The attempted restart of composite railroad tie maker IntegriCo Composites Inc. apparently has ended.
All production equipment of Sarepta, La.-based IntegriCo will be auctioned Nov. 7, according to a news release from Bonnette Auction Co. The auction "allows industry professionals, especially those in the recycling and composite manufacturing fields, to acquire advanced, state-of-the-art equipment from one of the nation's leaders in composite industrial product manufacturing," officials said.
"This auction provides an opportunity for companies looking to expand their own production capabilities within the recycling sector," they added. IntegriCo's production equipment "is uniquely designed to handle and repurpose high-volumes of recycled materials. … The assets are ideally suited for firms focused on sustainable manufacturing solutions and product lifecycle management."
In late 2022, when the company was owned by Miami-based Purchase Capital LLC, Doug Fox was appointed as IntegriCo's CEO in an attempt to stabilize the business and expand operations.
At that time, IntegriCo was operating one shift five days a week with 50 employees after a series of stops and starts brought on by the challenges of COVID-19. The firm had been making composite railroad ties from recycled plastics since 2007, using bales of mixed plastics as feedstock.
Fox previously was a consultant to IntegriCo and came out of retirement after a career in the railroad industry. He also brought back Ken Webber as general manager who was responsible for developing the company's composite formula.
Prior to the auction, a live inspection of the equipment will take place in Sarepta on Nov. 6.