PHOENIX Process Equipment, based in Louisville, Kentucky, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

A Department of Energy grant helped fund the development of the company’s initial technology, the separation of clean coal from coal refuse. This process technology fostered the company’s development of its core product line, a high capacity dewatering filter (belt filter press) capable of efficiently dewatering fine particle slurries. The success of this dewatering technology established the foundation that has led PHOENIX to become an international leader in the supply of liquid/solid separation and residuals dewatering equipment.

From PHOENIX’s international headquarters in Louisville, the company quickly expanded its markets and technologies, being recognised in 1989 by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s 500 fastest growing private companies. Business First of Louisville ranked PHOENIX as Louisville’s 32nd fastest growing privately held business on its 2008 Fast 50 list.

Internal development and a series of strategic partnering relationships and joint ventures have established a broad base of environmental products and process technologies.

PHOENIX products include belt filter presses, thickeners, fluidised bed sand classifiers and separators, gravel jigs, hydrocyclone/screen separators, polymer mixing and delivery systems, and water filtration/recycling systems. Other services offered by PHOENIX include automation and controls, electrical systems design, facilities engineering, field support services, installation, operator training, replacement parts, start-up services and turnkey systems.

PHOENIX serves many markets including coal preparation plants, sand and gravel processing, municipal wastewater, pulp and paper, and various industrial market segments. The company sells its products and services through a worldwide network of sales representatives. Export sales have made significant contributions to its growth with exports comprising an average of 30% of total sales over the past ten years.