Reducing Startup Risk at a $500M Oilseed Processing Facility

Customer Overview

A newly constructed $500 million high oilseed processing facility was preparing for startup during an aggressive construction and commissioning timeline. Leadership understood that early decisions made during design and build would directly affect maintenance costs, reliability, and production performance once operations began.

The Challenge

During construction, plant leadership was managing multiple OEMs, contractors, and aggressive timelines.

The priority was getting the plant built and started on schedule, while long-term asset care and maintenance standards were still taking shape.

Without clear standards in place early, especially around lubrication and asset care, facilities often experience:

• Inconsistent maintenance practices
• Early equipment wear and unexpected failures
• Higher labor and material costs after startup
• Lost production during ramp-up, when downtime is most costly

Once operations begin, these issues are difficult and expensive to correct.

The Solution

This approach allowed maintenance standards to be set before equipment was put into service, supporting a cleaner startup and more consistent execution from day one. The solution focuses on a color-coded Lubrication Management system that provides reliable, safe storage, transfer, and identification, of the lubricants used for the plants critical assets. Oilsafe’s best practice, lubrication reliability solutions include:

• Modular storage and handling systems configured for designated areas allows for customized work space utilization.
• Clear organized identification of lubricants to avoid mistakes
• 3 Way in-line filtration with each tank having its own independent pump and filter to prevent cross contamination of multiple fluids.
• Benefits provided through reduced waste by choosing the right fluids from the right location in the right amounts.

Business Impact

For a high-throughput operation of this scale, these improvements translate into meaningful financial value through higher uptime, protection of capital investment, and a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the facility.

Why Baldwin Supply

Baldwin Supply became involved early, at a point when design decisions still mattered. By asking the right questions, and drawing on real-world experience, Baldwin helped the team spot an operational gap that could have been costly to fix after startup. Addressing it during construction allowed the facility to start up with greater confidence, avoid rework, and put systems in place that will support reliable operation for years to come.