McCourt Equipment's Winning Strategy with Fusion® Platforms

Advantages of Fusion Platforms

Delivering the right solution starts with understanding customer needs from the get-go. While a Fusion Platform may ultimately be the right answer, McCourt's approach means carefully evaluating each customer's requirements and considering all available equipment options before determining the best path forward.

“When an opportunity comes from a customer, we put all of the options on the table and ask if they want a turnkey project or a system delivered with Fusion Platforms,” says Keane. "We carefully review the advantages of each."

And, he says, these modular platforms offer numerous advantages.

For one, plants are designed in pre-engineered packages that offer straightforward assembly, installation and customer start-up in a relatively short period of time.

“Because they’re pre-engineered, you don’t have to dedicate time for new drawings,” says Mark Crooks, Superior's product manager. “Working with a single source also saves significant time and reduces the headaches managing multiple suppliers for a single project."

“In addition, since our production crews are experienced with pre-assembling and setting up these systems, the process is familiar and efficient, eliminating the learning curve that can extend lead times with new or custom setups," Crooks adds. “It’s becoming a very streamlined process.”

Plants are also designed to be flexible and scalable so upgrades can easily be done in the future. For example, Crooks recently worked with an end user who purchased a Fusion Platform years ago and plans to add more modular assets for an expanded system.

“These are not just ‘one and done,’” Crooks says. “They’re a re-deployable, semi-static asset that can be moved around, subject to our customers’ production and market needs.”

Addressing Pain Points in Freight

According to Crooks, another benefit of Fusion Platforms is the flexibility to develop custom layouts from a pre-engineered design, coupled with improved access for maintenance and optimized freight packaging for a lower total cost.

Keane agrees on the freight packaging component, noting that it’s one of the drivers of end user decision-making. "OEMs like Superior, which ship plants globally, invest significant time in optimizing packaging to streamline transportation from the factory to the customer site," he says.

Crooks says freight is a strong pain point for end users and a focus area for Fusion Platform designers and engineers. Additionally, the Fusion approach truly simplifies plant setup, according to Crooks.

"We collaborate and communicate continuously with our customers, employees and partners, trying to find ways to simplify the on-site assembly process," he says. "These plants almost come together like a Lego set!”

Once installed, Keane says end users will produce their desired finished products rather quickly.

“Feedback from customers indicates that ROI on their initial investment is within a few years,” he adds.

Comprehensive Support for Projects

McCourt Equipment helps to see that payback through with the unique resources it dedicates to Fusion Platform projects.

“As a group, we have 37 people in our sales department, all supported by an additional 150 team members in different departments,” says Keane, adding that McCourt ownership has invested in valuable resources such as a mine engineer, a chemical engineer and an application specialist.

“As a salesforce, we are very comfortable with Superior’s folks coming with us to visit the customer," he says. "We encourage it and that's what makes Superior an excellent OEM to align with because they interface with the end user."

The alignment between Superior and McCourt is typically felt by end users, he adds, validating to them that they have two willing partners.

“It not only validates it, but it gives them peace of mind and confidence,” Keane says.

Crooks echoes Keane’s thoughts. "One of Superior’s core values and foundational principles is fostering long-term relationships," he says. "Working with the McCourt team, one of the ways we achieve this is by doing everything we can to simplify processes for the end user.'"

“Whatever their goals are, we’re going to try to help them achieve that – whether that’s upgrading an existing plant, more production, plant optimization or better maintenance access,” Crooks adds. “It’s all encompassed by a long-term partnership and support between McCourt Equipment and Superior Industries that we proudly stand behind!”