Refrigeration Project Update
by Sarah Brennan, Sustainability Coordinator
If you’ve been keeping an eye on things around the store lately, you may have noticed that our refrigeration overhaul is well underway. Over the past few weeks, the team from Turner Piping and Refrigeration has been busy on the roof above the Bulk department, building equipment stands and setting the new condensing units in place. Piping work has also been progressing above the aisles (you may have noticed scissor lifts in place) and on the roof, and this week the team is moving indoors, beginning the interior pre-piping that will connect the new system to the seafood, sushi, produce, food service and main freezer areas.
Behind the scenes, a number of important infrastructure milestones are also coming together. A new transformer was delivered and set into its equipment stand last week. Power is being run from the transformer to the panel and out to the condensing units, and the energy management system panel is being mounted in the boiler room. A weather station and probes will be installed on the roof to monitor exterior conditions. While these components won’t be visible on the store floor, they represent the backbone of the new system, and it’s fun to see it all taking shape from the windows of the upstairs offices and conference room!
Looking ahead, the next few weeks will start bringing visible changes to your shopping experience. The week of April 20, crews will begin removing old cases and installing new self-contained units, starting with the cheese and deli backstock areas. The meat case changeout is scheduled to follow from April 22 through April 30, during which the meat and dairy cases will be swapped out for the new equipment. You’ll see the new meat cases waiting in the Bulk department and cafe next Thursday (April 23) while piping to the new cases is finalized. We’ll be emptying the meat cases on Sunday April 26 after the store is closed. We’ll have a selection of our top-sellers available in a free-standing case while the crew pumps down and removes the existing meat line and sets up the new cases. By the end of the day Thursday April 30 (hopefully sooner!) we expect to be back to normal in the Meat department. Follow us on social media for updates.
There is plenty more to come after that: the Frozen aisles are slated for changeout the first half of May. After that, the focus will shift to Beer and Wine, Produce, and eventually the whole Deli and food service line.
Will the store remain open during all this fun and merriment? Yes! We are taking things department by department. We will only be closing departments that are actively being upgraded: crews will remove old equipment, set new cases, complete the piping connections, and bring each section online as quickly as possible. We’ll do our best to keep product available and accessible throughout. We’ll have clear signage and staff on hand to help you navigate any temporary shifts in the layout.
We expect to wrap up this project during the summer. The result will be a modern, energy-efficient system using CO2 and other natural refrigerants, expanded refrigerated offerings, and significantly lower energy and maintenance costs. This will all be well worth the hassle!
A huge thanks to our staff for enduring the disruption to their day-to-day routines, to the team from National Co-op Grocers helping us map out the intricacies of how to merchandise product in the new cases, and to the incredible team at Turner Piping and Refrigeration.
And thank you, shoppers and shareholders, for your support of the Co-op and for continuing to shop with us through this exciting project.
Read previous updates for additional information:
