What Matters in Used Equipment: What You Buy, Who Built It, and Who Services
- 22 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Dan Welch
Introduction
Nearly every week we get a call from someone considering a piece of used equipment.
That is no surprise. There is still a significant amount of packaging systems in the secondary market, and depreciation can translate into real savings.
But caveat emptor.
Not all used equipment, however inexpensive, is a good deal. Getting a machine back to proper working condition can come with serious expenses that devour those savings quickly. More importantly, not every company that builds packaging equipment is interested in supporting their used machines.
Here is the elephant in the room: not all of the companies that supplied equipment to the craft industry over the past decade are in this for the long term. Some are simply not around anymore.
So let’s have an honest conversation about the used market.
Who You Buy From Matters
A little background on CODI.
We started in 1992 building conveyance systems and installing our patented Retrofit System across 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries. We expanded globally, building can plants throughout Asia. Only after that firm foundation as a manufacturer did we develop our first small-scale counterpressure filler in 2015.
Our customers kept asking for more, so we kept building. Today we offer a full portfolio of packaging automation from infeed to outfeed.
We have also deliberately diversified, both in the products we build and the industries we serve. Large beverage producers and boutique craft operations. Material handling. Power distribution.
What does that mean for you?
We are still here.
The craft beer correction hit many equipment manufacturers hard because they were entirely dependent on that one market. We were not. Our market diversification is a strength that allows us to provide lifetime service for our machines.
When you buy CODI machinery, you are buying from a company that will be here when you need parts, support, or an upgrade next month, next year, or next decade.
What You Buy Matters
Every machine we make is built at our facility in Colorado, largely from components we manufacture ourselves. Stainless steel construction. Quality materials. No shortcuts.
Our CEO, Jared Jones, demands that we never settle for good enough. We build for better.
The result is machinery built more like a tractor than one built to follow a trend. Engineered to be easy to service and to last for decades or as we say, “built for generations.”
Levels of Used Equipment Support from CODI
To serve buyers of used CODI equipment, we have developed structured support packages designed to match your budget, your internal expertise, and your expectations
At a high level, there are four options.
Full Service Package
For those who want CODI involved from start to finish. A certified CODI technician travels to the selling/shipping facility to properly dismantle and crate the equipment for shipment. At your facility, we oversee uncrating, installation, commissioning, and comprehensive training of your team. This approach reduces risk, protects the equipment in transit, and ensures the line functions correctly and that you get the full value of your equipment.
Partial Service Package
For teams that can manage dismantling and logistics but want CODI on the ground for installation and training. We arrive at your facility to uncrate, install, validate performance, and train your operators. This mirrors the service we provide to new machine installations, with added attention to the nuances of used equipment. A balanced approach for customers who want technical confidence without full logistical involvement.
Limited Service Package
For mechanically confident operations that handle transport and assembly themselves. Once the equipment is installed, a CODI technician will inspect the line, confirm it is operational, identify any parts that need attention, and train your team once the system is running as intended. This option provides validation and knowledge transfer while keeping more of the process in your hands while providing a bit of peace-of-mind.
No Service
Of course, you can go your own way and elect for no CODI service. But understand that no matter how well engineered a piece of automation equipment is, proper installation, setup, and trained operators are essential to getting the most out of it. Consumables and wear parts are available for sale, but no technical support is provided.
Regardless of the level you choose, CODI has spare parts available and we are easy to reach.
Each case is unique. The condition of the equipment, the utilities at your facility, and the product you are running all matter. Our goal is simple: ensure that you are getting the most out of your investment in your CODI equipment.
Who Services It Matters
This brings us to one of the most important aspects: beyond the quality of the equipment itself, there is the team behind it.
Our Service Technicians average over a decade of industry experience. These are people who know this equipment deeply, who have built it and worked alongside the Engineers and Machinists on our factory floor, and who genuinely care about what they do. When something goes sideways on a packaging day, you should have access to someone who knows the machine and wants to help. That is what you get with CODI.
When our Service Team is not on the road, they are at our Colorado facility, working with customers and solving problems. That continuity of knowledge is part of what you are buying. And that support remains available for as long as you own the equipment.
The Bottom Line
The secondary market is replete with equipment. There are legitimate deals to be found. There are also machines that will cost more to resurrect than you would have spent buying new.
When considering used equipment, ask yourself three questions:
Is the machine well-engineered and built to last? Not all equipment is created equal, and the difference shows up fast once you are running production.
Will the manufacturer be there when you need them? Parts, support, and expertise have to be available when things come up, and they will.
Who is doing the service? You want people who know the machine, not someone working through a manual.
On all counts, CODI is here for you.
If you picked up a used CODI machine, or you are evaluating one, reach out to us. We are happy to answer your questions and discuss service offerings.
CODI Service
303.277.1542 ext. 3
Service Service@codimfg.com
Parts Orders@codimfg.com
About CODI Manufacturing
CODI Manufacturing has been designing and building packaging automation in Colorado since 1992. We offer a complete line of beverage packaging equipment from infeed to outfeed, built in the USA and engineered to last. Veteran-owned. Machinery and a business that are "Built for Generations."
About Dan Welch
Dan Welch is Growth & Marketing Strategist at CODI Manufacturing. He spent over two decades as a sales and marketing executive at a Fortune 500 company before pivoting to the craft beverage equipment industry in 2018, where he held senior sales and general management roles. He joined CODI in 2025 and is based in Colorado.