By Todd Dills
During a luncheon presentation at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., Thermo King president Ted Fick announced a comprehensive environmental initiative, to include new or expanded research and development centers, continued development of the TriPac hybrid integrated APU and major product updates and options to help businesses comply with the California Air Resources Board’s Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) regulations for transport refrigeration units (TRUs).
“We’re really excited about the TriPac,” Fick said. “It’s been a major-league home run for us. And we’ve been able to deliver a lot of value for our customers, provide a good solution for the environment and have a product line that we think is the right product at the right time.”
Among new products were a “level 2” diesel particulate filter, engine retrofit kits and several options for fleets and owner-operators when replacing old refrigeration units with CARB-compliant variants, including trade-ins, lease options and financing through Ingersoll Rand Financial Services.
CARB compliance will be required by Dec. 31, 2008, for units built in 2001 and older.
The company’s aftermarket division introduced two new products:
Fick also announced the opening of a new research lab in Prague staffed by 55 scientists, as well as a 20,000-square-foot expansion of its Minneapolis research and development facility.
