Vincent Corporation is dedicated to:
- Advancing the technology
- Having fun
- Making enough money to carry us through the bad times
Historical Background
In the Fall of 1931 Dan B. Vincent placed in operation the first dryer used to produce dairy feed from citrus peel. This began a series of successful feedmilling systems. In 1936 a patent was issued to him for a dryer particularly adapted for the process, the first of more than twenty machinery and processing patents to issue over the next forty years. The business was incorporated as Dan B. Vincent, Inc. in 1946. It was active in domestic and international markets in the design, manufacture and installation of citrus processing plants for animal feed and pectin peel. The firm was also active in the field of fish processing and conversion of forage crops and sugar cane bagasse. As a refinement of these processes, the Company developed a superior screw dewatering press, first patented in 1961. In February, 1968 Dan Vincent entered into a contract to transfer ownership of the firm to the Rietz Company in Santa Rosa, California. Rietz was very successful in selling presses to the wine industry in California and international markets. However, they encountered financial difficulties in the 1970-1972 recession, and Vincent Corporation of Tampa resumed operations. In 2007 Vincent Corporation ceased to offer rotary drum dryers. This carry-over from the company’s origin was discontinued with much regret. Today we are focused on our key product line, screw presses. Throughout all these years the Company has been Tampa based, with all engineering and manufacturing taking place at progressively larger factories in the Ybor City area. Today the Company continues as a family-owned business.
Product Line
The main product manufactured by Vincent Corporation is current versions of the dewatering screw press originally developed by Dan B. Vincent in 1951. Until that time the company had acted as a dealer, selling the famous Zenith press, a vertical unit manufactured by Jackson Church. Today the horizontal Vincent presses sell for between $17,000 and $600,000 each, and about one hundred are sold per year. In 1999 the Fiber Filter was released for sale. This is an innovative filtration machine using fabric sleeves. The original development was aimed at either thickening flows ahead of a screw press or filtering the flow of press liquor from a screw press. Broader markets are being found for the machine because of its unique combination of fine filtration and high throughput flow. In 1994 a new series of presses were designed and built: the CP-4 through CP-12. CP originally stood for Cheap Press; this was changed to the politically correct Compact Press. These presses are more economical to produce than the older Series VP, but feature the same durability and conservative service factors. They feature all-stainless steel construction and screens made of profile bar. In 1996, the Series KP presses were introduced. Featuring even greater economy of design, they retain robust stainless steel construction. Five sizes are available: 6″, 10″, 16″, 24′ and 30″, with over 500 machines having been built. They have found acceptance for thickening ahead of other presses, manure, plastics recycling sludge, and food and produce waste. The larger machines have proven ideal for sweet corn canneries. In 1999 the Series TSP Twin Screw presses were introduced. These have the best feeding characteristics of all Vincent screw press designs. Other Vincent products include shredders and gravity dewatering screens. This equipment is used in conjunction with screw presses.
Market Segments
The markets into which Vincent Corporation sells its semi-custom engineered machines can be analyzed by end user. Historically, Vincent equipment is renown to the worldwide citrus industry. The citrus industry uses Vincent machinery to process citrus peel both for the production of animal feed and pectin peel. (Pectin is a substance used in food processing, most commonly to make jellies gel.) The largest market for Vincent presses is the pulp and paper industry. This has passed up citrus in financial significance. Our style of screw press was new to the pulp & paper industry, but it has gained widespread acceptance. Our forte is dewatering waste streams such as screen rejects, knots & shives, clarifier underflow, and cake from belt presses. Another basic use of Vincent presses is to process waste at food processing facilities. The purpose is to separate the water from the waste. This allows the water (press liquor) to be treated or sewered and the solids (press cake) to be reduced in weight and volume. The Series KP presses have proven extremely successful in this application. Vincent’s strongest selling tool is a rental fleet of over one hundred fifty machines. These allow a customer to try a machine before it is purchased. Standard as well as custom presses and filters are available, along with the services of field engineers.
Sales and Distribution
The preferred sales and distribution structure at Vincent was based on independent manufacturer’s representatives. However the wide acceptance of the internet and email has led to an increase in sales made directly to end users. International sales originate with European and U.S. parent companies as well as with independent sales agents. Inquiries direct from end users are welcomed.
Competition
Historically Vincent Corporation’s principal competitor was the Gulf Machinery Company of Safety Harbor, Florida. This firm dominated the citrus market by offering a broad range of machinery and innovations that reduced the capital cost of citrus feed mills. In the 1980’s Gulf Machinery suffered both from declining markets and a series of warrantee problems; bankruptcy was filed in 1990. Other Vincent Corporation competitors are larger firms that offer dewatering presses among other product lines. The principal European firms would be Vetter, Andritz, Stord, and FAN/Bauer. The Dupps Company and FKC, a Japanese firm, are strong in paper mill sludge. Rietz, the former Vincent Corporation licensee, can also appear as a competitor. None of these firms have experience in an extremely wide range of applications like Vincent. However they tend to dominate in a limited number of individual markets where Vincent also participates.
Growth Opportunities
There are a variety of growth opportunities for Vincent Corporation. When this history was originally written in the early 1990’s, we listed the pulp & paper industry, plastics recyclers, and dewatering produce waste. Today we are well established in all three of these markets. Dairy farms represent the largest growth potential at this time. Dewatering of manure is a specialty where we compete with the European firm FAN-BAUER. The need for nutrient management, as well as the production of dairy bedding, drives this market. The Series KP presses fit well in the dairy, swine, and cattle industries. Another key growth area has to do with cellulosic ethanol production and biogas digesters. These markets are driven by stimulus money, and Vincent has enjoyed participating in the evolution of the technology. Other niche markets with growth potential are dewatering silage from sweet corn canneries; inedible recovery at hatcheries, egg graders and egg breakers; and cooking oil recovery from fryer crumb. Successful testing with the Fiber Filter offers the promise that this series of machines can outgrow the sales of screw presses. The next five years will tell the story. (We have been saying this for almost ten years.)
Advertising and Promotion
For many years Vincent Corporation had good results by advertising in Thomas Register. Starting in 1994 the TR ads have featured Free Lab Testing and Rental Units Available. Today the Thomas Register has been replaced by the internet. Starting in 1998, our web site, www.vincentcorp.com, has come to generate far more sales leads than any other source. Vincent Corporation advertises in pulp & paper, food, and other trade journals. We also attend pulp & paper and food equipment trade shows. Promotional materials are limited to brochures. Good screw press and Fiber Filter brochures are available, but little is available for other products such as shredders, Pulp Fluidizers, reaction conveyors, limer dosers, etc. In 1993 Vincent joined both the Florida Citrus Processors Association and the Institute of Food Technologists. The IFT sponsors the International Citrus and Beverage Conference (formerly the Citrus Short Course) each year in cooperation with the University of Florida in Clearwater Beach. We also participate in the ASME Citrus Section annual seminar held in Lake Alfred. Vincent has presented a number of technical papers over the years. In 1995 we started sponsorship of two coffee breaks at the Citrus Short Course. This goes over very well.
Facilities
Vincent Corporation enjoys excellent facilities. The plant, with 30,000 square feet under roof on 3.5 acres, is ample for the needs of the Company. A test lab has been installed that includes several screw presses. This lab is an invaluable tool in securing business for new applications.
Staffing
Vincent Corporation operates with approximately 50 employees and an order backlog in excess of $1,000,000.