Integrated reefer NEWS 4th quarter 2015 Star Cool, Leading the Direction . for more than a decade By Soren Leth Johannsen, Chief Commercial Officer In an industry like shipping, where the main players have histories stretching back a century or more, the imminent milestone that MCI is about to celebrate could seem like a minor event: the first serial produced Star Cool reefer machine was commissioned to Maersk Line 10 years ago, on 6 October 2005 to be exact. For us, however, the past decade is a story worth looking back on because that brief history has revealed something about the future of reefer technology and the remarkable creative process behind Star Cool. Several years prior to development, the initial business case included a critical view of the reefer market. At the time, this revealed a clear discrepancy between unit production cost and unit sale price. This made a technology leap feasible, setting the stage for the ambitious “3 times 30 percent” goal behind Star Cool: to develop a new reefer unit that was 30 percent lighter and 30 percent more energy efficient and 30 percent more cost-efficient to manufacture than existing units in the market. These thoughts and hypotheses first started circulating at MCI in Tinglev in the mid-to-late 1990s, which makes for a good lesson in humility. Today, the base product on which we continue to pride ourselves was actually first envisioned almost 20 years ago. It seems that the engineers behind Star Cool were borderline impatient, even back then. Impatient to make a difference and always ready to try new techniques and ideas. The reception of Star Cool and the refinements it brought with it – Integrated, Controlled Atmosphere CA, and AV+ Automated Ventilation – has been overwhelming. In a volatile industry like reefer production, Star Cool has experienced virtual exponential sales growth, even though Star Cool has of course not been immune from the hurdles along the road that most new products face. Star Cool is now used by more than 50 different customers. So what does this history indicate for the future? Well, for one thing, innovation is a long-term process and the road is never smooth. Secondly, when you truly achieve a link between innovation and customer needs, you achieve success. Star Cool remains the most energy-efficient reefer on the market, as verified by thorough comparison tests by independent reefer customers. Africa Express Line (AEL) developed a new way to Star Cool Another pointer has to do with maintenance. Even if you develop the world’s best product, you will sooner or later run into problems unless you have an excellent service and spares infrastructure. You can rest assured that we will continue to focus on leadership and service at MCI and we are continuously improving our components and software. But we are not the only ones enhancing Star Cool. This issue of Integrated Reefer features a remarkable story about Africa Express Line (AEL) who developed a new way to use our reefers. Ten years of growth in the market has set the stage for Star Cool’s next step. Our new reefer factory in Chile is in full operation and in the process of fulfilling orders from several customers. Safety and quality remain key parameters as we slowly ramp up production in a market with solid demand despite continued pressure on cargo rates. I hope you will once again find our magazine inspiring.
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