History of Innovation: True Refrigeration Inventions Through the Years

In a business climate that has seen and continues to see American manufacturers moving production lines abroad, True stands out. For 70 years, True Manufacturing has built high-quality refrigeration units for the foodservice industry entirely in the United States. It maintained this commitment to American-made products despite industry trends. It also continued to introduce new innovations and produce refrigeration units renowned for their robustness and durability. The company's ability to buck the trend shouldn't come as a surprise, however. A brief look at its history reveals a company that mushroomed seemingly out of nowhere and brought to market many refrigeration firsts.

1945: The First Commercial Refrigeration Cabinets

True got its start in 1945 when Bob Trulaske returned home from World War II with a savings of $10,000 from a combination of his salary as a pilot and his off-the-clock poker winnings. With his father, Frank, and his brother, Art, Bob poured his funds and energy into establishing a refrigeration business out of their home in Wellston, Mo. Noticing that the convenience of electric-powered refrigerators was starting to bring them into homes across the country, Frank had the idea of building commercial refrigeration cabinets. These weren't yet popular among business owners, so when the family built 11 upright freezers for meat storage in their backyard and charged $5,000 apiece, only one sold after several months. Ready to shut down their backyard operation, luck struck for the fledgling company with a declaration from President Harry Truman. Meat rationing came into effect, and almost immediately all 10 of their remaining freezers flew out the door, leaving a long backorder in their place.

1948: The 7UP Roll-Top Bottle Cooler

In 1948, a 7UP salesman chanced upon one of True's beverage coolers in a neighborhood bar. After finding out that it did not require expensive blocks of ice to keep beverages cool, the salesman had to find out who had made them. The result of the encounter landed True its first big break when the 7UP company put in its first order of True roll-top bottle coolers. This later led to business relationships with beverage giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi as well. Business finally started to flourish for the company during this time. To bolster production, the Trulaske family moved manufacturing for their line of roll-top bottle coolers and freezers to a multi-story warehouse in downtown St. Louis.

1957: The First Glass Door Display Refrigerator

A good business relationship with Pepsi led to one of True's most recognizable innovations. Several companies had brought up the idea of bringing glass-door display refrigerators to market, but none of them were producing any such product just yet. Pepsi recognized the genius of taking a horizontal glass-topped refrigerator and standing it up vertically so that consumers could see and access the product much more easily. In the 1950s, they approached True to design and build one for them. At that time, True did not have the sophisticated test labs it has today. They did, however, have business in Puerto Rico. Recognizing that a glass-door refrigerator that could keep beverages cool in the hot sun, humid climate and salt-laden air of the island could do so anywhere, they set out to build one there. What emerged from the company's development efforts on the island proved to be a resounding success, and True didn't just gain Pepsi's continued confidence. With the development of True Refrigeration parts that could work in Puerto Rico's hot, corrosive conditions, the company cornered the Caribbean market as well. This milestone marked the start of the company's international expansion.

1990s: Innovations for a Fast-Moving Market

The ‘90s saw True settle into what it does best: develop novel solutions for quickly evolving markets. With an eye toward offering healthier beverages and new food choices, the food service industry demanded new refrigeration solutions. Among the host of other innovations True brought to the market during this time, it released its first refrigerated pizza prep tables, its TSD reach-in refrigerator series and its TM reach-in commercial cooler line. To cater to companies' desires for more impactful branding, True also started incorporating state-of-the-art silk screen presses into their product customization lines. This allowed its customers to theme their equipment with stunning graphics that complemented their corporate branding and messaging.

2010s Onward: Green Solutions

With the recent emphasis on developing environmentally friendly technologies around the world, True Manufacturing once again leads the game among U.S. manufacturers. Having started work on creating energy efficient and green refrigeration solutions as early as the 1980s, True stands ahead of the competition in this field. Recently, True became one of the first American refrigeration companies to migrate to using natural R290 refrigerant made from purified propane. Although already popular in Europe, the use of R290 as a refrigerant isn't well explored in the United States. That all changed when True and a handful of other companies petitioned the EPA to approve its use. The company worked with McDonald's to use R290 for its refrigeration units around the world, so it already understands how to build True Cooler parts for the new refrigerant. Given how True was able to rise above adversity and competition in fast-evolving markets throughout its history, there is little doubt that it will continue to produce great products. Their story is one of resilience and is a testament to the power of committing to quality and innovation.