Author: Richard Showers
Built to Last
Each New Year provides a time to reflect on past accomplishments while visualizing new goals for the year ahead. Who could have imagined that for many foodservice businesses, their 2020 goals would be upended by a global pandemic? Many restaurants and bars, some of the businesses hit hardest by the pandemic, shifted into survival mode and developed new ways to interact with and serve customers, while adhering to the core elements of their business that attracted their customers in the first place. This year at Manitowoc we received a welcome reminder of a core legacy of our brand, and the importance of producing the highest quality and most reliable products for our customers.
A Welcome Reminder
In October we received a call from a gentleman on the East Coast who wanted to let us know that he had just removed a Manitowoc freezer from his mother-in-law’s basement. His family recalled it being installed sometime in the 1960’s, and aside from minimal cleaning, it ran without any repairs until it was moved. They were even certain that it was still running on its original refrigerant charge. Astonished by the fact that the freezer was still in perfect working condition, he provided the serial number and asked if we had any idea how old it might be?
Combing through ancient records seemed like a daunting task, but Mitch Rens and Randy DeBauch from Manitowoc’s Technical Service team were up to the task. Within hours they were able to locate the original warranty card and an owner’s manual for the machine. It turns out, the machine had a registered installation date of April 1, 1963! That freezer had been running strong for nearly six decades! If not for the move, it would likely still be running today.
A lot has changed in 57 years, but Manitowoc’s enduring commitment to providing the highest quality products to our customers remains core to our brand. We understand that when you purchase a commercial ice machine, you’re making an investment in the future of your business. At Manitowoc we value your investment and strive to ensure that you can trust your ice machine to provide a steady supply of ice when and where you need it. As part of our product development process, machines are rigorously tested in extreme simulated environments, as well as in the field. As an example, prior to the launch of the Indigo® NXT platform, over 750,000 hours of testing were logged! It’s also why we continue to produce the core of our ice machines, the hand-crafted and durable copper evaporators, at the same location we built that freezer way back in 1963, Manitowoc, WI.
You Can Rely on Manitowoc
We’re proud of our legacy of quality and customer-focused innovation, and we’re excited to launch additional leading-edge products in the years to come. We’re also grateful for all of our customers and encouraged by their ability to adapt in the most challenging circumstances. At Manitowoc, we’re committed to supporting our customers by producing the highest quality and most innovative products in the industry. The commercial ice machines they can rely on for many years to come.