Cool sustainable success EPTA

cool susTAinAble success

EPTA is a global leader in the design and manufacture of energy efficient commercial refrigeration products with a strong presence in the food and beverage markets. The company continues to expand and innovate thus adding to its already enviable reputation in the marketplace, as Philip Yorke reports.

The origins of the EPTA Group are based upon the remarkable entrepreneurial skills of its founder; Luigi Nocivelli, who imagined his future and then set about making it come true. With his drive and enthusiasm EPTA soon became a multinational success specialising in commercial refrigeration and thanks to its strategy of global growth through synergistic acquisitions, is now the global leader in its field.

Today the group offers the widest and most comprehensive range of solutions for commercial refrigeration, ensuring the supply, installation and maintenance of complex systems, both directly and indirectly through its extensive network of distributors worldwide. The EPTA Group works in close partnership with major players in the food and beverage market and strives to promote sustainable products and progress and to constantly pursue its goal for a greater global presence.

Adding value via acquisition

The EPTA Group recently enhanced its presence in Europe with the strategic acquisition of DAAS in Romania. This leading Romanian commercial refrigeration company is focused on the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant & Catering) sector and is headquartered in Ploiesti. It also operates three other sites, these are located in Bucharest, Iasi and Cluj. Daas has accrued over 25 years of experience in the refrigeration market working with its team of over 200 professionals whose skills include engineering, project management, installation and aftersales service.

This key acquisition is part of EPTA’s internationalisation strategy. Its aim is to consolidate its position in Central Europe, its core market, by establishing direct involvement in areas where there is the greatest potential. This includes Romania, which is Europe’s seventh largest nation in terms of population with a solid economy and a forecasted growth of GDP in real terms set to exceed +4 per cent in the mid-term.

Romania’s retail sector is particularly favourable owing to the high number of large-scale retail brands and EPTA’s consolidated business ties with the main international retail chains there. In broader terms, this operation will give EPTA a chance to reinforce its presence in Central and Eastern Europe. The group already works in this area with EPTA International, a technical and commercial coordination centre based in Budapest, Hungary and EPTA Polska, which was established last year following the acquisition of Libre of Poland.

Marco Nocivelli, Chairman and CEO of EPTA said, “We are proud to welcome DAAS in to the EPTA family, which has been our long standing business partner for more than 15 years now. This agreement will allow us to grow together and become even more competitive whilst offering greater added value and benefitting from each other’s competences. We aim to deliver turnkey projects in Romania thanks to our wide range of technologically advanced and sustainable products and processes.”

Promoting refrigeration for wellbeing

The 25th International Congress of Refrigeration IIR took place in Montreal recently, a city where the historical protocol was originally inaugurated. This event is organised every four years and brings together industrial realities, scientific communities and international researchers, to discuss and exchange ideas on the more

recent technological developments and product innovations in refrigeration, air conditioning and sustainable construction.

The guiding thread of the latest ICR congress was: “Refrigeration for wellness and future prosperity” and it focused on the hottest topics of recent years, namely energy saving and efficiency, food supply and wellbeing, as well as achieving a reduction in global warming and providing greater protection of the planet. As silver sponsors of the event, the group promoted an initiative to define a new standard for natural refrigeration in retail. Thanks to the full transitional efficiency technology available today, it is able to demonstrate that it is possible to completely replace HCFC and HFC refrigerants with CO2 trans-critical alternatives that can be used in any climate or in any market.

Focus on sustainability

In May this year, EPTA and Sirap, one of the most qualified producers of containers for fresh food in Europe, renewed their collaboration by participating in the 5th Italian edition of the

industry’s ‘Global Food Innovation Summit’ in Milan. Together they presented a project aimed at promoting healthy, balanced and sustainable diets. The event offered a privileged stage for international encounters on themes such as food security, food safety and the struggle to minimise food waste, as well as to reflect on the whole agri-food system of today.

The keynote speakers included the actor Alec Baldwin, who is actively involved in campaigns in favour of the environment, Kerry Kennedy, President of the Robert J.F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and human rights, and Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the FAO.

The combination of reducing the carbon footprint and moving towards more conscious nutrition was featured within the group’s exhibition section, which saw spotlights trained on the latest London Meal Vending machine from Sirap. The strong point delivered at the event by EPTA and Sirap was the maximum attention that needed to be paid to the protection of the environment. Now thanks to the choice of propane, a natural low-impact refrigerant – and Sirap’s Meal18 packaging, which can optimise expiry dates, a significant reduction in food waste and energy can be achieved. n

For further details of EPTA’s latest sustainable and innovative refrigeration products and services visit: www.eptarefrigeration.com