“Athens has been a pivotal location for Carrier Transicold to maintain a sustainable manufacturing operation in the United States, enabling Carrier Transicold to serve customers around the world,” said Tom Ondo, general manager, Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer/Rail Americas. “We’ve experienced sustained growth and productivity over the past 25 years, and the most important factor fueling the exceptional performance is our highly skilled, dedicated employee family.
“To put the workforce expertise in perspective, the average Carrier Transicold Athens employee has been with the company for more than 12 years, with many approaching the 20-year mark, and we have more than 80 employees who began with the operation 25 years ago,” said Ondo, himself one of the original members of the Athens team.
Carrier Transicold was formed when Carrier acquired California-based Transicold Co in 1970. Truck and trailer refrigeration system manufacturing was relocated in 1988 to the present location in Athens. There, Carrier Transicold’s Vector, X2, and X4 trailer refrigeration units and Supra truck refrigeration units are produced, as well as PowerLINE generator sets used to power refrigerated shipping containers.
The Athens plant is certified according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). With continual investments in new manufacturing technologies over the past 25 years, the facility remains highly productive and is known throughout the industry for its high-quality products.
Carrier Transicold’s manufacturing philosophy is centered on safety, technology, and sustainability, with the ultimate goal of delivering the highest quality products. In addition to productivity gains, recent investments in the Athens operation have resulted in sustainability achievements such as reducing water usage by 33%, producing 44% less industrial process waste, eliminating 69% of non-recycled waste, and decreasing its carbon footprint by 44% since 2006.
In terms of safety strides, the Athens facility achieved the Star level with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program in 2010, and recently achieved another safety milestone: more than 5.8 million hours without a lost-time accident.
Carrier Transicold’s Athens employees are active supporters of their local communities, each year raising funds and contributing countless hours of volunteer support to organizations, including United Way of Northeast Georgia, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, and Soles4Souls.
Employees even turned a recent anniversary commemoration into another fund-raiser. This year the plant acquired a bulldog sculpture—significant in the Athens community, which is also home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs. An artist with connections to the Athens community was commissioned to adorn the sculpture with scenes reflecting the company’s heritage, and employees held a naming contest, voting with their wallets from a roster of 10 names. “Frostbite” was the winning name, and the local United Way chapter was the beneficiary of proceeds raised.
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