As the commercial refrigeration category becomes ever-more crowded with "me too" entrants, Victory continues to set itself apart by providing greater operating efficiency, value and ability to meet a wider spectrum of end-users' needs. As a dedicated maker of heavy-duty refrigeration equipment for over 40 years, Victory designs refrigerators and freezers expressly to offer years of reliable low-cost performance under the taxing conditions found in busy professional kitchens. Victory's broad product line is also extensively augmented by the availability of custom equipment options engineered to provide application-specific solutions.

Jim Hurston, VP Sales for Victory, noted that non-standard choices end-users and specifiers most frequently request include air- or water-cooled refrigeration systems, multiple door sizes and materials, field-reversible hinges and corrections security packages. "Over my 25 years with Victory, I've seen the company evolve to become increasingly attuned to operators' market needs and the reality of tightening unit budgets," Hurston commented. "One example is our development of low-cost Value Line undercounter refrigerators to respond to the increasing need for this equipment in the fast-growing casual dining sector." Another end-user-inspired trend Victory is responding to is the need for greater value in replacement refrigeration equipment. According to Hurston, Victory now offers a choice of cabinet metals (aluminum or stainless steel, alone or in combinations) and finishes, designed to match an array of operator budgets, décor schemes and applications.

Victory UR 227 SST

This diversification of functions and capabilities has not diminished Victory's focus on its core mission - to provide maximum energy efficiency and reliable performance longer over the life-cycle of each piece of equipment. Victory's ability to execute this mission has resulted in not only its certification of more ENERGY STAR^® qualified equipment than any other manufacturer in the category, but also ENERGY STAR's selection of Victory as a 2006 Manufacturer Partner of the Year, a first for any foodservice equipment maker.

"While we're proud of our recognition by ENERGY STAR, and equally proud of the annual savings our equipment's energy efficiency delivers to customers, I can't say that I'm surprised," Hurston remarked. "Building refrigeration equipment able to outperform competitors' longer while requiring less power to operate has been an enduring commitment here, which is why our products needed little or no re-engineering to earn ENERGY STAR certification."

Such distinct competitive advantages derived from the factory floor are matched by Victory's policy of strategic partnership with dealers and specifiers. As Hurston noted, Victory serves dealers by adhering to limited distribution, to support partners' regional sales and protect general selling interests. "We understand that dealers have many refrigeration choices, and we work to make it advantageous for them to do business with Victory," he emphasized.

In Huston's view, the several advantages Victory refrigeration offers to consultants and their clients include "quality of the highest order. Victory may not always be the least-expensive choice, but we build them better, back them longer, two full years standard, provide a better breadth of lines and we'll modify models when called upon to do so.," he stated. "We have decades of experience working with consultants and we know how to provide what they need to reach their project goals."

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