Perhaps no sector of the foodservice equipment market is more competitive than refrigeration. Viewed from this perspective, it is telling that Victory Refrigeration has just recorded its best year in recent history by offering units that are expressly designed to perform in demanding foodservice environment and to address operators' daily needs.

    According to Mark Whalen, president of Victory Refrigeration and the Aga Foodservice Equipment division, many of Victory's biggest competitors try to cover multiple markets with one product, resulting in units that, despite being sold as foodservice grade, are less-than-optimal for use in professional operations.

    A prime example of this situation can be found when specifiers and end-users compare Victory's Value line of refrigerators and freezers to similar product offerings from competitors, Whalen stated. "We compete against some manufacturers who have taken their glass door merchandisers - which use oversized refrigeration systems to reduce the temperature of soda cans to 38°F as quickly as possible - clad them in stainless steel and called them foodservice refrigerators. That's not what they are."

    A comparison of features bears this out. The "value" lines of Victory's largest competitors have bottom-mounted compressors. Victory's Value line units are equipped with top-mounted compressor systems, which increase storage space and allow heat to escape easily instead of infiltrating adjoining kitchen areas. The compressors on Victory's Value line models are also sized to provide consistent temperatures, instead of cycling on and off frequently to produce sudden blasts of cold air that are more suited for beverage display cases. In addition, Victory Value line products are equipped with hot-gas vaporization systems that eliminate condensation, compared to some competitors that simply install a water catch pan, which can lead to sanitation problems. Victory's Value line units also have heavy-duty handles and hinges, plastic door-insulators, which are more effective than metal liners, self-adjusting door gaskets, and multiple options for configuring their interior storage spaces.

    In addition to offering better performance, a closer look at these and other Victory features reveals the company's commitment to energy efficiency, which was confirmed by its 2006 selection as an ENERGY STAR® Manufacturing Partner of the Year. Many of the standard features of Victory Value line units, such as the top-mounted compressor and ABS plastic door insulator, are designed to maintain interior temperatures and reduce energy use.

    "Such features and benefits can be found throughout Victory's product line," said Whalen, "and will be incorporated into two new product lines: back-bar coolers and direct draw dispensers; and a selection of glass-door merchandisers."

    Of course, even energy-efficient, well-engineered refrigeration equipment does operators little good if it is not reliable. From this perspective, Victory again stands out from the competition, as every one of the company's products is backed by a category-exclusive two-year parts and labor warranty. According to Whalen, the decision to offer such a warranty was driven by Victory's faith in its products.

    "The interesting thing is that we introduced the two-year warranty about a year and a half ago, but we've still seen our warranty costs as a percentage of sales trending down," said Whalen. "We stand behind what we sell. The reason why we introduced that warranty is that we have the confidence that once our refrigeration equipment is out there, it will perform well for a very long time."

For more information on ENERGY STAR-qualified Victory models, visit Victory's web site at www.victory-refrig.com