A turnkey solution provided by Prowalco Tatsuno has allowed Marius Smith from Smith Auto to successfully revamp a year-old petrol station to the latest technology, Senior Project Manager Barend Bekker reports.

Working in conjunction with main contractor Petrocon, the project involved the installation of three new tanks, each with a 45 000 litre capacity, in addition to new pipelines, pumps, and an Automatic Tank Gauging (ATG) solution. The fast-track project commenced in June, and was completed at the beginning of October.

Smith explains that he entered the fuel industry after a successful venture in the tyre industry known as Smith Wheels. Prowalco Tatsuno has supplied him with a full service and maintenance contract to date, followed by the revamp project.

Citing the professionalism of the entire Prowalco Tatsuno team, under the leadership of CEO Annali May, Smith comments that the company always strives to supply the latest technology that is cost-effective and easy to maintain. “The customer service I have received has been of an exceptionally high standard.”

Commenting on the latest trends in the industry, Smith highlights that declining fuel sales have resulted in a spate of upgrades to petrol stations to make them more efficient and cost-effective to run, in addition to expanding the retail segment of the forecourt areas.

The Prowalco UPP project team, under the direction of Bekker, can deliver a complete package consisting of UPP pipework, manhole chambers, dispenser containment, submersible pumps and smart fuel stock and environmental monitoring systems all designed around exact customer needs and delivered in one shipment, ready for installation. “We also test equipment on-site, and provide sign-off once installation has been completed,” Bekker adds.

Prowalco Tatsuno, which has a Level 1 B-BBEE rating, was established in 1960. The company has the lion’s share of both the fuel-pump and dispenser supply and maintenance market in South Africa. It also specialises in facility maintenance, with longstanding contracts with leading players.

It forms part of the larger Bud Group, with Tatsuno acquiring a 3% stake in Prowalco in January 2018. Tatsuno is a Japanese manufacturer of fuel dispensers and other solutions for retail commercial fuelling customers globally.