American refrigeration systems manufacturer Zero Zone has launched a new services division and its first self-contained propane (R290) merchandiser.
The newly formed services division unifies all customer-facing services into a single organization, with the purpose of delivering a “smoother service experience” and a quicker response to clients’ needs, according to Zero Zone.
“Our customers count on us to keep their product cold and their business running,” said Dan O’Brien, Vice President and General Manager of Zero Zone. “This [new division will] strengthen how we support our customers ‒ from installation and maintenance to training and parts availability.”
Zero Zone manufactures ammonia (R717) and CO2 (R744) refrigeration systems for commercial and industrial applications under its Genesys series. It also produces transcritical CO2 condensing units, CO2 display cabinets and, now, a vertical propane merchandiser.
The details: As part of the company’s five-year growth plan, the new division will unify equipment training and warranty services with other departments, including customer service, engineering, field operations and program management in a single organization.
- “A key focus of the division is to support the continued transition to natural refrigerants by equipping technicians and end-users with the knowledge and hands-on experience required to work confidently with natural systems and display cases,” Zero Zone told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
- Zero Zone indicated that the new division will not compete with its long–standing service partners but “will offer installation assistance, safety inspections, recommissioning, parts service, component refurbishment and a training platform for technicians, customers and employees.”
Opening new markets: Zero Zone’s first self-contained propane merchandiser is designed to give rural small-format retailers, including dollar stores, a natural refrigerant option. “We are seeing strong interest from small and large retailers for the product in both new build and renovation projects,” the company told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
- The plug-and-play product, available in two- to five-door configurations, supports medium- and low-temperature (MT/LT) applications.
- It fits through a common 80in (203cm) doorway, with the roof-mounted R290 condenser connected once the merchandiser is inside the store.
- “If there is a maintenance issue with the R290 unit, we eliminate the need for troubleshooting in the field by swapping out a new condenser for the old one,” Ben Fisher, Director of Inside Sales and Engineering at Zero Zone, told NaturalRefrigerants.com at the FMI Energy and Store Development Conference. The event was held October 6–9 in San Diego, California.
Walgreens and CO2: Zero Zone has installed more than 500 transcritical CO2 systems in the U.S., according to Masood Ali, the company’s Global Refrigeration Manager. Ali shared the information during a presentation at the ATMO America Summit 2025 held June 11–12 in Atlanta, Georgia, and organized by ATMOsphere, publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
- U.S. drug store chain Walgreens’ net-zero energy store in Evanston, Illinois, features an integrated Zero Zone CO2 rack, with the 38TR (133.6kW)-capacity system delivering MT and LT refrigeration, air-conditioning, space heating and hot water, with power primarily supplied by onsite solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal wells.
- The site reduced the standard Walgreens store’s power consumption of 780kWh per day to 269kWh per day, with the energy saving attributed to the operating efficiency of the CO2 rack subcooled via the geothermal wells, according to Ali.
Quotable: “By bringing our service functions together, we’re creating a more efficient and responsive organization,” said O’Brien. “[The new division] reflects our long-term commitment to customer service.”
“This [new division will] strengthen how we support our customers ‒ from installation and maintenance to training and parts availability.”
Dan O’Brien, Zero Zone’s Vice President and General Manager
