The International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration has formed a partnership with the Global Cold Chain Alliance “designed to enhance IIAR’s ability to be the world’s leading technical resource and advocate for the safe, reliable and efficient use of natural refrigerants for industrial applications,” according to officials involved in developing the accord.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the recent IIAR Annual Conference and Exhibition in Dallas.

GCCA was described as “an umbrella organization that unites partners to be innovative leaders in the temperature-controlled products industry.”

IIAR President Bruce Badger said the alliance was particularly beneficial to end-users. “The partnership with GCCA is a way for the end-users of the cold storage warehouse community to get closer to the technical expertise of the IIAR. Conversely, it enables IIAR members to get closer to more end-users.

“The developing world provides a plethora of long-term business opportunities for our members, and the developing world, in turn, will benefit from our assistance in the preservation of their food.”

He said, “The UN estimates that there is a 40 percent loss of food from harvest to consumption in the developing world due to the wastage that occurs as the result of an inefficient distribution network. IIAR can bring the latest technology for creating a more dependable food supply. This will result in reduced world hunger, improved yields and a more efficient use of water and land resources.

“It will also demonstrate that our members are actively involved in solving the problem of hunger. The result will be the across-the-board betterment of the world community.”

A number of end-users within IIAR voiced support of the agreement. Said Mike Henningsen of Henningsen Cold Storage, “We’re very supportive of the GCCA. Tying IIAR and GCCA together gives us access to a one-stop shop.”

Brian Marriott, IIAR’s immediate past chair who is an engineer with York/JCI, stressed the benefits IIAR brings to the partnership, namely “its expertise in government relations and code-related matters.”

“Regulation is not going to go away,” added Nicholas Pedneault of Congebec Logistics. “It’s just going to get tighter and tighter every year. We need a strong partner to help us out, making sure that we fully understand the extent of the regulations. And energy costs are only going to go higher as well, so we want to make sure that we have all the information available to run efficient and safe refrigeration systems.”

Jim Marella, an IIAR board member and OSHA/EPA compliance coordinator for United States Cold Storage, sees the partnership as extending IIAR’s national and international influence. “The partnership definitely will increase our visibility.”

CORE PARTNERS

GCCA is comprised of what it calls five Core Partners. In addition to IIAR, they are:

• The International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), which promotes excellence in the global temperature-controlled warehouse and logistics industry by sharing best practices, advising members of legislation and regulations, and assisting members in complying with United States and international regulations.

• The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), a scientific and educational foundation whose purpose is to deliver education and research to the industry and empower economic development by strengthening the global cold chain.

• The International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA), consisting of companies involved in the refrigerated transportation industry.

• The International Association for Storage Construction (IACSC), which provides members a forum for ideas, promotes standards of practice for the cold storage construction industry, sponsors professional education programs, and promotes the interests of the industry in political, legal, and regulatory arenas.

AN ALLIANCE

Shortly after the signing, IIAR board chair Don Stroud stressed that the MOU with GCCA will not impair IIAR’s autonomy, saying, “It’s an alliance, not a consolidation.”

Bill Hudson, GCCA’s president and CEO, said, “The whole theory of the Global Cold Chain Alliance is to bring partners together - not merge them - to create better links between them.” Members of the alliance “maintain their own leadership, their own resources and services, and their own membership,” he said.

Publication date: 05/04/2009