What to do next

[fridgability]

Hi guys an girls

I have been in transport refrigeration for over 40 years and branched into small and medium commercial more and more during the last 15 years or so. I have been self employed most of the time as a one man band and used to keep very busy.

As time goes on I have found it harder to keep fully occupied, particularly with transport, most new stuff is sold with service contracts or belong to lease hire companies and small outfits like mine dont stand a chance. The main advantage with commercial fridges is that some idiot does'nt drive it away 5 mins before you arrive on site.

Most of the work that comes my way is quite seasonal, so with the snow laying arround, deep and crisp and even, I'm sitting here wondering if there is'nt some other branch of refrigeration I could get into that is not so seasonal. Maybe Heat recovery technology, there has to be quite a demand for it in this day and age and it must come into its own at this time of the year.

Anyone out there involved care to share their thoughts and how to get started, I'd be pleased to hear any idears or other suggestions.

p.s. please dont suggest domestic fridges.

[Magoo]

Since you have time available, get out and door knock and keep it local. Call into every nook and crany that is likely to have commercial refrigeration and A/C. Talk to the manager introduce yourself as a local trader. Every small operation will support locall traders. Remember keep it local, give them your business card and sticker thing to put by the phone. Of course then you have to back it with the response and service. Best advertizing is referals from existing clients and contacts. Then offer preventitive seasonal maintenance checks, etc.. You will be busier than ever before and the big thing is it is local. remember to also just call in say hello to the managers even if they haven't called you, get the contact going. [ called greasing up a client ]

[Tankerbox]

get into HVACR lots of opertunitys

[Magoo]

frigability.
so what do you think, you are watching. Get on with it. Get outside your comfort zone. If the locals don't know you they won't ring.

[Robert Hilton]

Have you thought about general condition checks of the box/container. Not major repairs, but the odd pop rivet, small patch etc. Even if you just issue a condition report or a quiet whisper in the owners ear. It adds to the billable hours and gives the customer more service. Most transport refrigeration have some form of temperature logging as well (CCI, Euroscan etc), again functional checks and condition reporting might be something your customers would appreciate. One stop shopping is still the buzz.

[fridgability]

Thanks for the interest folks and the suggestions. I have diversified quote a lot over the years. I, helped with factory maintainance, repaired trucks, repaired weighing machines, boilers (not gas) all sorts of machinary, installed power points etc.

I have written to every Pub for miles arround, left cards on every fridge van that I come across but the most effective introductions nearly always seem to come from personal recomendations and I'm grateful for all of those.

At 64 I'm not above a challange but the most difficult thing for me is to go "door to door". In years past the work just flooded in, but of course we now live in a different world, guess I'll Just have to get out there and face my foes.

Thanks again

[nevgee]

It's certainly not an easy task to have to get another line of work on the move, bit like turning a fly wheel, once it's going, then it's not so hard to keep moving, just getting started is the hard part.
As others have suggested you'll have to put your self up for high profile, stand up and shout "i'm here".... talk to every one you know , bore them with your need to find work, be positive about it and pushy.

Phone and write to major refrigeration manufacturers, those that do specials, such as medical fridges and cryogenic stuff, they are often looking for engineers to act as local agents.
Heat pumps, air and water source is a fast developing market. There are lots of manufacturers coming into the market and the boiler manufacturers are now making heat pumps to replace the convential boiler. They train their pet Plumbers to do instals but they don't all have the knowledge for "f" gas and repairs etc

[fridgability]

Hi. I have tried to send a PM to someone who is expecting a reply but I dont think it has gone, I'll try again later.
Thanks.