expertise that continues to inform the development of pumps to support critical applications today.

The site is also a distinctive part of Glasgow’s industrial heritage. Its Category B listed buildings include an office range dating from 1912, based on a design by pioneering American industrial architect Albert Kahn, while the landmark 1937 amenity building was designed by Glasgow architects Wylie, Shanks and Wylie. Together, they provide a visible reminder of the ambition and innovation that have characterised engineering at Cathcart for generations.

Adapting to new engineering demands

Situated near the River Cart, the Cathcart site’s story began at a time when steam power was transforming marine engineering. Increasingly powerful, higher-pressure boilers created new demands on pumping equipment, including the need to feed water reliably into boiler systems operating at greater pressures. Pump technology developed in response to those changing requirements, establishing an engineering foundation that would go on to support applications beyond the site’s original marine focus.

That ability to adapt became a recurring theme. During the First World War, the site played a role in aircraft production, taking its engineering and manufacturing capabilities into a markedly different application.

As industrial requirements continued to evolve, pumping expertise associated with the site was also applied to new sectors. By the early 20th century, this included supplying pumping equipment for the growing oil industry and pipeline applications.

Continuity of purpose

The technologies and applications have changed considerably since those early years, but there is a continuous thread running through the site’s history: applying accumulated engineering knowledge to new and increasingly demanding challenges.

This continuity is also reflected in the evolution of the pump business at Cathcart, where engineering expertise and technologies developed since 1886 have continued to evolve, eventually becoming part of ClydeUnion Pumps. Today, as part of Celeros FT, Cathcart remains home to ClydeUnion Pumps – maintaining a direct connection between generations of pump engineering and the technologies being developed for customers now.

This wealth of accumulated expertise is being applied to solve contemporary engineering challenges faced by our customers worldwide. A current example is the development of BB5 pumps technology for high-pressure supercritical CO₂ injection, capable of injecting 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.

The evolution is also about people. Through its apprenticeship programme at the ClydeUnion Pumps site in Cathcart, Celeros FT is currently supporting 18 apprentices, bringing a new generation of skilled employees into the business and combining locally developed skills and practical engineering knowledge with new technologies and ways of working. The company also continues to invest in the Cathcart site, further strengthening its engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

“The significance of 140 years at the Cathcart site is not simply that engineering has taken place here for a very long time. It is that the legacy built over generations continues to shape the work we do today,” said Andy Doris, site lead, Glasgow at Celeros Flow Technology.

“Since 1886, successive generations of engineers, craftspeople, and apprentices have contributed to a heritage of innovation, quality, and expertise that has become part of the Cathcart identity.

“That depth of experience is one of our greatest strengths. Whether we are developing pumping technologies for emerging opportunities such as new nuclear projects or helping customers maximise the life of equipment that has already delivered decades of service, we draw on a unique reservoir of engineering knowledge and practical insight. By combining the lessons of the past with the technologies of today, we continue to solve the challenges of tomorrow.

“Preserving and strengthening that legacy requires continued investment in both our facilities and our people. Our apprenticeship programme plays a vital role in ensuring that the skills, values, and expertise that define us are passed on to the next generation. We are proud of the heritage and reputation that have been built here over 140 years, and committed to investing in the people who will carry that legacy forward.”

Cathcart’s 140th anniversary therefore represents both a proud engineering heritage and an ongoing capability. It demonstrates how knowledge built over generations can continue to evolve – supporting existing equipment and helping Celeros FT develop new flow control solutions for the changing needs of critical industries.

www.celerosft.com/en-us/blog/140-years-at-cathcart