As Pulford Air & Gas celebrates 100 years in business, managing director Mark Hollingsworth, and national service manager Ben Smith, reflect on the company’s evolution – and how joining the global ELGi group is shaping the next century of growth.
As an Australian supplier since 1925, Pulford Air & Gas has delivered reliable compressed air solutions to manufacturing sectors including food and beverage, automotive, pharmaceuticals, electronics, mining and metal fabrication. Now part of ELGi’s global OEM network, Pulford operates across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, with ELGi’s support extending through channel partners across Australia and internationally.
“Wherever there’s a compressor, Pulford can be involved – we started small as a family-owned business and have grown our products and business significantly,” said managing director of ELGi Equipments Australia and Pulford Air & Gas, Mark Hollingsworth.
Currently, the business is in its strongest position yet – fitting for a year in which it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“Any company reaching 100 years is pretty significant, especially one that has mastered through world wars , the depression, global financial crisis and other various challenges – that’s impressive,” said Hollingsworth. “With ELGi’s global platform behind us, we’re entering a new era, building on our legacy as we look forward to the next 100 years.”
Celebrating a century in compressed air
Reflecting on the anniversary, Hollingsworth said Pulford’s journey has been one of significant growth – from its humble beginnings as a small piston supplier to its acquisition by global market player ELGi and its expansion across the Australian market. While it is a story of growth, he said he is perhaps most proud that the company has remained true to its focus on service, support and innovation for its customers.
“Pulford’s footprint has grown from being initially Sydney-centric to covering the East Coast, with key channel partners across Australia, New Zealand, and export markets,” he said. “Alongside this growth, the company has stayed true to its vision. Selling a product is one thing, but the service and support throughout the customer’s journey is what drives repeat sales and long-term relationships built over time.”
On this century-long journey, Hollingsworth admitted there were numerous defining moments, turning points and achievements the company as whole is proud of. One of these achievements came during the company’s foundation.
“We were probably the first in Australia to make piston compressors locally. That’s where compressed air started for us,” said Hollingsworth.
He also pointed to milestones like acquiring Advanced Air Compressors, expanding into the food and beverage sector and other large industries, and completing Australia’s largest altitude training equipment installation at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Next to these milestones, the company’s commitment to long-term values has been just as impressive.
“We don’t rush to be early adopters; we wait until we have the right innovative product and the right market strategy before launching,” he said. “Also, we have employees with incredible longevity – one has been with us for 45 years, and many others for 30 or more. People don’t stay if it’s not a great place to work, and that says a lot.”
Pulford’s evolution from hand built -manufacturing to becoming part of ELGi – one of the few fully vertically integrated global compressor manufacturers – has helped in this mission to prioritise customer experience.
“Technology is at our heart, but without customers, we don’t have a business, so delivering the right innovative products to meet their needs is central to everything we do,” said Hollingsworth.
An evolving product range
Over its 100-year history, Pulford has built everything from ammonia compressors for butcher shops to vacuum pumps and vapour traps. Today, it combines its own product offerings with ELGi’s portfolio to form a range of more than 400 compressor products, meeting the demands of today’s industry needs.
“Our product range extends beyond compressors to include all ancillary equipment such as dryers and filtration systems, enabling us to offer full turnkey customised solutions” said Hollingsworth.
As a key offering of this portfolio, ELGi’s industrial air compressor range includes:
• Oil-lubricated rotary screw compressors (2.2–250 kW): Reliable, energy-efficient, low oil carry-over, with VFD options and integrated dryers.
• Oil-free rotary screw compressors (11–450 kW): ISO Class 0 air for food, medical and electronics, with low lifecycle costs.
• Oil-lubricated reciprocating compressors (1–15 HP): Durable, economical piston units for intermittent or medium-duty use.
• All ancillary equipment to support above compressor range.
Oil-lubricated rotary screw compressors are the company’s primary offering, but it’s also growing particularly in the oil-free technology space. Piston machines, while historically important and still having a place , are now being phased out in favour of more efficient and advanced systems.
Pulford also designs customised on-site nitrogen generation systems using membrane or PSA technology. With more than 600 systems deployed nationally, they are used across the automotive and mining sectors, improving safety and reducing logistics costs.
“Pulford saw an opportunity in nitrogen for tyre inflation, first in the automotive sector and then by developing turnkey projects for mine sites,” said Hollingsworth.
These products are supported by ELGi’s unmatched warranty – including 10 years on airend and 5 years on the entire package of selected range– and the comfort of a national network of trained engineers.
Beyond equipment, Pulford puts strong emphasis on service in line with its customer first values. As Hollingsworth puts it, the company doesn’t “just sell and install products; we also service and maintain them throughout their lifecycle”.
“Our service division is key to building trust and relationships, which then leads customers to expand or replace machines with us,” said national service manager Ben Smith. “The relationships that we build definitely hold us in good stead, especially when trying to enter new markets or industries that aren’t being well served.”
Pulford’s service team includes technicians with decades of experience, trained to service both Pulford machines and other brands. Hollingsworth insisted that this experience has made Pulford Air & Gas a multi-branded expert across many different products, able to service not only its own machines but also competitors’ equipment.
On to the next century
Looking forward, Hollingsworth said Pulford – now operating within ELGi’s global framework – will continue to invest in sustainable growth, skilled talent, training and innovation.
“ELGi is a global player with a global platform, while Pulford has historically been Australia-centric – going forward, you’ll see more integration of the two brands,” he said. “As part of a global OEM, we’re no longer a small independent company; this change in direction presents a great opportunity to build and grow our market.”
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