In this interview, Kartik Kumar, Director of Marketing and Strategic Planning - Global Container Refrigeration of Carrier Transicold, discusses Carrier’s latest technologies and commitment to the important and growing container refrigeration industry.

1. Can you tell us about Carrier Transicold history, when the company was created and what lead to its creation?

Carrier Transicold is part of Carrier Corp., which was founded in the United States in 1915 by Willis Carrier, who invented modern mechanical air conditioning in 1902. Today, Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), is the largest provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions in the world.

In 1968, when the container shipping industry was still fairly young, Carrier manufactured its first 195 container refrigeration systems. Container products became part of Carrier Transicold, formed in 1970 through Carrier’s acquisition of Transicold Corp., a North American provider of truck and trailer refrigeration systems. In the decades that followed, Carrier Transicold transport refrigeration units became the number-one choice of trucking fleets around the world, as well as the global marine shipping industry. In the early 1990s, Carrier Transicold extended its expertise into air-conditioning systems for buses and recreational vehicles.

2. In terms of products, what differentiates Carrier Transicold from other companies?

The range of products is significantly broader, so customers have more choices based on their particular needs. For example, with our container products, Carrier offers three core refrigeration units, unique options for energy conservation and container atmosphere control, and generator sets for intermodal applications.

Our new energy-saving PrimeLINE^® unit is the first and only container refrigeration unit designed for world-class performance when it comes to efficiency, capacity, lifecycle cost and the environment.

Shipping lines and leasing companies also have the option of adding the QUEST power saving mode to their Carrier systems, enabling them to reduce electricity needs for refrigeration by up to 50 percent, with a proportionate drop in emissions related to shipboard power generation. This results in a welcome reduction to the carbon footprint of shipped goods.

Another special option is Carrier’s eAutoFresh^® system, which automatically provides fresh air ventilation to maintain perishable product quality in an energy-efficient manner. Carrier’s EverFresh^® system, considered to be the “gold standard” of container atmosphere control, automatically maintains specific O₂ and CO₂ levels over a wide spectrum of potential settings, enabling application for the greatest range of perishable products for optimum product quality and extended shipping durations.

Carrier’s parent company, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), provides world-class support in terms of global research and development, enabling us to innovate, set trends and lead the industry. Another differentiator with Carrier is our customer support. We have nearly 420 service center locations in all major and developing ports worldwide, so that we have operations wherever our customers need us to be.

3. What are Carrier Transicold’s main markets?

Carrier Transicold serves almost all markets requiring transport refrigeration services. The world’s major shipping lines and container leasing companies rely on Carrier refrigeration units. On land, our products support produce growers, the dairy industry, food processors, supermarkets, the pharmaceutical industry and just about anyone who needs refrigerated transport services.

4. What’s the company’s environmental policy?

At Carrier, we believe a green company shows measurable results in four key areas: products, people, production and practices. We extend our influence across the value chain to help reduce, and where possible eliminate, negative effects on our environment created by factories, products and suppliers.

For decades, Carrier and its parent company United Technologies Corp. have been industry leaders in environmental stewardship. In 1994, Carrier was the first company to phase-out CFCs in air-conditioning systems on a global basis — two years ahead of requirements in the U.S. and 16 years ahead of mandates in developing countries.

For these outstanding environmental achievements, Carrier received the 2007 Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We are committed to offering systems that minimize environmental impact, such as our investments in products that no longer deplete the Earth's protective ozone layer.  We work proactively with stakeholders around the world to provide the status of environmental technologies. And we strive to offer our customers a choice of environmentally sound solutions.

Carrier Transicold was instrumental in leading the marine shipping industry away from ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-12 to R-134a, reducing the global warming potential (GWP) more than 80 percent historically.

5. What are the innovations that Carrier Transicold is planning to introduce in a near future?

Carrier is always innovating, and some of the most exciting recent developments have been directed toward energy efficiency, protecting the quality of perishable goods shipped, product tracking and traceability, and environmentally sound refrigerants. Watch for additional developments in these areas.

6.  How is Carrier Transicold dealing with the global economic crisis?

Carrier helps our customers cope with the global economic situation in several ways. Our energy-saving products, such as the PrimeLINE unit and QUEST, significantly help protect customers from the impact of unpredictable fuel prices.

We help our customers hold the line on repair and maintenance costs with economical SelectLine™ parts, a no-compromise alternative to locally produced reconditioned refrigeration components.

Last December we launched SeaCare™ Solutions, the first global container service and support package ever offered. Backed by our worldwide service center network, this program includes preventive maintenance, service contracts and warranty renewal for both owned and leased equipment. The SeaCare Solutions program gives customers a hedge against unanticipated costs, while helping their operations run at peak efficiency.

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