As Sara Arendt reflects on McCourt Equipment's success with Superior wash plants in recent years, she points to a disciplined planning process as the foundation for their high win percentage.
“Before discussing any equipment, we spend a lot of time understanding what our customers want to achieve,” says Arendt, and application specialist with the Texas-based dealer. “This includes target production, operational constraints, and their long-term objectives.”
With those goals shared, McCourt digs deeper into the technical details that will ultimately shape the plant design.
“We gather as much data as possible including material samples, site specifics, tonnage expectations, water availability, everything we need to understand the full scope of the project,” she says.
Arendt says Superior plays an important role as well, providing technical resources from project planning through commissioning and beyond.
A recently commissioned wash plant for Auzterra Aggregates in Hempstead, Texas, offers an example of McCourt putting its playbook into action.
Auzterra is a relatively new producer, establishing itself just within the last couple of years. They first approached McCourt about a new wash plant in 2024 and initially deferred most key decisions to the dealer.
Just as the design was wrapping up, a new Auzterra employee with previous washing experience recommended separating the operation into independent sand and gravel circuits.
McCourt revisited the design and reworked the plant to accommodate the approach.
“It was a little frustrating—someone comes in and starts to change things—but we rolled with it," Arendt says. "And everything turned out great.”
McCourt's willingness to adapt strengthened the relationship and reinforced Auzterra's confidence in them.
“It’s always a good thing when I don’t hear from anyone in sales during startup,” says Jeff Gray, Superior's sales director. “Usually, that means everything is working the way it’s supposed to and the customer is happy.
Dealer opportunities like this one with Auzterra should continue to increase because of new pressures on end users. With fewer clean deposits near population centers, washing is playing a larger role in meeting spec.
“There are more marginal deposits being evaluated than there used to be,” Gray says. “Even dormant sites are getting a second look, but unlocking their value often requires washing equipment that wasn't previously needed."
As demand grows, producers are also looking for solutions that can be delivered and commissioned quickly. That's one reason Superior developed its Fusion® Modular Platforms, which are pre-engineered to reduce lead times and simplify setup.
Fusion Platforms now represent about 40 percent of the wash systems Superior's dealers sell.
“They don’t want to wait a year for a plant," Arendt says. "If a solution is pre-engineered and proven, it becomes much easier to get customers on board.”
Fusion Platforms also make it easier for producers to expand capacity over time without starting from scratch.
“They might start with a 300 TPH plant and later decide they need 400, 500, or even 600," says Ryan Kays, McCourt's sales manager. "That growth can be planned from the beginning, whether it happens two, five or ten years down the road.”
Building expertise in washing has also been an intentional investment for McCourt. The dealer has expanded its own knowledge of the segment while leaning on Superior's specialists for additional support when needed.
“There’s a professional at Superior for each piece of wash equipment and we can call all of them directly,” Kays says. “They’re always open to discussion.”
Jeff Gray believes that level of collaboration is one reason McCourt Equipment continues to find success in washing and beyond.
“The best projects happen when everyone is working toward the same goal,” he says. “Dealers brings a deep understanding of the local market, producers share their objectives, and Superior pitches in with technical support to help bring everything together.”
For McCourt Equipment, that approach continues to turn wash opportunities into successful projects.