GEA Westfalia Separator Inc., the leading supplier of separating and clarifying equipment to the dairy industry, recently opened a new full-service facility in Patterson, Calif.
The location was specially selected to service the large number of dairy and beverage processing installations in the west. The 24,000-square-foot building features a complete shop for repair and service of all Westfalia Separator machines. The building also houses a full parts inventory and a training center developed for equipment demonstrations with customers.
“Our goal in opening this new center is to enhance our service and repair offerings to customers west of the Mississippi,” says Michael J. Vick, president, GEA Westfalia Separator Inc. “We want to be able to get machines requiring repair back to their production lines sooner. It’s part of our responsibility to customers who purchase our machines.”
The $5.5 million facility makes Westfalia Separator the only North American centrifuge supplier to offer both East and West Coast repair shops. Each shop contains all the proprietary equipment required to service separators and decanters. Shop personnel at the California facility are under the direction of a company-trained certified safety officer. “Our technicians have almost 60 years in combined experience with Westfalia Separator and several staff members have apprenticed and trained at corporate headquarters in Oelde, Germany,” Vick says.
When equipment enters the facility, it is processed following the company’s rigorous and proven inspection procedures, with cleaning accomplished using an automated and controlled system. This helps expedite any necessary repairs. Once repairs are complete, every aspect of the machine is tested to ensure optimal and safe operation before shipment back to customer locations.
“At Westfalia Separator, we maintain a keen focus on the safe operation of our equipment,” Vick says. “To this end, we are dedicated to providing customers with the professional assistance they need to keep their separators up and running in both a safe and efficient manner.”
The Patterson, Calif. location will also serve as home base for the company’s western region dairy sales force. To contact service or sales professionals at this location, call 209/895-6300.
GEA Westfalia Separator Inc. is the North American subsidiary of GEA Westfalia Separator GmbH, with headquarters in Oelde, Germany. In addition to the full service centers in New Jersey and California, there are sales and service locations in Florida, Texas, Illinois and Canada.
