Throughout the month of May, Thermo King sites around the world, including more than 500 employees at the company’s manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Minn., commemorated the manufacturer’s 75th year as a provider of refrigerated transport technologies. In Bloomington, a May 4 celebration included an open house and site tours, games and family activities, a presentation from Thermo King President Ray Pittard, and a celebratory luncheon.
Thermo King founder, Joseph Numero, and chief engineer, Frederick Jones, patented the first successful mechanical refrigeration unit in 1939. The refrigeration system they developed for a customer’s truck allowed refrigerated and frozen food to be shipped over long distances.