International Process Plants is a worldwide leader in buying and supplying used, new, and refurbished process plants and equipment. The company helps manufacturers save both time and money by offering readily available assets to expand their operations.
Ron Gale, the co-founder and president, is one of the most respected voices in the industry and a reason IPP has built more than 160,000 client relationships across 47 years in business.
A brief description of the company and its activities.
Ron Gale: International Process Plants (IPP) has been serving clients worldwide for 47 years, saving our customers real time and real money. We are now the largest seller of used process plants and equipment globally.
IPP’s core focus is providing high-quality, cost-effective alternatives to building or buying new plants, process systems and equipment. We offer a range of complete plant offerings and new and good-quality secondhand equipment, all immediately available. Most of our work serves the following industries: petrochemical, pharmaceutical, chemical manufacturing, fertilizer, polymers, agrochemical, biopharma, oil refining, and minerals/metals mining and refining. But our solutions align with any industry that relies on process equipment.
At IPP, we are committed to taking the time to learn about each individual client’s needs – from purchasing complete plants, processes and equipment systems to selling the same. We also offer tailored solutions for new equipment through Gale Process Solutions (GPS) and reglassing services and new glass-lined equipment through Universal Glasteel Equipment (UGE).
International Process Plants has operations in 15 countries, serving 160,000 customers, helping us deliver the most efficient, sustainable options to meet the demands of an evolving marketplace.
What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Ron Gale: Our business now has five legs to it:
We purchase complete manufacturing plants that are closing, including land, buildings, equipment and, in some cases, the IP. We take on environmental obligations and conduct remediation as needed. We own 20 manufacturing sites including a 190-acre facility we recently acquired from Novartis in the U.K. This is the largest complete active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) plant in Europe.
We acquire complete unit operations closing in a complex where the overall facility does not shut down, but one or two units of operation are idled. We buy those units and sell them to companies for relocation in different parts of the world where it makes more economic sense to operate. We own or control 110 complete process units, including ammonia, methanol and melamine plants we recently contracted from BASF in Germany at their flagship plant.
We acquire plants and processes which an owner closes to remove capacity from the market to firm up prices. In these cases, the owner does not want us to sell the complete plant, so IPP will purchase the plants and processes, dismantle them and sell equipment system pieces and major equipment. We own 15,000 equipment systems and major pieces of equipment, most ready to ship immediately.
This year we launched Gale Process Solutions, which sells new and customized equipment. We partner with excellent fabricators and purchase their unused capacity, allowing us to build equipment to custom specification and for our own stock at a highly competitive cost. We offer a full line of stainless steel, Hastelloy and other alloy reactors, heat exchangers, filter dryers and other process equipment.
We expanded Universal Glasteel Equipment this year and now supply good used, rebuilt, reglassed and new glass-lined equipment and parts.
Everything we do is built around saving our customers time and money:
- Customers who buy complete plants for relocation save 70% of new equipment and engineering cost and 50% of project lead time.
- Customers who buy process equipment/systems save 50% of capital cost and up to 90% of equipment delivery lead time.
- Customers who buy complete plant sites get into operation immediately at a fraction of the original total installed cost.
What’s the news about new products/services?
This year, we’ve met our clients’ changing needs with new solutions that add flexibility and enhance efficiency. The biggest was launching Gale Process Solutions, which complements our inventory of rigorously inspected good second hand equipment.
We’re also expanding the capabilities of Universal Glasteel Equipment (UGE) and specialized reglassing services. Reglassing is an ideal solution for extending the life of equipment, helping companies make the most of their investments without sacrificing durability or safety. With UGE, clients achieve the same quality and resilience they’d expect from new glass-lined equipment at a fraction of the cost. This is especially valuable in industries where the integrity of glass-lined reactors, mixers, dryers and vessels is critical to maintaining product quality and ensuring regulatory compliance. UGE also offers new glass-lined equipment.
Put another way: IPP continues to evolve to meet our customers where they are. By consistently taking a consultative, solutions-based approach on Day 1 of an interaction, we’re able to understand our clients’ specific needs and provide options that drive value for them.
What are the ranges of products/services?
Ron Gale: If IPP can understand a company’s short-term, medium-term and long-term expansion targets, we can help it attain those goals below budget for cost and lead and time. We are not a consultant; we don’t charge for this service.
IPP’s inventory of complete plant sites, complete processes, equipment systems and major pieces of equipment covers everything from reactors, centrifuges, dryers, evaporators, heat exchangers and utility equipment to entire processing systems.
Beyond equipment, our services extend to purchasing full plants for liquidation and relocation. We handle each step with precision, whether it’s dismantling, transporting or recommissioning equipment, ensuring a seamless transition to keep production goals on track.
We also can help clients with asset valuation. Beyond that, if we don’t have what you need, we’ll find it from one of our 160,000 global customers.
What is the state of the market where you are active?
Ron Gale: We are active globally, and conditions are changing in all regions. For example, in Europe, energy costs have had a tremendous impact of late, forcing even the largest manufacturers to re-evaluate operations, reduce capacity and, in some cases, idle plants. High energy costs there are pushing companies to look for ways to restructure plant sites and processes to minimize operational costs and increase efficiency. This environment has created challenges and opportunities within the market, as companies aim to maintain sustainability goals and productivity without compromising profits. As a result, more companies are turning to IPP to purchase plants that are more economical to operate in their region than their present location.
We’ve also seen a surge in demand for repurposed equipment as companies seek cost-effective solutions to optimize or expand production without incurring the expense and time required to purchase new equipment. Our ability to provide quality, repurposed process equipment, often at a steep discount versus new and with immediate availability, is increasingly attractive to manufacturers dealing with constrained budgets and rising overhead.
This trend also aligns with a growing emphasis on sustainability, as more companies explore options to reduce waste and use existing assets. In a volatile market, our full-plant solutions – particularly our capability to sell plants as operational, in-place facilities – have been essential for clients looking to react quickly.
By providing budget-conscious alternatives, we’re able to help companies navigate these economic challenges and continue meeting their production goals economically and efficiently.
What can you tell us about market trends?
Ron Gale: Again, we’re seeing a significant trend toward sustainability and new processes that emanate from that trend, as companies across sectors look to minimize environmental impact and promote resource conservation. IPP has always been ahead of the curve here, advocating for repurposing and reusing assets to save capital and reduce waste.
This approach aligns well with current sustainability goals, as clients appreciate the value of extending equipment life. With IPP’s assets and global capabilities, we can be an important resource to help companies beat their announced sustainability goals.
We’re also seeing a trend where certain plants and processes are closing in the developed world and moving to the developing world.
What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
Ron Gale: We believe our total offerings are innovative because of the cost savings and material lead time savings for good used or new plants, processes and equipment. Normally, in mature industrial activities the difference between two offerings will not be more than 5% to 10% in cost and lead time. But with IPP, customers can save 50% to 70% on capital costs than traditional new equipment and experience 40% to 90% less lead time than traditional new equipment.
Other innovative offerings are the new equipment line from GPS, which combines growing inventory and custom-fabricated designs to meet specific requirements, and UGE’s reglassing services, which provide an effective way to extend the life of glass-lined reactors, as well as our reglassing program and new glass-lined reactors.
What estimations do you have for the rest of 2024?
Ron Gale: 2024 has been an incredibly busy year for us. We launched GPS, earned ASME certification for UGE’s work to be expanded to our 200-acre, 350,000-square-foot shop and warehouse facility in South Carolina and launched a website that is fully integrated with our inventory system, making it easier for customers to find the plants and equipment they need.
For the rest of 2024, we’re expecting continued strong demand as companies seek efficient, scalable solutions in light of ongoing economic challenges.
IPP is well-positioned to meet these needs with our robust inventory, GPS’s new equipment lines, and the quality reglassing options provided by UGE. We anticipate more clients will turn to us to cut costs, save time and pursue more sustainable practices.
Overall, we’re optimistic that our innovative services and enduring commitment to customer needs and satisfaction will keep us at the forefront of the industry. We believe that 2024 and 2025 will continue with many buying opportunities for IPP because of plants closing globally. In fact, in November, we purchased a 95-acre chemical site, complete with equipment, in the United States and another plant site from GEO Specialty Chemicals. We also feel our complete plant sales, complete processes and equipment systems are continuing to gain even more momentum.