Selling used complete plant machinery is at the least challenging, possibly extremely complex. It requires many aspects, financial of course but also legal, social and logistic. The stakes are high and usually involve a lot of people including various decision makers.

There are many factors that influence the sale process. Today we are going to talk about a few steps that could overturn this complicated process for all complete plant machinery.

Used complete plants are always a far better investment than the new ones

A little tip for the buyers: A used complete plant will be set to work quite immediately as opposed to building a new one from scratch which involves waiting for each piece of equipment to be delivered. You will be sure that the machine has been evaluated and tested before the purchase, so you've got a guarantee that it will work. There are many reasons why companies sell used complete plants, as there are many reasons why selling them is such a complex process.

Here are the steps that could help you overcome the difficulty of selling complete plants:

Information on the production line

Make sure that you have all the necessary documentation with all the technical data concerning the parts of the complete unit. This means the make, the models , the acquisition date, the price, hours on production when available etc. The sooner a buyer has information, the faster he will want to inspect the line. Check the condition of the machines before deciding to sell the complete plant. It is better to know beforehand the condition of the plant, so that the buyer is already aware of it.

Also make a video of your complete line when it’s still in production, your potential buyer will want to see a video of the line working.

Provide financial statements and documentation

In case of activity purchase, you may need to provide financial statements of the last 3 years, taxes, aging accounts payable, market share, shareholder documentation etc. The buyers will also need evidence that the complete line is in good terms with the state. If you already have your own clients, provide a list of your best clients to the potential buyer.

The facility must be well managed and tidy

You would be surprised how important it is for sellers to see a tidy complete plant when they are doing an inspection. Tidying up the entire complete plant before putting it on sale would be a great idea. Make sure that your complete line is cleaned and that you have repaired all the missing parts before a potential buyer decides to pay a visit. The appearance of your complete unit is important in order to leave a good impression and to show that you don’t only want to sell your unit but also to leave it in a very good state. Leave the facility in the same way you would’ve liked to find it for yourself. No buyer would be willing to purchase a complete line if it's not in order or require some major reorganization.

Get a professional valuation of the line

Before the sale process, evaluate the line with the right price. If you are not sure about the price then discuss it with a professional. Are you the owner, the reseller, or is there a corporation that makes the decision on the sale? This eases and complicates things, if there is a board making a decision, it usually takes more time than initially planned. Be prepared first, and ensure the buyer too, for a smooth complete line sale.

Legal and Social issues

Verify that the complete plant is not involved in any legal implications, because if it does, this will only complicate the sale process, making it last longer, or just prevent it from happening at all.

Prepare a document that certifies that you do not have any problem with the state.

Does the sale of the complete plant include any social baggage? Make sure that the sale process goes evenly. Before the sale decision, confirm that this decision will not be the cause of strikes and worker laid-offs. This will prevent complete unit inspection if you have clients interested in your line.

Logistics and moving plants

Shipping complete plants is not the same as shipping a single unit. Depending on its destination, make sure that you have all the required documentation for the shipping. Nowadays, in Canada, the USA and Europe, the documentation can be obtained digitally, but not in all countries.

Also, beforehand inform the seller about the details needed for transportation- dimensions of each part of the machine- weight of each part of the machine- deadline / ideal day of pick up- the full location of the pickup- the full location of the destination- if a special lift or crane is needed for the loading- if the location of the loading is inaccessible for a truck

It is crucial for the plant to be sent to its destination without any damage.

Promotion channels

Are you giving the visibility that the unit needs for it to be sold? Depending on what your project is later or what deadline you have to sell the complete plant, make sure you give it the needed support. Promoting the complete line will only add more visibility and be a sales booster. Kitmondo is not an exclusive platform so if you have offered the line through other channels, we are here just to push more through the sale. Feel free to visit the complete plants that we promote on our platform www.kitmondo.com.