Freezers, coolers, walk-ins, reach-ins, top-mounted, under-the-counter; the medium-temperature and low-temperature aspects for the storage of food products are a mix-and-match matter. Here is a review of what was new in freezers and coolers from the NRA and FMI shows.

Call it preaching to the choir, but refrigerant manufacturers in the United States are continuing to sing the praises of HFCs to those within the industry, even as elements in Europe push for the end of these refrigerants due to global warming concerns.

A control module called the Cube is being offered in retrofit and OEM applications for display coolers and vending machines. Its creator, Phil Baker, calls it "a standardized refrigeration module incorporating the latest technology."

The headline in the Kansas City Star sounded ominous enough: “Uncertainty Clouds VICA Event.” In reality, the article was not directly related to the annual SkillsUSA/VICA national championship taking place that week in and around downtown Bartle Hall. However, the topic it covered could have an impact on high school trade and vo-tech funding.

A routine Tuesday morning at a cold storage warehouse became anything but routine when the central refrigeration system failed. As a frozen food warehouse for some major clients, the company is responsible for keeping the products frozen 24/7.

Contractors looking for a sector showing signs of growth may want to consider restaurants with their critical needs for HVACR. Restaurant industry sales are projected to reach a record $426.1 billion in 2003, according to statistics from the National Restaurant Association.

The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society of Canada is in transition. After 64 years of holding an annual educational conference and trade show, RSES Canada has decided to go to an every-other-year format with the conference and exhibit event in odd-numbered years.

In the depths of summer, my thoughts go back to this past March, when a seminar on air conditioning and global warming was being held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Sanitation is a critical component in all ice machine technology. One of the newest approaches to achieving proper sanitation involves the antimicrobial AlphaSan®, which is being used by Manitowoc in certain plastic components of its ice machines.

Ice machines with remote condensing units and different ways of making sure water is as pure as possible were two themes among exhibitors of mechanical equipment at the most recent National Restaurant Association Restaurant-Hotel-Motel Show.