LOUISVILLE. After 30 years abroad, Femco has landed in the U.S. with its portfolio of drain plugs. The company, based in Amsterdam, has sold its products globally for years, but just this year made the decision to open a U.S.-based operation (Femco USA) in Washington State as it seeks to expand its sales with an eye on the North American market, particularly truck OEMs and dealers.
It made its first show appearance this week at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
Femco drain plugs – made of solid brass and designed for oil and other hot fluid drains – are designed to easily drain the fluid without the mess associated with a traditional drain plug.
Each product – there are 6 in the portfolio – features a dust cover, dual O-rings, copper washer and a Viton O-ring. Anton De Leeuw, international business manager, explained that when a tech wants to change the oil, they simply unscrew the dust cover and attach the hose. The hose pushes up a special valve which releases the oil. When the hose is detached, the valve settles back down, sealing the opening.
De Leeuw noted that a bus fleet saved nearly 40 minutes off each oil change, without the mess, by switching to the Femco product.
The plugs come in nearly any thread size and offers five benefits, De Leeuw said:
- Sustainability and environmental protection. “It becoming unacceptable to do oil drains without some control.”
- A safer and healthier work environment
- Increased oil drain efficiency
- Cost reductions
- Reliability and quality
“We’ve been around 30 years and never had a return,” De Leeuw said.
Global customers Airbus, Caterpillar, Cummins and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Currently, the drain plugs are manufactured in Amsterdam and shipped to Washington where they are assembled. De Leeuw said manufacturing will eventually shift to Washington.
