Focused on building pumps and pump systems for the wine industry, Carlsen and Associates was started in 1986 by namesake Jim Carlsen. The company currently employs 17 people at its office in Healdsburg, Calif., where it makes about 450 pumps annually for a customer base concentrated on the West Coast but extending to markets in Canada, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and Australia. The company also offers a range of products supporting most aspects of wine production, from grape delivery up to (but not including) the bottling line. The company’s Carlsen Winemaking System offers a comprehensive suite of equipment, components, and support.

Carlsen and Associates provides solutions for small-scale and boutique wine operations, particularly, coupling an emphasis on high-quality components and production with a strong service department. “We’re here for the customers,” says Carlsen representative Ross Battersby. “We make fantastic-quality, robust products, we have great service, and we also have a lot of knowledge that we’re willing to impart to people to help them make better wines.” Particularly beneficial for wineries without their own engineers in-house, Carlsen and Associates staff is available to help clients troubleshoot, by phone or onsite, and teach them how to get the most out of their system

Carlsen and Associates works with supplier partners Waukesha, Yamada, Puleo, and others to develop long-lasting pump and winemaking solutions designed to achieve the goals of each individual producer. The signature feature of the company’s equipment line is the electronic control systems that give the operator an exceptional amount of control over feed, crush, and flow rates.

The company began maintaining an extensive inventory of valves, fittings, and other winery parts at the Carlsen Annex in Healdsburg, Calif., where customers can buy components over the counter and receive technical guidance regarding options for their particular winemaking situation. Carlsen and Associates has also recently been working to better accommodate heightened interest from the spirits and cannabis markets.