Polar Temp pivots to aid medical, funeral industries
Polar Temp is pivoting to a new normal.
The refrigerated trailer and truck body manufacturer, a division of Southeast Cooler Corp, now is retrofitting and custom building trailers that offer mobile storage for medical examiners and funeral directors.
The Austell GA-based company said its new customer base is a direct result of the demand raised by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have not always worked with hospitals or funeral homes,” said Brian Dallman, division manager, about Polar Temp’s shift in operations. “This all came because of the pandemic. It’s all new to us. This all started when a dealer called looking for a ‘mobile morgue’ rental.”
Dallman worked closely with medical professionals and organizations to design and build the custom trailers. He said he never imagined he’d create a trailer for the Polar Temp lineup that can accommodate a cadaver, but the market has “multiplied exponentially” due to the unfortunate circumstances presented by COVID-19.
“We may have to hire more production staff, and possibly more technical staff, due to the volume of sales and requests for these trailers,” Dallman said.
In addition to the mobile morgues, Polar Temp has used its refrigerated trailers to supply fresh food to those in need, Dallman added. By word of mouth and internet searches, seafood, beef and vegetable farmers in the local community and outlying areas have reached out for assistance from the company’s fleet.
While businesses begin to return to pre-coronavirus normalcy, Dallman said he hopes to find balance within the new sector of the industry, staying hopeful for a return to a healthier time but also being willing to adapt to a new, previously unanticipated need.
