A comparison: SRC's walk in coolers VS. competition

To sum it up with two pictures and a few words...

Email from a Happy Customer: Calvin Borisuk from PureCal Produce

A few days ago, Steve Lemieux, president of SRC Refrigeration, received an email message from one of his customers. Calvin Borisuk purchased a warehouse cooler for the new store he's opening in Lexington, SC, called PureCal Produce. It's always nice to hear back from customers, and I attained permission to post the email he sent us. Calvin also attached pictures of his walk in cooler installation--which he completed himself! It's a very big project to take on, but as Calvin wrote, he saved quite a lot of money by doing so.

Calvin writes,

"As you may recall, I am just starting this company, and this purchase was one of our most significant equipment purchases, so I researched it for months to do my level best to make the 'right' decision. And I can say from start to finish, I am very confident my purchase from SRC was the RIGHT decision. From our initial conversations, through the many revisions of design and complexities of equipment selection, you proved yourself to be a very competent business leader who was not just concerned for your bottom line but also that of the client as well. I truly appreciated your patience and professionalism through the design, selection and decision making process.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't express my appreciation for your staff. Tiffney VanConant and Betty Squier were most helpful and gracious. I spoke with both of them regarding payment, shipping coordination, and a few bumps that came up and both of them were friendly, patient and always willing to help. In addition, I spoke with Allan Jett during installation and start up and he acted in like kind.  It was a pleasure dealing with each of them and they should be proud of the work they do. I am not sure if you hold team meetings or not, but if you do, feel free to use this letter as an opportunity to recognize these folks and to encourage the rest of your team. I know full well that it is easy for folks to go day by day and not think the work they do matters and I want your team to know that what they all do does.

Lastly, I have attached a few photos of the cooler construction process (my apologies for the quality… I am not a techy by any means) and please feel free to use me as a reference for any other customers who may be a little hesitant about building their own cooler. It wasn't easy but it was simple and straight forward. With a little mechanical know how and A LOT of hard work we had the cooler from truck to operational in 5 days and saved about $10-12,000 in the process.

Thanks again and best of luck to you and your team."

Here are a couple pictures of the walk in cooler installation... (MORE PICTURES HERE)

Thank you again Calvin! We are very happy you're pleased with your purchase, and hope to do more business with you in the future!

For more information about industrial warehouse walk in coolers, read here.

Where Can I Find a Good Refrigeration Man?

The key for long-term dependability is insuring your initial installation is done properly—finding a good refrigeration contractor is important. Following a high quality installation, routine service and maintenance will keep your walk in cooler running at maximum efficiency.

Best places to check:

1) Contact other businesses in your area that use refrigeration equipment. Examples would be floral wholesalers / floral shops, restaurants, bakeries, drug stores, convenient stores, and gas station mini marts. These places are guaranteed to have walk in coolers (or walk in freezers) and refrigeration systems.

2) Larger cities have refrigeration wholesalers that can help. Check the phone directory: "Refrigeration Equipment - Parts & Supplies". These wholesalers only sell to other refrigeration contractors. You can ask them for a few references that would be good for your specific area of business.

3) Call SRC Refrigeration (800-521-0398). We keep an extensive list of contractors we have used over the years. We would be happy to check and see if we can offer a recommendation in your local area. Just call our service department during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 7:30AM – 5:30PM).

Do I want a large or small company?

Both large and small companies offer different advantages—however, ultimately, the most important aspect is the individual service they can provide your business. Do your research on different companies and see if other customers seem to indicate they are customer oriented. For SRC's personal opinion: We tend to work with smaller contractors. In our experience, since they are owner-operators, they are generally more attentive and customer oriented.

Be prepared…

If your walk in cooler does require service, it's best to have office procedures in place so your staff immediately knows what to do. Display the service company name and phone number in a spot that can be easily retrieved.

Anthony's Energy Calculator

SRC Refrigeration does a lot of business with Anthony, one of the world's leading manufacturers of refrigerator and freezer doors, lighting systems, and display equipment. While browsing Anthony's home page today, I noticed there was a link to an "Energy Calculator" near  the bottom.

When you click on it, you'll find you can calculate a comparison between different walk in cooler door models—not only for annual operating cost, but for annual energy usage... and your energy savings! It's quite a nifty tool if you're in the market for buying a walk in cooler or freezer door (especially if you have a tight budget!). By using their comparison tool, you'll have a better idea which model is right for you—and can get the best value for your money. Check it out!

ANTHONY'S ENERGY CALCULATOR