MWL and FRIGOBLOCK 30-year partnership going from strength to strength

Published on November 14 2022

Cold Chain Federation member Michael Ward Limited (MWL) has elevated its FRIGOBLOCK status to importer and direct seller of the electric fleet refrigeration systems.

Cold Chain Federation member FRIGOBLOCK is a brand of engineless transport refrigeration systems that is part of the Thermo King transport refrigeration portfolio of products owned by Trane Technologies.

MWL’s  elevated status is the culmination of a 30-year partnership between MWL and FRIGOBLOCK that is seeing the relationship go from strength to strength with demand for sales and servicing booming.

The Bolton-headquartered business, which also has a base in the West Midlands, has seen orders flourish, and is actively recruiting refrigerated transport engineers such is the demand for fitting, servicing and maintenance.

The latest orders to land include a deal to supply and fit 71 FRIGOBLOCK units to delivery vehicles operating on behalf of a well-known UK pub chain, hot on the heels of an order to supply and fit up to 25 units for a Lancashire-based food distribution company.

MWL Managing Director Graham Galloway says: “The biggest difference is we now actually import FRIGOBLOCK systems, and all its associated products, and sell them directly to the customer. FRIGOBLOCK is part of the Thermo King portfolio, and its model is to go to market through dealers, of which we are now one of the largest in the UK.”

FRIGOBLOCK is at the vanguard of the shift from traditional diesel-powered refrigeration units to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly electric alternative. Its technology is constantly evolving to address ever more stringent measures within the refrigerated transport industry.

Graham Galloway: “Our capabilities with FRIGOBLOCK go back more than 30 years, we have a lot of experience and I want to emphasise the product has developed because we do get feedback occasionally that it’s been around a long time and is old technology.

“However, the technology has been developed significantly, particularly with the arrival of FRIGOBLOCK inverter technology which makes it an extremely efficient system. It can be powered by a full battery electric vehicle; it can be powered through an alternator that takes its power off the vehicle engine.

“These are all important things to stress, as well as FRIGOBLOCK being relatively light compared to other systems and the fact we offer a three-year warranty, which is unrivalled in the industry. Our overarching target is to convert those running diesel powered fridges to electric fridges.”

Three new FRIGOBLOCK developments were unveiled at the influential IAA Transportation 2022 trade fair in Hannover. They were:

  • An all-new, all-electric refrigeration unit FK2, which is suitable for rigid trucks and is aimed at multi-stop, inner-city delivery routes thanks to its low noise and low emissions. It is the first FRIGOBLOCK unit that comes equipped with Thermo King’s ‘BlueBox’ hardware, granting operators access to data-driven insights and two-way communication on the road.
  • A newly designed EK series, a split refrigeration unit for low-height truck bodies. The underfloor-mounted units are for fleets that require temperature control in large-volume truck or trailer combinations. The compact unit allows the truck’s capacity to be utilised without compromising on cooling capability. 
  • The FK25i, an all-electric, non-intrusive refrigeration unit for rigid trucks, which boasts remarkable fuel-saving capabilities, making multi-stop journeys more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Leading MWL’s FRIGOBLOCK sales operation is Steve Maile, whose vast experience in the industry includes a five-year stint at FRIGOBLOCK’s base in Germany.

He says: “With the world now waking up to the damage that the emissions from diesel have created, it is time for us all to do our bit to reduce emissions and ensure we leave a planet better placed for the future than it is today.”

FRIGOBLOCK technology can be fitted to any vehicle, with three variations:

  • The FK – which fits above the driver’s cab on heavy trucks.
  • The HK – for drawbar systems and semi-trailers.
  • The EK/DK – undermount systems for split refrigeration machines.
  • These systems can be combined with remote evaporators the RE – which provides different levels of cooling for multi compartment trucks.

They can run with a traditional diesel fuelled vehicle, with hybrids and all-electric vehicles.

For more information about MWL’s FRIGOBLOCK offer and capabilities, please visit our website: https://www.michaelwardonline.co.uk/frigoblock/

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