Cloacina LLC, a California based manufacturer and purveyor of packaged wastewater treatment plants and equipment, knows and has served the wine industry for years. “Wineries are unique industrial clients that not only require quality equipment that is easy to maintain, they also need it to meet the high aesthetic standards demanded by the industry,” says Troy Ellison, Cloacina’s GMO and founding partner.“ Additionally, they run on irregular fiscal cycles, which means equipment orders tend to be rushed and carry tight deadlines for installation and start-up prior to crush.”
CHALLENGE
The previous blower system manufacturer was struggling to meet the quick turnaround times needed for Cloacina’s clients. “Not only was the lead time slow to get the equipment,” said Ellison, “but engineering was slow to respond too, and we could not stand by delays that created unnecessary down time.” Cloacina quickly determined the need for a blower system manufacturer that provided not only quality and value, but fast delivery and response from engineering through to servicing.
Another requirement was that the blower systems should not only be modular solutions that could be scaled, but that those solutions could be easily customized per a client’s exact needs without slowing down the delivery timeframe or driving up the costs too much.
SOLUTION
After a lengthy selection process, it was determined that Universal Blower Pac’s 3C-PAC blower system was the best solution overall to meet the demands for Cloacina’s clients. The 3C-PAC is a standard high performing, fully enclosed, compact blower system that is engineered for easy maintenance, indoor or outdoor conditions, flexible options and sizes for various installation needs. “We saw that Universal Blower Pac’s approach to engineering was similar to ours, said Ellison. “They are willing to push the envelope and step outside the standard comfort zone to allow for some customization without delivery delays or ridiculous upgrade fees. We felt they were focused on solutions for the end user’s goals, which is what we value as well.”
RESULTS
Ellison stated, “At a wastewater facility located in Santa Rosa, CA, we’ve already seen a considerable drop in energy use with over 50% electrical savings since the 3C-PACs were installed. Also prior, the operators could not walk into the room without ear protection. With the 3C-PAC, noise is a non-issue.” Ellison mentioned the best compliment came recently from Rob Miller, the project engineer at the San Antonio Winery in Paso Robles, when he was giving them an overview of their newly installed membrane bio-reactor system. “We were standing just a few feet from the blower system and when I mentioned it was running, he turned in shock and said he didn’t even notice is was on.” Beyond the high performance of the 3C-PAC, the “real value for us has been the fast response time from Universal Blower Pac in every part of the process from delivery through servicing,” said Ellison. “If I email them a question at midnight, I’ve found that the response is usually in my in-box by the morning. It’s just nice working with another family owned business that upholds the same values of doing what it takes to meet and understand the challenges of the end user.”
