LAWRENCE, Kan. – February 23, 2010 – Brown Cargo Van has revamped its reefer product line, and it’s green. Last summer the business began building eco-friendly custom refrigerated bodies, known in the industry as reefers, at its plant in Lawrence, Kan.
“The new reefers, based on the latest in foam technology, respond to our customers’ needs for a green product,” says Dane Jennison, Brown Cargo Van president. “We’re transportation specialists. We serve a broad spectrum of needs and offer our customers an unparalleled breadth of work and experience.”
The new foam is Ecomate© from Foam Supplies, Inc., of St. Louis. Based on methyl formate chemistry and responding to governmental mandates, ecomate© is hygienically safe, thermally efficient, recyclable, biodegradable and non-corrosive to equipment and end products. It has zero global warming potential, zero ozone-depletion potential and is exempt of volatile organic compounds (VOC).
“Absolutely the foaming process is different from what used to be standard,” says sales director Ron Thomson of Brown Cargo Van. “We also have an excellent construction method, built in a clamp so the sides are straight and true. It’s a nice product.”
Instead of starting with the dry van design, the new van is manufactured as a reefer “from the ground up,” Thomson says. It features new technology and better construction methods.
“Inside the wall clamp we use a pumped-in foam process that expands in volume to fill all voids before it sets up. We offer many different options for interior liners, floors and more,” he says.
Dairies and school districts as well as fruit, meat, seafood, produce and ice cream companies have bought Brown reefers. Non-food customers include greenhouses, nurseries and delivery companies, like Fed-Ex contractors, which have purchased climate-controlled units to transport sensitive commodities nationwide.
Like other Brown bodies, the reefer is eco-friendly. A high percentage of its parts are recyclable. Reefers are equipped with extruded front ends and recessed LED (light emitting diode) lights. Various safety and efficiency options are available on the reefers and all Brown bodies.
“Our customers buy our product for a long-term investment. They’re going to keep it for years,” Thomson says.