Taking place last week in Melbourne, the PIA Dinner once again provided a fantastic opportunity for the Australian pump industry to come together and celebrate the year just gone.
PIA president and Regent Holdings managing director Kylie Kinsella opened proceedings alongside PIA councillor and Tsurumi Pumps managing director Michael Woolley.
“Whether it’s water, fuel, chemicals, or anything in between, there’s something that everyone in this room can be proud of,” she said of the breadth of the Australian pump industry.
“Tonight’s about enjoying good food, company, and hopefully a few laughs. Mingle, catch up with people, and make some new connections.”
The PIA celebrated 61 years in 2025, having thrown a worthy celebration to mark 60 years in 2024.
This saw Kinsella inaugurated as the PIA’s first female president – a role that has seen her reaffirm the PIA as Australia’s leading authority on pumps and pumping systems.
Sponsors of the PIA Dinner were given the floor to speak, with representatives of WEG, Drive Systems and Caterpillar discussing their connection with the pump industry.
Drive Systems owner and director Dean Hansen spoke of his company’s role in providing mechanical power transmission for the pump sector.
“One thing we pride ourselves on is challenging the status quo,” Drive Systems owner and director Dean Hansen said.
“Our job is to introduce new technology, such as high-speed disc couplings, and move away from your generic, 19th century cone ring couplings and tyre couplings. It’s this knowledge that we want to pass onto you.”
Hansen continued by discussing the looming skills shortage, and what can be done to mitigate this.
“Moving forward, one of the biggest challenges (we face) is getting knowledge to the younger generation,” he said. “So what are we doing with what we’ve gained from years in the market?”
“From a supply perspective, I encourage us to pass our knowledge on. We’ve got young people coming through, so let’s get our experiences onto the younger generation – we need to do this together.”
The PIA Dinner 2025 offered PIA members and beyond the chance to reconnect and forge new friendships, with festivities extending long into the night. It once again delivered as one of the most important events on the Australian pump industry calendar and will return in 2026.
Subscribe to Pump Industry to discover all the latest industry news, technical articles and thought-leading content from Australia’s only dedicated pump magazine.
