Victory Refrigeration entered 2007 determined to gain market share and successfully launch its new product lines. Its work in these areas paid off, with the company closing 2007 having earned additional share, as well as having generated traction for its new items.

    The firm launched two new products in 2007: the glass door merchandiser, which Whalen describes as somewhat of a niche product; and the back bar line, which he said has the potential to develop into a significant part of the Victory portfolio due to its combination of value-line pricing with sleek design elements that make it competitive with many spec-line products.

    On the market-share front, the company achieved double-digit sales growth, taking share from its competitors, Whalen stated. To match this growth, in early 2007 Victory completed a seven-figure investment in its factory in Cherry Hill, N.J., that increased the facility's per-day output capacity by 15% to 20%.

    "While we were wrapping up [the factory improvements] we were almost hand-to-mouth with inventory. Throughout the process, our sales volume kept rising, keeping us pretty tight on capacity. It took us until quite recently to get into a safety-stock position on our normal quick-ship items," he said.

    In addition to improving the factory's output, the investment also included a new energy-efficient lighting system for the facility, underscoring the company's commitment to energy-efficiency-one part of the company's three-pronged "V2E" value proposition that also includes value through differentiating features and a two-year warranty.

    "I think across all the brands we want to reinforce the V2E campaign and the fact that we're the green team," stated Whalen. "We want to continue to invest in ways to make our products more energy efficient and consume less water and utilities than our competitors. We're totally committed to that."

   

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