The 25th anniversary of its U.S. manufacturing facility in Athens, Ga. is being celebrated by Carrier Transicold. The plant produces the manufacturer’s Vector, X2 and X4 trailer refrigeration units and Supra truck refrigeration units, as well as PowerLINE generator sets that are used to power refrigerated shipping containers.
“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 its workforce expertise in perspective, Carrier noted that the average Athens plant employee has been with the company for more than 12 years, with many approaching the 20-year mark and more than 80 employees who began with the operation 25 years ago. “Our long-term employees are a very important aspect of what makes the Athens operation so successful as a competitive global provider of transport refrigeration units,” stated Ondo, one of the original members of the Athens team.
The Carrier Transicold Athens plant is certified according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 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 carbon footprint by 44% since 2006.
In terms of safety, 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. The plant also received several UTC Building & Industrial Systems’ President’s Awards, including two for 2012.
Carrier Transicold’s Athens employees are active supporters of local communities, each year raising funds and contributing countless hours of volunteer support to numerous organizations, including United Way of Northeast Georgia, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, Soles4Souls and several others.
“Our employees take great pride in their work and in the community, as well as the fact that our products are assembled here in Athens,” said Matt Walker, plant manager. “Together we’ve accomplished a tremendous amount over the past 25 years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the team can do next.”
