Finance a screening plant for aggregate, quarry, or mining classification operations. Loans and leases from $50k. Application-only to ~$400k, funded in 1-2 weeks.
Producing three or four precisely sized product fractions from a single feed stream is the whole job for a screening plant, and the tonnage each bin delivers per hour determines whether the operation hits its margins or bleeds them. Fixed screening plants anchored at a quarry or aggregate terminal handle steady high-volume throughput; portable and semi-portable screening plants follow material flows, contract work, and project-specific demands. We finance both configurations for quarry operators, aggregate producers, mining companies, and material-handling contractors across the full range of plant sizes and ages.
Screening plant financing starts at our $50,000 minimum, with the practical range for most standalone screening plant acquisitions running from $100,000 for compact portable track-mounted units up to $500,000 and above for large multi-deck fixed installations with conveyors, surge bins, and associated structure. Application-only approvals to approximately $400,000 come back within 48 to 72 hours in most cases. Larger transactions close in about one to two weeks through a full underwrite that includes three months of bank statements and basic business documentation.
Fixed Versus Portable Screening Plants and What They Mean for Financing
A fixed screening plant is a permanent installation: concrete foundations, steel support structures, multiple screen decks arranged in a process sequence, and a network of conveyors feeding and discharging each fraction. The permanence of fixed plants creates a different collateral picture than portable equipment. The machinery itself is separable from the structure, but in practice the plant moves only during a major refurbishment or site decommission. Lenders treat fixed screening plants as long-life capital assets with strong operational attachment to the site, which typically allows for longer loan terms and lower down payments for established operations.
Portable screening plants range from track-mounted triple-deck scalpers designed for job-site work to larger trailer-mounted multi-deck installations that are semi-portable, meaning they can be relocated between permanent sites but not repositioned daily. The self-propelled track-mounted units hold residual value well because they represent a complete, independent production system. Trailer-mounted portables are more site-dependent and finance on terms that reflect that difference.
Equipment manufacturers whose screening plants we regularly finance includeMetso, Kleemann, McCloskey, Powerscreen, Terex Finlay, Haver and Boecker, and McLanahan, along with custom-fabricated fixed plant installations from regional plant builders. For custom-fabricated plants, the structure itself may not carry independent equipment value, but the mechanical components within it, the screens, motors, and drives, can be collateralized as part of the overall transaction when the fabricator can provide a component breakdown.
Who Buys and Finances Screening Plants
Quarry operators represent the largest segment. A quarry running limestone, granite, or trap rock depends on its screening plant to separate every ton of crushed product into the right bin, and replacing or upgrading that plant is a capital decision that typically carries a six-figure cost and a multi-year payback. These are established operations with bankable financials, and financing terms reflect that stability.
Aggregate producers running sand and gravel deposits use wash-screen plants that combine classification with dewatering, producing clean aggregate from alluvial material. The wash plant variant is a close cousin of a screening plant and finances under the same general approach. Operators insand and gravelandaggregate productionare among the most frequent users of screening plant financing.
Contract crushing and screening operations finance portable screening plants as mobile income-producing assets. For these operators, the plant's earning power is its contract book, and we underwrite around the demonstrated revenue of the operation. Mining companies adding product classification capacity to an existing process circuit, particularly for commodities likeiron orewhere product size is a critical spec, also use screening plant financing to add or replace screening capacity without tying up operational cash flow.
How the Financing Process Works
New plant purchases from a dealer or OEM begin with a quote or purchase order that identifies the specific equipment configuration and price. We review the asset description, the business profile, and the credit file. For application-only transactions, the process is relatively quick: a completed credit application and basic business information are sufficient for the initial decision.
Used plant transactions require more documentation because the condition of the screens, the drive systems, and the associated conveyor network must be assessed. An inspection report from a qualified equipment appraiser or a pre-purchase inspection by the OEM's service team strengthens the file considerably. If the plant includes significant structural steel, a component breakdown separating the mechanical value from the structural value is helpful for collateral purposes.
We can also work with partial refinancing on existing screening plant loans. If the operation financed a plant several years ago and has built equity in the asset, acash-out refinancemay allow the operator to pull liquidity out of the plant without selling it. Similarly, aSale-Leaseback Financingon an owned screening plant frees up working capital while keeping the plant fully operational under the operator's management.
New Plant Versus Used Plant Acquisition
New screening plants from major manufacturers carry lead times that can run several months depending on the configuration and the manufacturer's order book. Operators who cannot wait for a new build often acquire refurbished plants from decommissioned quarries or plant upgrade programs. Well-maintained used plants can deliver many years of reliable service and finance at a significant discount to new replacement cost.
The key for used plant financing is documentation. A plant that comes with its original equipment manuals, a history of annual screen inspections, and recent bearing replacement records is a much easier finance than one acquired from an auction with no history. We evaluate used plants case by case, and operators who invest in a pre-purchase inspection are generally rewarded with faster approval and better terms than those who cannot provide condition documentation.