Fred Russell, the project manager for Sara Lee, says: “Test-marketing a product is like buying a new car–you want to make sure it runs before you make the investment.”

According to Russell, Sara Lee saved six months of lead time and US$4 million by renting and reconditioning pre-owned equipment instead of purchasing new machinery.

It’s a concept that saves on capital. Instead of an initial large capital outlay, companies have monthly expenditures on rental equipment versus purchasing a new corporate asset. Businesses that want to manage cash-flow have options at the end of a rental agreement that allow for the return or purchase of the pre-owned equipment.

Frain Industries has revolutionized the pre-owned machinery industry with its “one-stop-shop” approach. It has refined a new concept in getting equipment operations up-and-running by offering renting, reconditioning, leasing and purchasing of pre-owned machinery all under one roof. Along with selling pre-owned equipment, the company is the largest purchaser of idle assets in the packaging industry.

Many companies don’t realize the assets in previously used machinery that sits dormant in the back of warehouses.  

Pfizer was able to benefit from the enormous database of equipment, and expansive warehouse at The Frain Group. The Frain Industries sales team helped Luciano track down a washer, and later a capper, for their aseptic filling line for injection bottles.

“Frain had the broadest selection of the type of equipment we were looking for,” says Luciano. “They had four washers readily available, and we ended up getting the best one suited for our application.”

Farther down the packaging line, Luciano realized Pfizer’s special cap machine, which was to be used on this same job, was inadequate. They were now faced with the question of whether to rebuild or replace.

Luciano went back to Frain and found four cappers available and one that would fit the bill nicely. Frain’s offer to exchange the Pfizer capper for one of their cappers made the sale more cost effective to Pfizer.

“Frain was a great resource for us,” says Luciano. “You have to be a savvy buyer when it comes to used equipment. You have to go in and take the guards off and made sure it is mechanically sound. But for those willing to check things out thoroughly, there are great opportunities to get good deals on pre-owned equipment.”

The Ivax Corporation, a leading pharmaceutical company that produces branded and generic pharmaceuticals, first approached Frain Industries after a failed packaging operation that was to take place in the Czech Republic.  The corporation needed a complete line to package a generic allergy nasal spray, however the company had a specific deadline to meet.  The branded allergy product was currently prescription only and Ivax wanted to be on the shelves with their generic brand as soon as the FDA approved the drug to be over the counter. 

Two used high-speed packaging lines, capable of up to 350 packages per minute, was sold to the Ivax Corporation.  Cartpac, a division of the Frain Group, set the machines to size and integrated sets.   In a matter of 10 short weeks, Cartpac had the lines running to the exact standard of the Ivax Corporation.  The machinery was shipped to the customer and production on their generic product began. 

An estimated 1.8 to 2.2 million dollars was saved buying high quality used equipment as opposed to buying new from an original equipment manufacture.  However, time was the most important factor for this particular customer and Frain Industries had the pharmaceutical giant up and running in 10 weeks compared to the 12 months it would have taken a new equipment manufacturer to provide.  Along with monetary and time savings, Cartpac provided Ivax with set up in their facility, training for their operators and complete technical support. 

The Frain Group is the world leader in high quality used packaging and processing machinery with over 6,000 machines in stock and available for two day shipping.  Frain strives to continuously expand its inventory while providing outstanding customer service to consumers in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries.

Frain rents, sells and leases all types of packaging machinery and has the ability to set up any machine for the customers specific need, all with a two week right of return guarantee.

• Manufacturing Line Engineering and Design
• Process Flow Analysis and Consultation
• Equipment Commissioning Installation and Start-Up
• Operator Training
• Emergency Field Service and Maintenance
• Detailed Documentation and Quality Assuarance

For 28 years the Frain Group has been providing Quality Pre-Owned equipment to our customers.  With over 40 projects in process each month, we are constantly assisting customers, helping them meet their manufacturing requirements.  With our shop just minutes from O’Hare and close to downtown, we invite you to come by and see the Frain Group in action!

With the abundant resources Frain has to offer, we can get you from project conception to completion while saving you time and money.  Consider the Frain Group for your next project to ensure a successful experience.

Many manufacturing companies have large amounts of inventory that are not being used because of lack of knowledge about the machinery and what machinery they actually own.  Frain Industries provides expertise about each piece of equipment and helps redeploy the existing machinery into production, saving companies millions of dollars.  If not all of the equipment is put into production initially; Frain Industries will store the remaining machinery in a warehouse and provide easy access to information about the pieces.  This saves companies time and money when planning on introducing a new product into the market. 

Recently Frain has moved to a 1,000,000 sq ft building to be able to accommodate more projects similar to this.  The new building located in Franklin Park and just minutes from O’Hare Airport allows Frain Industries’ entire inventory of over 5,700 machines in stock and ready to ship available under one roof.  It also allows for the expansion of inventory, both Frain equipment and equipment from manufacturing companies looking to save money through the redeployment project.  With market trends continuing to head in this direction many companies are deciding to make this a reality rather than just another lost idea. 

A growing number of manufacturing companies have the desire to introduce new products in the marketplace, but lack the capital-spending budget needed to implement the opportunity.  With the market trends continuing to head in this direction a solution to this challenge is essential.  Frain Industries provides this solution. 

Frain Industries is a packaging and processing machinery dealer that provides the largest selection of quality used machinery to the packaging world.  The company has grown from a small garage full of machines to a 1,000,000 sq ft warehouse that houses over 8,000 machines ready to ship.  Some of Frain Industries most recent successes can be attributed to the change in the marketplace trends.  As more companies limit packaging machinery budgets, Frain Industries provides their customers with an exceptional alternative:  “borrowing” high quality used machinery.  Companies can borrow machinery for new product introductions, seasonal or cyclical spikes in demand or other short term needs.  

Recently, several large food-manufacturing companies have used Frain Industries’ resources to achieve these project objectives.  Frain provided these companies with many short-term rentals to get the job done.  Frain assists in identifying the exact piece of equipment from its inventory database of 30,000 high quality machines, prepares the equipment for production and guarantees satisfactory application with an unconditional two week right of return.  The customer gets the right machine in less than half the time it

would take for new equipment to arrive, and at a monthly rate that eliminates the need for debilitating capital expenditure outlays. 

As the trend in capital budget spending continues to lessen, the need for creative solutions increases.  Frain Industries has recently purchased a 1,000,000 sq ft building to continue to increase inventory and allow for its current five buildings now be housed under one roof. 

For more information:

Contact:  Katie Frain

Phone:  630-629-9900

www.fraingroup.com

The Frain Group is the world leader in high quality used packaging and processing machinery with over 5,700 machines in stock and available for two day shipping.  Frain strives to continuously expand its inventory while providing outstanding customer service to consumers in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries.

Frain rents, sells or leases all types of packaging machinery and has the ability to set up any machine for the customers specific need, all with a two week right of return guarantee.

Many manufacturing companies have large packaging machinery inventories that are not being used.  Frain Industries helps redeploy the existing machinery into production, saving companies millions of dollars by allowing manufacturers to reuse machinery for new project introductions.  If not all of the equipment is immediately put into production; Frain Industries will store the remaining machinery in a warehouse and provide easy access to information about the pieces.  This saves companies considerable time and money introducing a new product into the market. 

Recently, Frain has moved to a 1,000,000 sq ft building to be able to accommodate similar projects.  The new building, located in Franklin Park, is just minutes from O’Hare Airport.  It houses Frain Industries’ entire inventory 5,700 machines-all ready to ship. The expanded facility allows for the expansion of inventory, both Frain equipment and equipment from manufacturing companies looking to save money through the redeployment project. 

The Frain Group is the world leader in high quality used packaging and processing machinery with over 5,700 machines in stock and available for two day shipping.  Frain strives to continuously expand its inventory while providing outstanding customer service to consumers in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries.

Frain rents, sells or leases all types of packaging machinery and has the ability to set up any machine for the customers specific need, all with a two week right of return guarantee.

Equipment Asset Management is a comprehensive strategy directed toward achieving the greatest effectiveness and profitability from production and manufacturing equipment assets. It is a strategy for optimum utilization, acquisition, installation, and operation of equipment. Correctly implemented, Asset Management links equipment availability and capacity to operating needs while speeding implementation and minimizing costs.

Equipment Asset Management not only provides a means to reduce costs but also method for lowering financial risk in launching new lines. It can provide also provide accurate reporting demonstrating Sarbanes Oxley compliance. Well implemented Asset Management allows a company take a exisiting liabilitiy of the cost of unused equipment and turn it into a profitable generator.

The Equipment Asset Management process must be accomplished from the top down. With this in mind, the needs of the company will drive the plan and determine the deployment and allocation of resources. A good asset management program will provide the following to meet operational and financial objectives:

Operational Objectives: For processing and packaging lines, managing your rotating and reciprocating equipment effectively provides the agility and capacity to meet production demands.

§  Speeds Time to Production:

o   Real time tracking and accurate reporting:

§  Provide complete and accurate information on equipment that is available and its location.

§  Provide a comprehensive information resource for manufacturing and engineering on the equipments’ current capabilities and requirements. This will include the engineering specifications necessary to make decisions on properly redeploying it such as capacities, speeds, condition, etc.

o   Accurate timelines and project planning

§  Direct project teams or asset recovery teams to available equipment resources.

§  Create accurate plans for the transfer of plant equipment and inventory to the correct site.

§  Determine what needs to be procured to complete the manufacturing line and source other equipment and components.

§  Information and specifications provided for Pnuematics, Water, Utilities, and Electricity for a smooth installation process.

These should be managed and maintained via a web-based, database interface to reflect in real time accurate inventory information.

Financial Objectives: For results that can be shown in the bottom line, Equipment Asset Management provides a means to reduce costs and method for lowering financial risk in launching new lines. It also provides accurate reporting demonstrating Sarbanes Oxley compliance. Well implemented Asset Management allows a company take a exissiting liabilitiy of the cost of unused equipment and turn it into a profitable generator.

§  Lowers capital expenses by utilize and redeploying current assets

§  Provides current and as accurate as possible evaluation of equipment asset worth and ensures Sarbanes - Oxley compliance.

o   Real time tracking and reporting of quality and value

o   Accurate, onsite evaluation of inventory documented

These competencies combined with a technological and experienced support team provides a total solution for clients seeking multiple opportunities to optimize the value of their asset recovery and inventory management capabilities.

Methods that go beyond compliance to drive value.

• Evaluate and Inventory your idle equipment
• Market and Promote your idle equipment to your plants on a proprietary web site
• Save millions of dollars by redeploying your idle equipment
• Trade unused, idle equipment for productive, profit generating machinery
• Sell your idle equipment for the highest prices available
• Sarbanes - Oxley compliance