Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Exerise - Hudco Valves
Exerise - Hudco Valves
FOR INDUSTRIAL VALVES1
Hudco Manufacturing Company Limited (HMCL) manufactures and markets DC motors which are
used as prime movers in many manufacturing units. They are also used for pumping and flow of
liquids in several chemical process industries. The company has a good market share and is
considered a pioneer in manufacturing.
The management of HUDCO is looking out for opportunities for diversification and they have
decided to get into manufacturing of Industrial valves. They have decided on this product because
the users of these valves are the same chemical process industry where HUDCO already has a strong
presence in motors. The initial reports from the consultants say that the valve industry in India is
showing a healthy growth rate and it is an area worth investing in. Though there are already
established players such as L&T, Akay Industries, Fouress, etc, there is room for more players in the
industry.
Subsequently, HMCL commissioned another study to learn more about the product and markets.
This study was conducted by two MBA interns from a premium business school in India. The study
took 75 days to complete and the interns submitted a report based on the study. The highlights of
the report are given below –
The Product
Valves are flow control devices. They are connected between two pipes. Using the lever of the
valve, the flow of gases / liquids from one pipeline to another can be controlled. Industrial valves
come in different shapes and sizes. Illustration of industrial valves is given below ‐
Valves are typically made from Cast Iron, Steel or Stainless steel. Alloys such as brass were also used
but the application was very small. The Diameter of valves is a standard specification for
identification. Typically valves are available in the size range of 0.5 inch to 10 inches. 2 inches to 5
inches and valves greater than 10 inches are usually custom made to order. Valves below 10 inches
are standardized and are manufactured in batches. The volume of sales is also loaded in favor of
smaller size valves.
1
Caselet prepared by Dr.Gururaj Kidiyoor, Professor, T A Pai Management Institute, (TAPMI),
Manipal for in‐class exercise. © 2019
Valves are also classified on the basis of application. Gate, Globe & Check valves, popularly known
as GGC valves are used primarily for flow control. Stainless Steel Ball valves are used in pipelines
running inflammable fluids & gases. These valves act as fire resistant seals in case of fire in the
pipelines. Butterfly valves are another type which has plastic coating inside for handling corrosive
fluids. Some valves are open/shut type of valves where as some valves can control the rate of flow
by keeping partially open.
All valves can come in various sizes. All types of process industries use these valves in various
proportions. The price of valves can range from a few hundred rupees to lakhs of rupees. The
following tables give valve demand by size and average prices of different types of valves –
Valve Demand by Size
Type of Valve 0.5 ‐ 2 2 ‐ 5 5‐ 10 Above 10
inches inches inches inches
Gate, Globe
5% 10% 60% 25%
& Check valves
Stainless Steel
70% 25% 5% NA
Ball valves
Butterfly Valves 20% 60% 18% 2%
Average Valve Prices (in Rs)
Type of Valve 0.5 ‐ 2 2 ‐ 5 5‐ 10
Above 10 inche
inches inches inches
Gate, Globe & Check valves 70 100 600 2000
Stainless Steel Ball valves 100 125 350 NA
Butterfly Valves 300 500 750 2200
Customers for Valves
Valves are purchased by “Chemical Process Industries” which consist of the industries producing
following products – Sugar, Paper, Fertilizer, Insecticide, Pesticide, Pharmaceuticals, Petrochemicals,
Dye & Dyestuff, Other Organic & Inorganic Chemicals. These customers came in all sizes.
Somewhere small companies with limited manufacturing capacity while others where very large
such as Reliance Petrochemicals located in Jamnagar Gujarat. Some chemical plants especially in the
petrochemical, paper, pharma and fertilizer sector were state owned. Other type of companies,
Office buildings, Apartment complexes and households also had requirement of valves, but in very
small numbers. The spread of chemical process industries in India, number of registered firms and
their concentration is given below –
Region Concentration Region Concentration
North 60% in Delhi & East UP East 80% in West Bengal and Assam
South 50% in Tamil Nadu West 75% in Maharashtra & Gujarat
Number of Registered Companies in India
Industry No. of Concentration
Firms
Sugar 570 Maharashtra
Paper 800 No Concentration
Fertilizer, Insecticide & Pesticide 70 Tamil Nadu
Pharmaceuticals 175 NCR Region & Maharashtra
Petrochemicals 35 Gujarat & Maharashtra
Dye & Dyestuff 65 Maharashtra
Other Organic & Inorganic Chemicals 225 Tamil Nadu & Maharashtra
The valve consumption by chemical process industries constituted about 95% of the total valve
demand. Within this, some companies were extensive users. For example, companies handling
corrosive chemicals replaced valves frequently as compared to other companies who handled fluids
such as water and petrochemicals. The criticality of valves depended on the plant size and the type
of fluid handled. For example, process industries which handled toxic fluids gave a lot of importance
to performance of the valves as any leakage in the pipeline could result in loss of human life. The
following tables provides details of nature of valve consumption across different sectors in the
chemical process industry.
% of total
GGC SS Ball Butterfly
Industry demand in chemical
Valves Valves Valves
process industry
Sugar 10% 85% 7% 8%
Paper 10% 75% 5% 20%
Fertilizer, Insecticide, 10%
65% 10% 25%
Pesticide
Pharmaceuticals 20% 30% 45% 25%
Petrochemicals 15% 15% 60% 25%
Dye & Dyestuff 5% 30% 25% 45%
Other Organic & 30%
30% 40% 30%
Inorganic Chemicals
Nature of Demand for Valves
The demand for valves is of two types – New capacity demand and replacement demand. New
capacity demand comes from the new chemical plants being set up across the country. The average
cost of setting up a new plant is Rs. 50 crore upwards on a conservative estimate and a new
chemical plant spent about 2% of the plant cost on valves. New plants are usually erected by project
consultants as turnkey projects. These are large organizations specialized in setting up of chemical
process plants.
The replacement demand comes from existing plants which replace the worn out and defective
vales on yearly basis. The annual valve replacement cost is about 4% of the total annual plant
maintenance cost. Annual plant maintenance costs work out to be around 8% of the plant cost.
Replacement valves are procured through rate contracts and bids whereas valves for new capacity
are procured directly from the manufacturer through bids. The demand for valves for new capacity
and replacement is in the ratio of 35:65.
Distribution of valves
Valves are sold through different channels. When it comes to new plants, the consultants decide on
the vendors who sell valves to contractors hired by the consultants to erect the plants. These
agencies are handled directly by company sales force of valve manufacturers.
When it comes to replacement demand, valves are sold directly to industrial users. Since the
requirements are in large quantities and also as buyers may have specific requirements, these
customers are handled directly by the company sales force.
Valves are also sold through distributors who sell to hardware stores. These stores cater to small
customers such as small industrial customers, small contractors and plumbers. However, the
distributors are not able to handle customized orders which some customers often wanted.
Distributors typically attach themselves to a valve company and are handled by company sales
force. Hardware stores, who bought valves from distributors, stocked and sold multiple brands.
Buying of Valves
The buying practice of the customers varied depending on several factors. There were companies
that had many plants across the country who either allowed each of their plants to buy valves on
their own or had a central purchase unit that decided for all plants.
Some companies planned their requirements in advance and maintained steady long ‐term
relationship with the sales persons of valve manufacturers. Many firms had limited financial
resources and lacked resources to build a smooth supply chain. Such firms bought as and when
required with a very short notice. Some companies operated in very volatile industry and could not
plan buying even if they wished to do so. Some buyers took a long time to decide due to their
complex buying procedures that involved many people from different departments, though in most
cases plant maintenance manager was the contact point for sellers in the replacement market.
Some buyers, mainly the Government, a very structured and standard buying policy. They strictly go
by the lowest bidder and sought 45‐ 60 days credit. Some buyers had stringent requirements on
quality, delivery and after sales service.
Most buyers, especially the large buyers have a very formal purchase process and buy through
competitive bidding. The buyers asked for a quotation with techno commercial details. Once this
was submitted, repeated follow ups with the customer are required. For new capacity demand,
customers do have several doubts and apprehensions which needs to be cleared. Once the
customers were convinced about the product, they negotiated on the terms including the price.
Some firms maintained long term relationships with vendors and bought from a set of approved
vendors only while some other firms recruited vendors as and when there was a requirement.
The marketing manager of HMCL has gone through the report prepared by the MBA students and
has noted down its highlights. He is aware that before taking things forward, his company would
want to know about the possible segments among valve customers. He wonders how to go about it.