Customer Profile

Founded in 1974, Dakota Refrigeration, Inc. provides North Dakota, Northern South Dakota, West Central Minnesota, and Eastern Montana with food service equipment as well as refrigeration, heating, ventilation, and commercial air conditioning services. Dakota Refrigeration’s capabilities cover everything from design and installation to maintenance and repair.

Business Challenge

Dakota Refrigeration’s large service area can result in lengthy travel time to the job-site. Mike’s team was challenged with a refrigeration equipment install 200 miles from the shop. This means incurring additional costs for weekly drive time, employee lodging, and daily allowances. The refrigeration system for the 25,000-square-foot store was designed for use with R-449A. It included numerous medium and low temperature glass door merchandisers, one open meat case (6-inch length) and four island freezers/dual temperature cases.

Labor Requirements

- 2 foremen, 2 apprentices
- 50-hour work week (includes 10 hours of overtime)
- Pay for weekly drive time (200 miles)
- Lodging and per diem per employee

Blended Rate for Job

$202/hour regular pay
$303/hour overtime (x 1.5)

Estimated Number of Fittings Used

870

Solution Overview

Dakota Refrigeration wanted to increase their bottom line. To do that they needed to find a way to decrease labor costs, which led them to ZoomLock. HVACR contractors have had to rely on brazing as the way to join copper tubing and fittings for refrigerant lines, and, brazing requires highly trained, highly paid technicians, fire permits, fire spotters, brazing tools and gases, nitrogen purging, and more. With a reported 40-60 percent reduction in time and labor costs on tubing connections, using ZoomLock made sense. By installing ZoomLock, Dakota Refrigeration was able to save two weeks in labor costs.
 

Publication date: 2/18/2019

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!