Liquidation & Auction Services Case Studies

Phoenix Equipment purchased Ashland Chemical’s closed maleic anhydride plant on Neville Island, Pennsylvania and assumed responsibility for equipment recovery, vessel remediation, dismantlement, and material recycling. The approximately $2.75 million project involved three separate process areas and required remediation of salt-containing vessels while reusable equipment was separated from material destined for recycling. Phoenix sold more than $1 million worth of used process equipment, retained additional assets for future resale, and recycled approximately 3,500 tons of ferrous material and 800,000 pounds of non-ferrous material. By combining equipment sales, inventory recovery, recycling, and dismantlement, Phoenix completed the required remediation and plant removal at no cost to Ashland.

Phoenix Equipment purchased all equipment from Novartis’s shutdown API pilot plant in East Hanover, New Jersey and assumed responsibility for dismantlement and removal at its own cost. The approximately $2 million project included required line breaks, utility lock-outs, equipment dismantlement, and final removal, all completed safely within a three-month schedule. By providing a guaranteed outright purchase rather than relying on individual equipment sales, Phoenix gave Novartis a defined financial and removal outcome while assuming the equipment-market risk, dismantlement responsibility, and associated removal costs.

Phoenix Equipment purchased the idled adipic acid plant assets at Honeywell’s Hopewell, Virginia chemical complex and managed equipment liquidation and complete dismantlement under one coordinated project. Because the surrounding complex remained in operation, Phoenix had to recover reusable equipment and complete several critical lifts while working around ongoing site activity. The approximately $1.75 million project combined asset marketing, equipment recovery, and plant removal, allowing liquidation to continue as dismantlement progressed. Honeywell was paid for its idled assets, avoided the cost of dismantling the facility itself, and received a broom-clean footprint when the work was completed safely in October 2007.

Phoenix Equipment managed the decommissioning, equipment recovery, removal, and restoration of a former Los Angeles brewery, helping the operator satisfy its lease obligations while preserving valuable brewing and beverage equipment for resale. The project included the recovery of 21 Ziemann Bauer stainless steel brewing tanks, packaging lines, refrigeration and utility equipment, and a 190 kW Capstone microturbine. Because the largest tanks could not pass through the existing building access points, Phoenix temporarily removed an approximately 45-foot-high section of the exterior wall, extracted the tanks, and then reconstructed the wall and repaired affected floors. By combining asset sales, rigging, selective demolition, logistics, and building restoration, Phoenix recovered substantially more value than a scrap-only approach and returned the facility gutted, broom clean, and ready for reuse.

Phoenix Equipment acquired the production assets from the former Redhook Brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and managed the complete decommissioning, equipment recovery, removal, and facility cleanout. The project included 59 major stainless-steel brewing vessels, including 49 fermentation tanks and eight brite tanks, along with a 265-can-per-minute Krones canning line, bottle and keg packaging systems, filtration equipment, centrifuges, laboratory equipment, utilities, and supporting brewery infrastructure. Because many of the large vessels could not pass through existing access points, Phoenix coordinated heavy crane lifts through roof hatches to remove the tanks intact and preserve their resale value. Phoenix marketed and sold reusable equipment, removed or recycled remaining assets, cleared production and support areas, and returned the facility broom clean and ready for the incoming tenant.

After Evonik closed its silanes and orthoester specialty chemical plants in Alabama, Phoenix acquired the surplus equipment and managed dismantlement within the company’s larger operating manufacturing complex. By recovering valuable process equipment for continued use rather than treating the facilities solely as scrap, Phoenix helped offset removal costs while clearing strategic plant space for Evonik’s next project.

When Edeniq no longer required its California cellulosic ethanol pilot plant, Phoenix purchased the process assets and assumed responsibility for complete removal from the leased facility. Phoenix recovered approximately 100 pieces of process equipment, including fermentation systems, tanks, conveyors and utilities, and restored the site to broom-clean condition in just eight weeks—allowing Edeniq to monetize surplus assets while satisfying its lease obligations.

After Flying Dog Brewery relocated production from its Frederick, Maryland facility, Phoenix acquired the remaining process assets and managed the facility-wide liquidation. Phoenix marketed brewhouses, fermentation equipment, packaging systems and ancillary assets through private sales and auction, while moving unsold equipment to storage for continued marketing—providing the seller with a flexible disposition strategy while enabling the property to be cleared for its new owner.

Following BP’s decision to exit the business, Phoenix and its partners acquired the entire 100+ acre facility on an as-is, where-is basis. The buyers assumed responsibility for environmental conditions, taxes, security and plant dismantlement, while Phoenix liquidated more than 150 pieces of machinery. The transaction allowed BP to exit the property and avoid ongoing carrying and dismantlement costs.

Phoenix was selected to dismantle Tronox’s nearly new Beneficiated Milled Trona plant within its active Wyoming mining complex after offering the highest overall equipment and salvage value. Phoenix marketed more than 100 pieces of specialized processing equipment globally, dismantled miles of elevated conveyors and recycled more than 3,500 tons of steel. The 10-month project was completed safely, on schedule and without a recordable injury.

When Omnova converted its Georgia latex manufacturing facility to terminal operations, Phoenix was selected to remove the redundant process systems while preserving buildings, utilities and equipment that would remain in service. Phoenix recovered more than 35 pieces of process equipment for resale, along with substantial non-ferrous and scrap value, reducing Omnova’s net dismantlement cost while safely completing the work within an active facility.

Sanofi received demolition proposals exceeding $1 million to remove its closed API pilot plant in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Instead, Phoenix purchased the plant equipment, paid Sanofi for the assets and performed the complete dismantlement and site restoration at no cost to the company. Phoenix recovered more than 100 pieces of high-value pharmaceutical equipment and returned the area to greenfield condition.

Phoenix purchased Sunoco’s surplus aniline plant and associated equipment and completed the entire removal scope at no cost to Sunoco. Phoenix recovered more than 45 major process equipment items for resale, along with significant non-ferrous and scrap value, while managing catalyst recovery, equipment cleaning, heavy lifts and dismantlement within an active chemical complex. The project converted redundant assets into value while preparing the site for sale.