Charter Machine Company

What Charter Machine Company does

Charter Machine Company is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of wastewater and biosolids management equipment, founded in 1968 in Metuchen, New Jersey, and operating as a subsidiary of Graphic Equipment Corporation. The company designs, fabricates, and services a comprehensive portfolio of sludge thickening, dewatering, drying, conveyance, polymer conditioning, and lime post-treatment equipment built around belt filter press technology across five press lines (BP 6000, BP 8000, Tower Press, Tower Regent Press, Sentry Press, and Sentry Regent Press), with proprietary features including a unique center-pivot belt steering system, a patented vertical Tower Press with stainless steel drip pans, an 89% open-area perforated pressure roller, and the exclusive U.S. distributorship for ELODE electro-osmosis dehydrator technology from South Korea.

The company serves municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities (including food and beverage, agricultural, and process industries) through an enterprise field sales model with direct engagement of operators and engineers, on-site pilot testing, custom engineering, skid-mounted and plug-and-play system integration, and a full lifecycle service offering of installation, field services, aftermarket parts, rebuilds, and rental of mobile dewatering trailers. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment sales supplemented by recurring aftermarket parts, rebuilds, rental/lease income on mobile units, and custom engineering and field services, with custom quote-based pricing and no public price disclosure.

Notable installations include Henderson Water Utility (Kentucky), Pennsylvania-American Water, Wausau Wastewater Treatment Facility (Wisconsin, part of an $80 million plant upgrade), Epcor's Copper Basin Water Reclamation Plant (Arizona), and Bay Park Long Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (New York, Hurricane Sandy emergency deployment). Charter Machine Company operates with 51-100 employees, maintains U.S.-based manufacturing, and exhibits at WEFTEC and more than ten regional water/wastewater associations across the United States and Canada.

Name

Charter Machine Company

Legal name

Charter Machine Company

Website

https://chartermachinecompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Charter Machine Company is a U.S. manufacturer of wastewater and biosolids dewatering equipment, including belt filter presses, screw presses, and ELODE electro-osmosis dehydrators, serving municipal utilities and industrial customers through direct field sales, custom engineering, and lifecycle services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater Treatment Equipment

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Pressure Washing & Jetting Equipment (IMAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bulk Material Handling Systems (Belt Conveyors, Feeders, Stackers, Reclaimers) (IMAHABAH)

Keywords

• Wastewater dewatering equipment
• Belt filter presses
• Biosolids management systems
• Sludge thickening equipment
• Industrial wastewater processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Metuchen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of sludge dewatering, thickening, drying, and conveyance equipment including belt filter presses, tower presses, screw presses, gravity belt thickeners, rotary drum thickeners, electro-osmosis dehydrators, polymer systems, conveyors, and lime post-treatment systems. Equipment is available in standard configurations or custom-engineered to meet facility-specific requirements.
2. Equipment Rental and Leasing: Mobile dewatering units and other equipment available for rental or lease/lease purchase, both new and used. Rental units include Tower Press models, Sentry Press models, gravity belt thickeners, rotary drum thickeners, ELODE dryers, and screw presses on various trailer configurations.
3. Aftermarket Parts: Comprehensive inventory of replacement parts for all Charter Machine equipment and legacy Roediger installations, available for immediate shipment to minimize facility downtime.
4. Equipment Rebuilds and Upgrades: Rebuild, refurbishment, and upgrade services for existing Charter Machine equipment and legacy Roediger installations, including partial rebuilds and full press rebuilds.
5. Custom Engineering and System Integration: Custom engineered solutions including skid-mounted systems, sump/skid systems, plug-and-play configurations combining pumps, compressors, polymer systems, conveyors, and control panels, as well as custom control panels manufactured in-house.
6. Field Services: On-site field services for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and operator training for Charter Machine dewatering equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charter Machine Company designs, manufactures, and services sludge dewatering, thickening, drying, and conveyance equipment for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment applications. Core offerings include multiple belt filter press lines (BP 6000, BP 8000, Tower Press, Tower Regent Press, Sentry Press, Sentry Regent Press), thickeners, screw presses, electro-osmosis dehydrators, evaporative belt dryers, mobile dewatering trailers, and supporting polymer, conveyance, and post-treatment systems, complemented by field services, parts, rebuilds, and rental options.

Product overview

Charter Machine Company is an industrial equipment manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of sludge processing and wastewater dewatering solutions. The product portfolio centers on belt filter press technology spanning five distinct press lines: BP 6000 (traditional horizontal press), BP 8000 (three-belt integrated thickening and dewatering), Tower Press (vertical belt arrangement with drip pans), Tower Regent Press (15-roll high-solids variant), Sentry Press (three-belt with vertical pressure zone), and Sentry Regent Press (high-solids 15-roll version). Supporting the press lineup are thickening solutions including Gravity Belt Thickeners and Rotary Drum Thickeners, screw press technology (Royal Screw Press), mobile dewatering (Dewatering Trailers), skidmount systems, sludge bagging, and drying technologies including Electro Osmosis Dehydrators (ELODE, distributed in the US) and Evaporative Belt Dryers. The full system is complemented by conveyance equipment (Belt and Screw Conveyors), Polymer Systems for sludge conditioning, and Lime Post Treatment systems. The company also provides comprehensive lifecycle services including rental equipment, field services, aftermarket parts, rebuilds, custom solutions, and machine shop services. Founded in 1968, the company leverages Roediger technology with proprietary innovations to serve municipal, industrial, agricultural, and food processing applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BP 8000 Belt Filter Press Three-belt belt filter press combining gravity belt thickening and mechanical dewatering in a single compact system with horizontal pressure zone configuration, designed for space-constrained facilities and high-volume sludge processing at municipal and industrial sites.
• BP 6000 Belt Filter Press Traditional horizontal belt filter press for reliable, high-throughput sludge dewatering with rigid mechanical foundation and modern automation, available in standard and high-solids (HS) configurations for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.
• Tower Press Vertical belt filter press with optimized pressure zone for higher cake dryness than conventional horizontal configurations, featuring vertically aligned pressure rollers with 205-degree belt wrap and patented stainless steel drip pan system to prevent rewetting, eliminating the need for platforms and catwalks.
• Tower Regent Press High-solids 15-roll variant of the Tower Press with seven additional rollers extending retention time and applying additional shear and compression, increasing cake solids by 2-5% compared to standard Tower Press configurations.
• Sentry Press Three-belt press with vertical pressure zone for high-capacity sludge dewatering, separating gravity belt thickening from shear and pressure zones for independent speed control and improved solids capture.
• Sentry Regent Press High-solids 15-roll three-belt press extending retention time through additional shearing and compression, available in belt widths up to 3.2 meters for maximum throughput capacity at large municipal and industrial facilities.
• Gravity Belt Thickeners Equipment for preliminary sludge thickening using gravity drainage on moving belts to increase solids concentration before downstream dewatering, available in multiple width configurations for municipal and industrial plants.
• Rotary Drum Thickeners Sieve drum concentrators that thicken sludge through screening and gravity drainage as material passes through a rotating drum, with models RF-90, RF-125, and SDC45.
• Royal Screw Press High-efficiency screw press with low power consumption (0.75-5.5 kW) achieving up to 25%+ total solids cake with flow rates up to 200 GPM, featuring integrated thickening drum and ultra-quiet operation.
• Dewatering Trailers Self-contained mobile dewatering units on open, partially enclosed, or fully enclosed trailers requiring only electrical power, water hookup, sludge source, and discharge containment for temporary or portable dewatering applications.
• Sludge Bagger Equipment for packaging dewatered sludge cake into bags for handling, storage, and transport, model ROEBAG 12.
• Electro Osmosis Dehydrators (ELODE) Non-thermal sludge dryer using DC electric fields to drive water out of biosolids at the molecular level, achieving approximately 60% solids reduction in 3 minutes with about 9x less energy than thermal drying; distributed exclusively by Charter Machine in the United States.
• Evaporative Belt Dryer Sludge drying equipment using an evaporative process for additional moisture removal beyond mechanical dewatering.
• Rental Equipment Mobile dewatering unit rentals and lease/lease-purchase options (Tower Press, Sentry Press, gravity belt thickeners, rotary drum thickeners, ELODE dryers, and screw presses on various trailer configurations) for temporary needs, emergencies, capacity expansions, or pilot projects.
• Field Services On-site technical support, installation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and operator training services for Charter Machine dewatering equipment and legacy Roediger installations.
• Aftermarket Parts Comprehensive inventory of replacement parts for all Charter Machine equipment and legacy Roediger installations, available for immediate shipment to minimize facility downtime.
• Rebuilds Rebuild, refurbishment, and upgrade services for existing Charter Machine equipment and legacy Roediger installations, including partial rebuilds and full press rebuilds to extend equipment lifecycle.
• Custom Solutions Custom engineered solutions integrating equipment to address complex wastewater processing challenges with plant-specific designs, including skid-mounted systems and custom control panels manufactured in-house.
• Machine Shop Services Precision machining and fabrication capabilities supporting equipment manufacturing, custom part production, and bearing fabrication, leveraging large- and small-run machining capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• ELODE electro-osmosis dehydrator doubles biosolids solids content (e.g., 15% to 30% or 20% to 40%) in approximately 3 minutes, reducing cake weight by 50-67%.
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ELODE (South Korea)coreTechnology or IntegrationCharter Machine Company holds exclusive distributorship rights for ELODE electro-osmosis dehydrator technology in the United States. ELODE, based in South Korea, manufactures the proprietary technology that has been on the global market for approximately 15 years. Charter distributes, installs, and provides support for ELODE equipment in the U.S. market.
• Graphic Equipment CorporationcoreOthersCharter Machine Company is a subsidiary of Graphic Equipment Corporation. The company was originally founded as GEC Incorporated in 1968, which evolved into Charter Machine Company under the Graphic Equipment Corporation corporate structure.
• Roediger (former Pittsburgh equipment line)coreTechnology or IntegrationCharter Machine Company acquired the former Roediger Pittsburgh equipment line, including belt filter press technology, gravity belt thickeners, and associated components. Charter participated in the original manufacture, support, and continuation of Roediger equipment before acquiring the technology. The company continues to support existing Roediger installations and has integrated the Roediger equipment line into its manufacturing operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water and wastewater treatment giant offering end-to-end solutions including sludge dewatering equipment and services. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same municipal/industrial customer base Charter Machine serves.
• Parkson Corporation: Established US provider of water and wastewater treatment equipment with broader portfolio encompassing biological, filtration, and dewatering solutions. Larger incumbent competing on a wider range of municipal process equipment.
• Xylem (Evoqua): After acquiring Evoqua, Xylem is one of the largest water technology companies globally with comprehensive wastewater treatment and biosolids handling equipment. Broad incumbent with overlapping municipal/industrial customer base.

Emerging players

• Schenck Process: Global materials handling and separation equipment manufacturer with some overlap in sludge/solids processing and conveying. Larger and more diversified than Charter Machine, with deeper engineering resources in industrial applications.

Direct peers

• Alfa Laval: Swedish multinational manufacturing decanter centrifuges and separation equipment for wastewater biosolids dewatering. Competes head-to-head with Charter Machine's belt filter presses and thickening equipment for municipal/industrial customers.
• BDP Industries: US-based manufacturer of sludge dewatering presses, belt filter presses, and thickening equipment serving the same municipal and industrial biosolids market as Charter Machine. Direct competitor with comparable product portfolio.
• Komline-Sanderson: US-based manufacturer of sludge dewatering equipment including belt filter presses, screw presses, and auxiliary systems. Closest US-headquartered direct competitor offering overlapping product lines to municipal and industrial customers.
• Huber Technology: German-headquartered manufacturer of sludge treatment equipment including belt filter presses, screw presses, and thickening solutions. Directly competes with Charter Machine in municipal and industrial wastewater dewatering globally.
• Centrisys / CNP: US-based manufacturer of dewatering centrifuges and sludge thickening equipment for municipal wastewater and industrial applications. Direct competitor in the biosolids dewatering space, particularly with screw press and centrifuge technologies.
• Andritz AG: Global supplier of decanter centrifuges, belt filter presses, and sludge dewatering equipment for municipal and industrial wastewater. Directly competes with Charter Machine in the same dewatering/separations category, with broader product range and global footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charter Machine Company