We all know the refrigeration industry isn’t an easy one. There’s competition, pressure from customers, challenges finding good people, and much more. At such times, it’s important to not lose sight of how far the refrigeration industry has come.

The Manitowoc Co. Inc. announced that its board of directors has approved a plan to pursue a separation of the company’s Cranes and Foodservice businesses into two independent, publicly-traded companies. The Foodservice business includes ice machines and refrigeration equipment.

Are your clients asking you whether you can hook up ice machines? If you’re subbing that work out, you’re handing away money for easy work. Ice machine installation and maintenance can be charged at a premium for work that nearly does itself.

This month’s Point of View topic is transport refrigeration. The inspiration was seeing the train cars pictured in this story. I noted there was a car related to ice service and another was labeled “refrigerator and ventilated fruit car.”