Fort Wayne, April 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Polar King International, Inc. announces Kevin Wilson has been named director of engineering, research & development and refrigeration. Wilson, who has close to forty years of experience in cooling technology, will direct quality control, assist in new product and business development and work with managers to improve labor and production efficiency, according to Dave Schenkel, President of Polar King International.
“The Polar King family is thrilled to welcome Kevin aboard. His background, management skills and proven capability in advancing cold storage technology make him an ideal fit,” says Schenkel. “We are confident Kevin will play a significant role in promoting growth, introducing substantial product breakthroughs and driving our business forward.”
Wilson has amassed a breadth of industry expertise over his 37 years in the business. He recently spent four years as the managing director-North America of Tecumseh Products Company’s condensing unit division. Before that, he served for a decade as the vice president of sales with Everidge, managing the international cold storage business. He was also the vice president of operations at Master-Bilt and plant manager at Carrier. Wilson has a bachelor's degree in industrial technology and education from Western Illinois University.
“As a former Polar King competitor and vendor, I’m delighted to join a company I have admired for so long,” says Wilson. “There is a true entrepreneurial spirt here, with a leadership team willing to invest to remain on the leading edge.” He adds, “Polar King management has developed a culture in which everyone is passionate, dedicated and constantly striving to make the company better.”
Wilson says he believes in a ‘hands on’ management style. “I like to be close to the action,” he explains. Under Wilson’s direction, Polar King’s weekly R&D, engineering and operations team meetings have been on the factory floor. “I feel that the closer you are to where everything is going on, the more effective you are at solving problems. When you see needs firsthand and feel the sense of urgency, challenges are more easily conquered and our product enhancements happen,” he explains.
According to Wilson, his short-term focus will be reducing lead times, due to ongoing supply chain issues. “Long-term,” he says, “it is all about technologies and product development, in terms of controls, monitoring or refrigerants that tie into energy savings. Along the way, we want to become more efficient and streamline some of our processes so we can continue delivering a great Polar King product to our customers.”
Wilson is joining Polar King in a year in which it is celebrating 40 years in business. “The foundation is there, and Polar King has a tremendous footprint,” Wilson says. “I look forward to being a part of the continued growth and evolution of this great brand.”
About Polar King Walk-In Refrigeration and Freezer Units
Polar King’s 100% seamless fiberglass design utilized for all walk-in refrigeration and freezer units provides a continuous surface with rounded insulated corners to promote a sanitary environment. The durable, NSF-approved non-slip flooring system greatly reduces the risk of slips and falls. Operators can use a hose to quickly clean units and restore an as-new look without damaging insulation.
Polar King uses fiberglass to reduce the potential for rusting, denting or corroding. The many innovative design features of these units cut operating costs, lower power bills, decrease maintenance/repair expenses and eliminate construction and replacement costs.
Polar King structures offer the industry’s lowest lifetime cost of ownership. In doing its part to reduce food waste, by way of temperature-controlled preservation, Polar King is positively impacting the global food chain.
About Polar King International
The introduction of the Polar King outdoor walk-in freezer into the foodservice industry was the result of three generations of walk-in refrigeration technology and experience. Polar King’s fiberglass, one-piece walk-in cooler is the natural evolution of the walk-in cold storage industry from the conventional metal panel constructed unit. In early 1982, Polar King began operations by constructing and shipping walk-ins from a modest 12,000 sq. ft. facility in New Haven, Indiana. As demand grew for outdoor fiberglass commercial walk-in coolers and commercial walk-in freezers grew, production was moved to a 204,000 sq. ft. facility located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For 40 years, Polar King has provided thousands of walk-ins to single unit operators, chain restaurants, schools, health care facilities, government agencies and many other industries requiring dependable outdoor walk-in refrigeration. For more information, visit polarking.com or contact Polar King, 4424 New Haven Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46803 USA at
(877) 224-8674.
Attachment
