Cool Vibes from JAX Refrigeration

February 2019

Love is in the air and we're hoping you LOVE

the new look & feel of our newsletter!

Face-to-Face with Ed Trotzke

Ed Trotzke,

Senior Vice President

In October of 2009, Ed Trotzke took a calculated risk to leave his employer, and join forces with Mark Lowery. Mark saw something in Ed and recruited him to build what would eventually become JAX Refrigeration. Although the road hasn’t been easy and building JAX Refrigeration into what it is today has required an incredible amount of hard work and dedication, it is safe to say that the risk was worth the reward.

JAX Refrigeration is not simply a place to work. Since the beginning, when Ed joined with Mark Lowery to form the Company, there has been a consistent focus on building a positive working atmosphere, based on trust, respect and a shared commitment to the community. As an organization, JAX has evolved tremendously during its nearly 9 years of existence. From the original employees in Jacksonville Beach in March 2010, to multiple offices and over 200 employees spread throughout the United States.

Mark Lowery is widely known and recognized as the owner and face of JAX Refrigeration. Ed Trotzke’s contributions to the Company, although quite significant, have perhaps been more “behind the scenes”. As JAX Refrigeration approaches its 9th Anniversary (March 1, 2019), we would like to highlight the man in charge of our Refrigeration Department – Ed Trotzke.

An interview with the man behind the scenes

Q: Having been one of two original members of JAX Refrigeration, what thoughts or feelings come to mind when you consider the Company as it is today?

A: “It is hard to believe that we’ve made such a mark in the industry, and what teamwork can accomplish. I was very glad to jump into the journey. It has been a mix of hard work and accomplishment. It is sometimes hard to my wrap my head around everything, with all of the day to day responsibilities and challenges… but it has truly been special.”

Q: There have been many startups that have tried to make it in this field, and very few that have succeeded to the extent of JAX Refrigeration. What have been the key factors, or special ingredients to the continued success of JAX?

A: “We started in a down market, so we learned what it was like to operate in a harsh environment early on. If you can start something successful during one of the worst markets historically, you should certainly be able to survive during a successful market!”

A: “You don’t really hear about the failures because usually it is a few service technicians that go out on their own to try – quickly fail – and immediately look to get back with the company they left, or a competitor. The key here at JAX has truly been finding the right people. We knew early on that we only wanted hard working people that would be a great culture fit. I have always felt that it is essential to get and keep the right PEOPLE, not to get the right BEHAVIORS from the wrong PEOPLE.”

Q: JAX Refrigeration has been in business for nearly 9 years. How do you envision the Company in another 9 years?

A: “In 9 years, I see a solid and successful Company that focused on calculated growth, with an emphasis on people and family. Customer needs-based growth has been and will remain our agenda. We will continue to be leaders in customer service, responsiveness and most importantly quality. I believe we will always remain focused on our people, our Company and our legacy, moving forward.”

Q: What has motivated you to get to this point? How are you able to stay motivated, and in what direction do you see your role heading?

A: “I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit with an engineering base, or foundation. Entrepreneurs come in many different forms. I think a lot of people think of entrepreneurs as a high energy, outgoing salesmen that love to tell anyone that will listen about their product or passion. My passion has always been engineering. I have worked extremely hard and taken professional risks in order to be in the position I am in today. I am proud of the Team we have built from the ground up here at JAX. I am anxious to see the great things in store for our Company.”

A: “I would like to continue to grow professionally and personally. I plan to always be an integral part of the team. As the years have passed, I have been involved with more facets of the business, and will continue to expand my role.”

Q: How would you describe your overall experience since the beginning of JAX Refrigeration?

A: “Each year has posed a uniquely different challenge. We have never given up on striving to find the best possible solution to each new issue. That constant collaboration among Departments and field employees has made all the difference.”

Jacksonville Business Journal - Book of Lists

This is the most exciting time of the year for the JBJ! Publishing the Book of Lists is something that our entire team takes pride in. The Book is a culmination of a yearlong process pulling together important information about some 1,000 companies and 1,500 people.

Thousands of companies are evaluated and ranked in the Book, showing how our business community has grown and changed over the past year, providing a snapshot that captures who is on top and who will be there next. JAX Refrigeration is proud to receive recognition in the 2019 Book of Lists in 2 major categories :

Largest Engineering

Firms in Jacksonville

JAX Refrigeration - #25 (2018: #26)

Largest HVAC

Contractors in Jacksonville

JAX Refrigeration - #2 (2018: #2)

Joy Bardin, Vice President of Administration

at 2018's Awards Luncheon

JAX Refrigeration recognized

as one of Jacksonville

Magazine's Companies with

HEART for another year!

JAX Refrigeration will be honored at the Companies with Heart Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at WJCT Studios.

JAX Refrigeration is extremely proud to be recognized by Jacksonville Magazine in their annual list of Companies with Heart. One of our three company core values is “People Focused”. We highly value our families and our customer relationships with emphasis on helping our community. We appreciate our entire JAX Family for their donations and participation in our various charitable events.

JAX Refrigeration Service Meetings

Meetings, Sessions & Training:

Polly Bodin - Director of Human Resources

Introduction
HR Benefits

Rick Chabot - ISEL

Oil Analysis Session
SSO Training

Chris Ciucci

PSM Training

Other

SKF Thin Client Training
Vibe Routes Training
Laser Alignment Training
Scissor Lift Training
Forklift Training

Team Building + Collaboration

JAX Refrigeration Parts and Service Meetings were held at our JAX Refrigeration and JAX Mechanical Headquarters from January 28-31, 2019. Our Managers and Technicians gathered together from across the country for a few days of meetings, training and team building. Much was accomplished in the sessions, and it was great to get our teams together under one roof. All had a good time in the evenings, as we held Cornhole tournaments at The Pier Restaurant. We appreciate the incredible job our Service Team members have done, and enjoyed having them around for a few days.

These two groups gathered together

for team building and training at the JAX

headquarters and fun at The Pier

Restaurant with nightly cornhole tournaments.

Welcome to the JAX Team!

Larry Lubyonne,

Associate Engineer

Lawrence M. Lubyonne has joined the MEAS Department of JAX Refrigeration as an Associate Engineer. His focus will mainly be on refrigeration system design in our MEAS Department. Lawrence was chosen from an elite list of candidates.

“ What sets Lawrence apart, and why we ultimately chose him over the other candidates was the knowledge he brings along with his strong Process Safety Management Background (PSM), which he will leverage on designs to complement our CAD staff.”

“We are very happy to have Lawrence on our Team, and are excited about what he brings to JAX .” - Ekle Small

“To have a chance to learn from highly respected

and accomplished professionals with over 30 years of experience, such as Ekle Small is amazing.”

Announcements

JAX Refrigeration is proud to announce the newest member of our JAX FAMILY:

KHLOE PRATT

JAX Mechanical’s George Lang

is the proud grandfather of Khloe, who was born at 8:25pm on January 2, 2019 at Baptist

Medical Center South.

Adam & Jessica Pratt

(Parents)

Born: 1/2/2019 – 8:25pm

8 lbs. 1 oz. – 19.5 in.

You've probably already heard about how much we believe in our JAX Family - in the quality of our people, their values and hard work that help make our company great. But you don't have to take our word for it, check in here for the latest on what people are saying about us.

We truly value our clients and want to make sure they know it. This month's testimonial comes from Cody, a Project Manager with a major general contractor in Kansas City, who wanted to make sure the JAX Cool field crew knew their effort and professionalism were recognized.

“By the way, your guys in the field are doing a great job. We appreciate them and the work they have done thus far. Might let them know we are pleased thus far. Thank you, JAX!”

Cody - Project Manager

JAX Around Town

A Great Night on the Ice

On February 2nd, JAX Refrigeration had the pleasure of hosting Dreams Come True Dreamer, Cammie Naff, and her family for the Jacksonville Icemen game. JAX President, Mark Lowery, and Icemen President, Bob Orhablo, were on-hand to watch the Icemen defeat the Norfolk Admirals and spend time with Cammie’s family.

“Thanks so much for an amazing evening. Cammie had a great time! She really loves her jersey. You guys really made her feel special tonight.” -Chris Naff

SOUPer Bowl Party

SOUPer Bowl, primarily a soup tasting event, is planned, organized, and hosted by high school students with two goals — to raise funds needed to run the Blessings in a Backpack program in St. Johns County schools, and to create more widespread awareness about student hunger in our community. JAXCares is a proud supporter of the event, hosts of an annual packing day benefiting local children and supports other efforts for Blessings in a Backpack.

Procore Construction Management Software

Always looking to innovate our approach to better service our clients, JAX will now be implementing Procore. A cloud-based construction management software which will improve delivery methods to our clients and the efficiencies of communication between the office and the field.

Procore is a cloud-based construction management software application that helps firms increase their project efficiency and accountability by providing streamlined project communication and documentation. Users are able to manage their projects from any web-connected mobile device, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

Procore provides users a way to collaborate on projects and view documents, such as submittals, RFIs, contracts, schedules, and drawings. Everyone from general contractors and architects to engineers and construction management firms can edit and share project data from the job site while facility owners can view the progress of each project in their portfolios.

Enterprise-level businesses leverage Procore to manage construction projects, field communications, drawings, documents, and more.

Department Updates

The refrigeration department of JAX is currently wrapping up additions to a large CO2 Cascade system for a major food processing facility.

Crane Photo - Large CO2 Cascade Condenser

Drawing: Evaporative Condenser

JAX Mechanical department has experienced record growth and improvement in the last few years. JAX Mechanical’s $1 Million 2016 Revenue grew to $8.5 million in 2017, and to an impressive $15.6 million in 2018. JAX Mechanical has become a legitimate player in the industry, evidenced by recent high-value projects awarded (1 local project in excess of $7 Million). Our JAX Mechanical Service department has seen its revenue double in 2018, and is expected to double once again in 2019. Since 2017, JAX Mechanical and Mechanical Service have established territory service managers in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Dallas-Fort Worth. New software and systems have been systematically implemented, which have dramatically improved efficiency, labor tracking and overall customer experience. Due to the success and growth, JAX Mechanical’s team has grown to over 100 local employees.

Our JAX Mechanical

team lives and breathes our core values every day:

Safety • People-focused • Quality

Project Types we currently are serving in the industry:

Senior Living
Hospitality
Commercial
Tenant Improvements
Industrial – Food & Beverage
Industrial – General
Aerospace
Higher Education
K-12 Education
Warehousing
Recreational / Public Sector

Good news travels fast… and great service grows even faster! JAX Mechanical has built a reputation for excellent service and unrivaled professionalism. The JAX Mechanical Team has been hard at work, traveling to Chicago, New York, LA and Texas to build several new national retail partnerships. We would like to recognize JAX Mechanical Service Manager, Mark Rassano as well as our Regional Managers, Jansen Smith and Terrance Mitchell. Their dedication and hard work has helped JAX Mechanical Service become a top service provider to the national retail market.

Recently added customers:

Dental One: 45 Locations in TX

Zumiez: 15 Locations Nationwide

Hollywood Feed Stores: 10 Locations in TX

Dental Works: 9 Locations in TX

Edward Jones Investments: 5 Locations: 3 in Westworth Village and 2 in Keller, TX

Speedy Cash: 3 Locations in Dallas, TX

People Ready: 5 Locations in TX

The Jockey Store - 4 Locations in TX

Photo - Hygienic Rooftop Air Unit

The MEAS team continues to offer the best in Mechanical Engineering Solutions.

Here are a few MEAS Designs that have recently been installed:

Design of storage coolers for a major international Beverage Company at 10 locations across the USA.

Design of hygienic unit to address condensation in a large-scale food production facility.

Top: Distribution Facility – Cooler/Freezer Addition, Kentucky

Left: Commercial Bakery – IMP, North Carolina

JAX Cool is approaching the home stretch on two projects which are expected to be completed in the next couple months:

JAX Cool is finishing up a successful project for a large commercial bakery in North Carolina.

The Cool Guys have also been hard at work in Bowling Green, Kentucky, installing Insulated Metal Panels, Doors, Ceilings and Under-floor on a distribution facility Cooler/Freezer addition. As usual, the crew has been on time at every step and exceeding expectations on this project.

Led by licensed Professional Engineer, Bobby Yoho, RHVACS is truly a one-source partner for all your Restaurant HVAC construction needs. RHVACS President, Bobby Yoho’s, added experience and expertise in Engineering makes RHVACS stand out in the design build restaurant construction space. Not only do our JAX Restaurant HVAC experts offer unrivaled service and dependability throughout the entire construction phase... the RHVACS team also provides time and cost savings during the planning phase of projects. This added expertise is why JAX Restaurant HVAC Specialty is in a league of its own. Contact our JAX RHVACS Team today.

Advantage

JAX Ind is a turnkey engineering procurement and manufacturing department underneath the JAX Refrigeration umbrella and is focused on manufacturing new and existing skid solutions for the power, fuel and gas industries. JAX Ind operates at our 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and carries D1.1 and ASME Section IX welding qualifications. All material and equipment is thoroughly inspected and inventoried upon receipt as it moves through our production/manufacturing facility. As we continue to move toward certification, JAX Ind still operates with inspection and test plans in line with ISO 9001. We perform full QA/QC and FAT prior to shipment to validate acceptance and final approval.

Our Focus

JAX Ind is focused on providing integrated skid solutions, with a focus on safety, quality and design efficiency. Our team’s core, from inner management to the fitters and welders in the shop, operates in unity with a similar process flow as ISO compliance, in order to ensure product satisfaction is provided.

Upcoming Events

February 5-7

YPO

CIN Construction

Roundtable Convention

February 8

Night to Shine