Godiva Ltd is an English fire pump manufacturer.
History[]
Godiva Pumps came into existence as part of the English automotive engine manufacturer Coventry Climax. By the 1930s auto makers were bringing engine manufacture in house. With this loss of business Coventry Climax began to diversify their business. In 1937 the company began to build portable fire pumps and trailer mounted fire pumps for military and civil defense use. These pumps gained the name of Godiva.d
Coventry Climax would build a large number of pumps during WW2, many of which would continue to serve into the 1970s. In 1950 the Ministry of Defense put out a solicitation for a lightweight portable pump capable of being carried by two men that provided a capacity of at least 300gpm with a weight of less than 350lbs.
Coventry Climax responded with the FWP (feather weight pump). Power was supplied by an aluminum 4 cylinder engine providing 38 horsepower. The pump could provide 350gpm @ 100psi and the whole unit came in at a weight of 310lbs. These pumps would win the contract and serve with the British military, as well as the Royal Canadian Navy, into the early 2000s.
Coventry Climax was purchased by Jaguar Cars in 1963. In 1967 the fire pump division was sold becoming the Godiva Fire Pumps Company. In 1986 Godiva acquired the American fire pump manufacturer Barton-American. In 1992 Godiva and Hale Fire Pumps merged to become Hale Products Inc. In 1994, IDEX Corporation bought Hale Products Inc. Today as Godiva Ltd the company operates under IDEX's Fire & Safety Division.
Sources[]
- Company promotional literature and advertising
- IDEX Corp. website (www.idexcorp.com) Accessed 20 Jan 2020.