Refrigerated transport specialist Thermo King is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
In the summer of 1938, Thermo King brought the first mechanical transport refrigeration unit onto the market. Domestic refrigerators had already become popular by that stage, but when it came to transporting perishable goods, traders and drivers still had to make do with ice. “With the introduction of Thermo King’s invention, however, this laborious and unreliable method became a thing of the past,” said the company.
The very first refrigeration unit was mounted under the floor of a semi-trailer, and the cargo consisted of freshly slaughtered chickens on their way to market. “The venture was a resounding success: the poultry stayed fresh, the invention caught on, and completely new industries were able to develop. Suddenly, it was possible to transport large quantities of fresh food over long distances. The frozen food, fast-food and deli industries all owe their existence to this invention,” said the firm.
Thermo King is now the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile temperature-controlled solutions. It produces refrigeration units for trucks, trailers, railway carriages and sea containers, as well as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems for buses and driver cabins, and has a worldwide sales and service network.
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