Project Overview
When Starbucks changed process technology at its Augusta, Georgia facility, it was left with an unused freeze concentration system that had been installed in 2013 but never commissioned. The four-line system became surplus after Starbucks chose a different process route for the same application.
Starbucks needed the equipment removed to make room for a new project, with the work coordinated around a scheduled plant outage. Phoenix Equipment purchased all four lines outright before any buyers had been identified, assuming the resale and removal risk. Phoenix then had approximately six months to plan the project, market the equipment, and prepare for dismantlement inside an operating food-processing facility.
The Challenge
The freeze concentration plant consisted of four identical processing lines with a combined capacity of approximately 17,000 lb/hr (7,748 kg/hr). Although the equipment was unused, removing it required careful planning because the work took place inside an active food-processing facility and the room had to be preserved for future use.
Starbucks selected Phoenix because it could purchase the equipment, commit to the required removal schedule, and had the safety record and experience needed to work inside an operating food plant. Phoenix's scope required removing everything associated with the freeze concentration process while leaving the room empty and ready for Starbucks' next project.
Finding a Buyer for Two Complete Lines
Phoenix began marketing the equipment before dismantlement and developed multiple prospective buyers. Within approximately three months, Phoenix found a buyer in Argentina for two of the four lines. The customer was an existing Phoenix client developing a citrus extract project and had previously purchased other process systems from Phoenix.
The buyer viewed this freeze concentration technology as the most efficient process option for its application. Purchasing the unused lines also offered lower capital cost and shorter lead time than sourcing comparable new equipment.
Removing the Plant From a Live Food Facility
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The physical removal had to be coordinated closely with Starbucks' ongoing operations and scheduled outage. Phoenix had approximately six months to plan the removal and organize the work around the plant's operating schedule and the requirements of the incoming project.
Phoenix removed all four freeze concentration lines and associated process equipment over approximately 10 weeks. The work included match-marking, dismantlement, crating, and preparation of the two sold lines for overseas shipment. The building and room were preserved for future use, and the project was completed without a safety incident.
Recovering Value From the Remaining Lines
The two remaining lines did not ultimately sell as complete systems. Phoenix instead shifted to recovering value through individual component sales.
The crystallizer vessels represented the most valuable components within those remaining systems and were sold along with other parts for separate applications. This allowed Phoenix to continue recovering value from the acquired equipment without depending on the same resale path for all four lines.
Project Outcome
The approximately $1.5 million project cleared the unused freeze concentration system from Starbucks' Augusta facility within the required schedule while preserving the room for future use. Phoenix completed the removal inside an operating food plant and finished the work without a safety incident.
Two complete lines were redirected to a citrus extract project in Argentina, while the remaining systems generated value through component sales. Starbucks was able to move ahead with its new project without waiting for every asset to find the same type of buyer.
Project Highlights
- Client: Starbucks
- Location: Augusta, Georgia
- Plant: Freeze Concentration System
- Capacity: 17,000 lb/hr (7,748 kg/hr)
- Configuration: Four Identical Processing Lines
- Original Installation: 2013
- Condition: Unused / Never Commissioned
- Project Timeframe: August 2023 – August 2024
- Marketing Period Before First Sale: Approximately 3 Months
- Buyer: Citrus Extract Manufacturer
- Destination: Argentina
- Complete Lines Sold: Two
- Dismantlement & Removal: Approximately 10 Weeks
- Remaining Lines: Sold for Parts / Individual Components
- Project Value: Approximately $1.5 Million
- Safety: No Incidents
Matching the Disposition Strategy to the Asset
A multi-line process system does not always need a single buyer to produce a successful recovery outcome. At Augusta, two complete freeze concentration lines matched an active citrus extract project, while the remaining equipment ultimately had greater value through individual component sales.
Phoenix could pursue those different paths because it had purchased all four lines outright and assumed the resale risk. Starbucks could clear the room on its schedule, while Phoenix continued marketing and recovering value from the remaining equipment after removal.