The Frigitek Story - and how to get the energy-saving controllers
In 1998, Energy Control Equipment was incorporated to design and market Frigitek refrigeration controllers, which would be used to save energy costs in walk-in and drive-in refrigerators.
The Frigitek controllers were well received, and developed an industry-wide reputation for delivering predicted savings, and for reliability. A patent was granted for the Frigitek controllers in 2002.
In August, 2016, Energy Control Equipment, Inc, and its Frigitek product line were sold to Lionchase Holdings, Inc. Note that "Frigitek" is now a registered trademark of Lionchase Holdings, used to identify their refrigerated warehouses.
It was expected that Lionchase would carry on with the manufacturing and sales of the Frigitek controllers, through their subsidiary, Packaged Refrigeration Systems. However, in April, 2017, Lionchase, through PRS, ceased to manufacture and sell the controllers.
Frigitek Services was created in August, 2017, to fill the void created when PRS ceased manufacturing and selling the popular Frigitek controllers. The people of Frigitek Services are the same people who invented and designed the Frigitek, and who established Energy Control Equipment, Inc.
Frigitek Services continued to make the classic Frigitek controllers available, along with EC motors.
As time passed, and demand for the controllers continued to expand, it was decided to rebrand the controllers to eliminate any possibility of confusion between the energy-saving controllers and Lionchase's warehouses.
The controllers were updated and renamed as RefrMax® controllers. The classic Frigitek ECM-I controller is now the "RefrMax® 100", the ECM-II is now the "RefrMax® 200", and the ECM-III is now the "RefrMax® 300".
Unfortunately, the name change and the updates triggered a requirement for the controllers to be re-certified for UL and CE qualification, a long, frustrating, and expensive process. Finally, in 2022, agency approval was completed for the RefrMax® controllers.
