Thermo King Refrigeration Units
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Thermo King Refrigeration Units
(The focus of this page is to establish a timeline for the use of Thermo King nose-mounted refrigeration units on railroad refrigerator cars, using sources not previously readily available. Sources include a wide variety of internet searches, including current and abandoned websites at Archive.org.)
(These are incomplete research notes. Comment or correction is most welcome.)
Pressure to replace railroad refrigerator cars that used ice came from outside the railroad industry and so did the new technology necessary for the conversion. The Thermo King Company had been producing refrigeration units for highway trucks since 1938 and had furnished 14,000 units by 1950.
The ability to keep food fresh or frozen in transport propelled the growth of the frozen food and supermarket industries beginning in the 1950s. The U. S. Thermo Control Company grew along with these industries. In the mid-1950s the company took the name of its successful product and was renamed Thermo King Corporation.
Thermo King History
The history of one of the most important names in modern food refrigeration logistics began when Joseph Numero and Frederick Jones founded the U.S. Thermo Control Company, later known as Thermo King. By first producing the first reliable mechanical refrigeration unit for trucks in 1938, the company solved a critical logistical bottleneck. Before their involvement, the industry relied on ice and salt, which was heavy, corrosive, and unreliable for long-haul journeys. Thermo King’s innovation fundamentally enabled the creation of the modern "cold chain," allowing fresh perishables to be transported across vast distances.
Thermo King as a refrigeration company was born out of a casual golf course joke in 1938. When one of a golf foursome, Harry Werner, who owned Werner Transporation, a trucking company, complained about losing a load of poultry due to ice melting. Joseph Numero, also a member of the foursome, jokingly claimed he could build a mechanical cooling unit for trucks, something many thought impossible due to the vibration of the road. A third member of the foursome, an air conditioning man, said it couldn't be done, and that the unit would fall apart in highway truck service. The task fell to Frederick Jones, a brilliant self-taught engineer, who by 1951 and at age 56, was chief engineer of the Numero's Thermo Control company. Jones developed a compact, gasoline-powered unit that revolutionized the food industry. A few weeks after the golf game, and playing along with the joke, Werner informed Numero that the trailer was ready for the conditioning unit.
(Joseph Numero owned the Ultraphone Sound Systems Inc. in Minneapolis, a 1920s audio equipment manufacturing company that developed, manufactured, and sold sound-on-film technology for movie theaters. The company hired prolific inventor Frederick McKinley Jones in 1930 as an electrical engineer to develop movie projection sound equipment. By 1933 it had been renamed to Cinema Supplies Inc., also based in Minneapolis. By 1936, in addition to the Ultraphone sound system, Cinema Supplies also sold movie theater seats. The Cinema Supplies company was later sold to RCA.)
(Sources differ as to when Jones was hired by Numero, either 1927 or 1930. This page uses 1930 because other sources not related to Thermo King or Frederick Jones report that talking pictures did not come to the Grand Theater in Hallock until late 1929. It was Jones' invention of a method to read the sound disc that played concurrently with movie film that brought him to Numero's attention.)
In 1938, along with Myron "Mike" Green, Joseph Numero founded the U.S. Thermo Control Company. Numero was head of manufacturing; Green was head of marketing; and Frederick Jones served as the company's engineer. One year later, Jones filed for Thermo Control's first patent for the world's first successful system for refrigerated transportation, the Model A.
Before the U.S. Thermo Control Model A was introduced in 1939, transported goods were cooled by salt and ice. This created temperature inconsistencies and required manual labor. The Model A was designed as a gasoline-powered under-mount unit on highway trailers. The Model A was US Patent 2,303,857; application November 16, 1939; approved December 1, 1942.
The Model A worked, but since it used currently available refrigeration components meant for stationary installations, it was heavy and bulky, at 2,200 pounds. The Model B was an unsuccessful interim design. In late 1941, Jones unveiled the Model C. The Model C was US Patent 2,336,735; application July 30, 1941; approved December 14, 1943.
Jones' Model C was the first cooling unit mounted on the front side of a highway trailer body, or the refrigerator box on chassis trucks. Refrigeration units installed up-high in this location collected less dirt than under-mounted versions. More important, the Model C's metal body was rigid enough to withstand long trips and, weighing only 700 pounds, saved precious engine power. Running the unit were a Briggs and Stratton single cylinder engine, a Lynch Model Par S-2150 reciprocating compressor, and a six-volt starter.
The Model C was such a revolutionary invention that Thermo Control named the new unit "Thermo King." During World War II, U.S. Thermo Control made Thermo King Model Cs exclusively for the U.S. military. The military applied Model C refrigeration units to boats, planes, and trucks in order to transport temperature-sensitive food for the troops, and drugs and blood plasma to soldiers in medical units.
The Model C became commercially available after World War II and immediately made an impact on the agricultural industry. Seasonal crops could be shipped across the world. Nations could trade perishable goods. Jones' invention laid the groundwork for the modern supermarket.
The Model C was retired from service in the mid-1960s. By then, it had made a permanent mark on international trade. To preserve the historical value of the Model C, L.B. Hartz Wholesale of Minnesota purchased the original Model C and donated it to the Thermo King dealership in St. Paul. Soon afterwards, the model was put on display at Thermo King’s headquarters in Minneapolis.
As the company grew, Thermo King focused on engineering refrigeration units that could withstand the rigorous vibrations and varying environments of over-the-road transport. The introduction of the Model C, the first "nose-mount" unit, became a defining moment for the industry. This design allowed for easier maintenance and more cargo space, setting a standard that remains the blueprint for refrigerated trailers today. Their engineering teams prioritized building self-contained systems that did not rely on the vehicle’s main engine, ensuring consistent cooling.
The First Rail Car
"Pressure to replace the ice cars came from outside the railroad industry and so did the new technology necessary for the conversion. The Thermo King Company had been producing refrigeration units for highway trucks since 1938 and had furnished 14,000 units by 1950." [Railway Mechanical Engineer, January 1951, p. 49.] (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Thermo King expanded its influence into the rail sector. By developing mechanical cooling for refrigerated railcars, they helped eliminate the need for traditional re-icing stations. This transition significantly reduced transit times for cross-country shipments. Their ability to adapt heavy-duty cooling for the rail environment allowed railroads to modernize their fleets and provide more reliable service for shippers of meat, produce, and dairy products.
April 23, 1948
"Diesel Unit Touted to Replace Ice as Cooler for Boxcars. - U.S. Thermo Control company has developed a diesel-powered cooling unit that will save food shippers an estimated $50,000,000 lost annually thru spoilage of food in transit. The new unit now is in its final stage of development. A dozen railroads and food-packing houses are co-operating in the tests. Some 5,000 large truck-trailers used for hauling food already are equipped with Thermo units powered by gasoline." (Lincoln Journal, April 23, 1948)
June 6, 1948
U.S. Thermo Control company filed suit in Detroit against five Detroit residents doing business as Frostrode Products, claiming patent infringement. Thermo Control claimed to be the world's largest manufacturer of portable mechanical refrigeration units, having furnished $10 million worth of contracts for the armed services. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 6, 1948)
"Late in 1948 Thermo King furnished equipment for a test of their mechanical refrigeration units in rail cars. The cars were operated by three companies: Fruit Growers Express, the Canadian National and Western Fruit Express. To ensure dependable service each car had two 28-horsepower, three-ton capacity units, with both units operating to precool the car, and when the desired temperature was reached, one unit shut down. It would then automatically start up if the other unit should fail for any reason. Gasoline for the car was carried in a 155 gallon tank. The fuel, maintenance and depreciation costs were figured at 27 cents an hour." (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
"Over the next two years several more railroads purchased Thermo King equipment. Fruit Growers Express was impressed but cautious, so they ordered 1,100 new ice cars built which, if necessary, could easily be converted to mechanical apparatus at a later date." (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
By 1950, the company had grown from a $50,000 venture in 1938 to an $8,000,000-a-year industry leader, expanding from truck trailers into the railroad industry.
[photo caption] "Thermo King Corporation developed a diesel power plant to convert ice cars into mechanical units. It was mounted above the floor at one end of the car to save floor space. The car is American Refrigerator Transit's No. 61528. - Thermo King Corporation" (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
[photo caption] "Thermo King also offered front end refrigeration units for highway trailers. Refrigerated truck trailers and containers have rendered refrigerator rail cars obsolete. - Thermo King Corporation" (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
[photo caption] "In 1950, Thermo King developed a more powerful 22,000 B.t.u. diesel mechanical plant for larger reefers. These units, like most mechanical plants, could heat as well as cool. The power plant was placed at one end of the car at floor level and weighed 1,620 pounds. The car shown here is Burlington Refrigerator's No. 5233. — Thermo King Corporation" (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
[photo caption] "As one way to keep perishable traffic on the rails, mechanically refrigerated highway trailers were piggybacked. This Nickel Plate trailer has an under-the-floor Thermo King unit. — Thermo King Corporation" (The Great Yellow Fleet, A History of American Railroad Refrigerator Cars, by John H. White, Golden West Books, 1986)
"The service testing of the Thermo King equipment in refrigerator cars began late in 1948. The cars have handled apples, canned goods and frozen fish on transcontinental trips in Canada; and frozen meats, frozen concentrates, apples, oranges, and potatoes through all seasons in the United States on routes varying from less than 900 miles to over 3,000 miles. The temperatures of the loads at unloading have been uniformly close to the thermostat setting, and the condition of the lading excellent. In one Canadian trip was made between June 23 and July 2, 1949. In a trip of 3,000 miles between Ontario, California, and New York, between October 12 and October 23, 1949, a load of oranges was delivered, the temperature of which ranged from 41 to 45 deg. F. When loaded, the temperature of the fruit averaged 73 deg. and the atmospheric temperature 95 deg." (Railway Locomotives and Cars, January 29, 1951)
(The February 1951 issue of Food Engineering magazine included photos of the Thermo King application on FGEX 108, as well as a well-done illustration diagram of how the Model RY refrigeration unit was installed in a rail car, and how the system functioned.)
June 7, 1951
"J. A. Numero, president of U. S. Thermo Control Co., Minneapolis, announced the formation of a new subsidiary company to specialize in building mechanical refrigeration-heating units for railroad freight cars. The new firm, to be known as Thermo-King Railway Corp., will be headed temporarily by Numero as president and treasurer and Myron B. Greene as vice president and secretary." (The Minneapolis Star, June 7, 1951)
March 20, 1952
"Thermo King Railway Corp, says arrangements have been made to put 25 Thermo King cars in service to haul meat. It will be the first use of mechanically refrigerated railroad cars for meat transportation. Cooling units are powered by gasoline." (Cincinnati Post, March 20, 1952)
From Food Industries magazine, April 1952.
Meat in Mechanical Reefers -- This spring mechanically-refrigerated railroad cars will be launched on regularly scheduled long-distance runs hauling meat. Arrangements have been made to put 25 units in service for John Morrell & Co., Ottumwa, Iowa. The cars will operate between the Midwest and points in Florida. Frozen foods, notably citrus concentrates, are to be carried on the return trips.
Refrigeration units are completely automatic, and may be set for any desired car temperature, with defrosting every five hours. Powered by gasoline, each mechanism is a self-contained package installed at one end of the car and occupying half the space required by ice bunkers. They consist of a gasoline engine, compressor, cooling coil, air circulating fan, and automatic controls.
Only 172 cars in the nation are so equipped today. But successful reports on their use from the Bellows Falls Cooperative Creamery (shipping milk) and a number of Florida citrus concentrators indicate satisfactory performances. The Thermo King Railway Corp. makes the refrigeration systems to be fitted into newly-built cars furnished by the Mather Stock Car Co., Chicago. Maintenance will be handled by Thermo King. (For equipment description, see "Mechanical Units Heat or Chill Car," p. 146, February 1951 Food Industries.)
"Thermo-King Railway Corporation. — The United States Thermo Control Company has announced formation of a subsidiary, the Thermo-King Railway Corporation, to handle railway sales of its automatic car refrigerating systems." (Railway Locomotives and Cars, June 1952)
April 1955
"Thermo-King. This system comprises a 30-hp four-cylinder Continental spark-ignition engine burning No. 1 diesel oil or water-white kerosene. The engine, compressor, starter-generator, condenser, evaporator, fans and their drives, and the controls are all mounted as a unit on a single base. The unit weighs 1,525 lb." (Railway Age, April 18, 1955)
The surge in the frozen food market during the mid-20th century required specialized equipment capable of maintaining sub-zero temperatures. Thermo King responded by developing high-capacity diesel-powered units. These units provided the necessary power to keep frozen goods at the correct temperature even during heatwaves or extended idling periods. Their involvement in this sector was a primary driver behind the rapid growth of the frozen food industry in American supermarkets.
Global shipping was revolutionized when Thermo King moved into the marine and intermodal container markets. By creating specialized units for sea-going containers, they allowed for a seamless transition of cargo from ships to trains and trucks. This intermodal capability was a massive leap forward for global trade, making it possible for consumers to enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables from around the world regardless of the time of year.
In the current era, Thermo King’s involvement has shifted toward digital integration and telematics. By equipping units with advanced sensors and GPS tracking, the company provides shippers with real-time data on the status of their cargo. This level of oversight ensures that the integrity of food and pharmaceutical supplies is maintained from the point of origin to the final destination, continuing a legacy of innovation that started with a single cooling unit in 1938.
Thermo King Transportation Milestones
1938 -- Frederick Jones and Joseph Numero form the U.S. Thermo Control Company and build the first portable cooling unit.
In May 1938 in Minneapolis, Harry Werner, owner of Werner Transportation, told Joseph Numero, owners of Ultraphone Sound Systems, that melted ice in his truck had resulted in spoiled meat. Numero then challenged his lead engineer Fred Jones to develop a truck refrigeration unit. Jones designed the model A, a 2200 pound unit that enabled continuous refrigeration for trucks. This innovation eliminated the need for ice, transforming the long distance transport refrigerated and frozen foods. Numero and Myron Green established the U.S. Thermo Control Company and introduced Thermo King with Jones as the chief inventor.
1939 -- The Model A unit is successfully tested, proving that mechanical refrigeration can survive highway travel.
1941 -- The first nose mount trailer unit, the Model C, is introduced to the market. Compared to the previous under mount units, the Model C is much less susceptible to mud, dirt and debris and is also significantly lighter. It is the first one-piece design, which results in improved system reliability. The new, lightweight nose mounted model proves so successful it is named "Thermo King."
1942 -- Thermo King provides specialized refrigeration for military field hospitals and food storage during WWII. Thermo King develops the first portable refrigeration unit for troops overseas. During World War II, these portable units make a significant difference in the field, enabling soldiers to enjoy fresh foods, cold drinks, and most importantly, store temperature-sensitive drugs and blood plasma.
1948 -- Adoption of Thermo King units by the first large-scale national refrigerated trucking fleets.
1948 -- Thermo King introduces the first refrigerated boxcar unit, the RY. Before the use of this new mechanical refrigeration system, shipping perishable products by rail was becoming outdated. Wooden rail cars with ice bunkers were manually loaded by workers with large ice blocks, and at times topped with crushed ice. The new "Atmosphere Control" refrigerated rail cars were tested from 1948 to 1950, and during these two years, not one pound of cargo was lost from poor refrigeration.
1951 -- U. S. Thermo Control Company was changed to Thermo King Corporation. (The last patent application was November 1950; the first application was January 1952)
1953 -- The first refrigerated container ships overseas to support the Korean War effort, opening the door for global transportation of temperature-sensitive goods and materials (by sea, truck or rail).
1956 -- Thermo King develops the first air conditioning unit for passenger buses, allowing patrons to travel with comfort even during the hottest months of the year. Engineering for the units had started in 1950.
1956 -- Thermo King launches the ROL unit for the first commercial refrigerated marine container. Through this invention an industry was born that transports a variety of goods – dry, refrigerated, and frozen – all across the world. Marine transportation also provides countless economical opportunities for countries of all sizes in the form of exports, imports, and trade.
1959 -- Thermo King introduces the UWD, with the first diesel engine in refrigerated units, extending engine life compared to gas-powered units. These were under-trailer-mounted units. A diesel-powered engine could run up to 25,000 hours, where a gas-powered engine had an expected life of 5,000 hours. This brought greater savings in engine maintenance and replacement and more progress to the long-haul trucking industry.
1960 -- Creation of the "pancake" style under-mount units for specialized trailer configurations.
1960 -- Thermo King introduces Fred Jones' patent of a damper system that allowed dual compartment highway trailers, allowing mixed loads of perishable products to be hauled at different temperatures in a single trailer.
1960 -- Thermo King launches the Model NWD, the first nose-mount diesel powered unit in the industry. Previous models had been gasoline powered.
1961 -- Frederick M. Jones, the founding engineer of Thermo King's predecessor company, U.S. Thermo Control Co., passed away at age 68.
1961 -- August 11, 1961 - The sale of Thermo King Corporation to Westinghouse Electric Corporation was made final. The proposed sale was announced on June 30, 1961, pending approval by Thermo King shareholders, which took place on August 10th. The merger was in the form of seven shares of Westinghouse stock (a total of 746,667) being exchanged for nine shares of Thermo King stock. With the current value of Westinghouse stock, the deal was reported as being $32 million in value. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 16, 1961)
1962 -- Production began of the improved Model NWD-62. This new unit had the appearance and function very similar to today's modern Thermo King trailer units. Many of the refrigeration principles and physical design features of this unit are still incorporated in the current Thermo King trailer product line.
1963 -- Joseph Numero resigned as president and CEO of Thermo King, and became board chairman.
1965 -- Thermo King creates Thermo King Auto Air Conditioning, a separate division of the company, providing consumers with a low cost, simple-to-install under-dash automobile air conditioning system.
1966 -- Development of ultra-low temperature units to support the expansion of the frozen food industry.
1970 -- Formal re-branding and global expansion of the Thermo King identity across international markets.
1971 -- Thermo King introduces a refrigeration system for small trucks (TNP) and vans (TNT), expanding the company's product line and increasing opportunities for small businesses to transport perishables.
1974 -- Deployment of the first microprocessor controllers to automate temperature management in transit.
1980 -- Introduction of multi-temperature units, allowing different cargo types to be carried in a single trailer.
1992 -- Thermo King launches the first successful microprocessor controller for trailer applications. This provided more precise control of the temperature of valuable loads with an easy-to-use interface. The controller also had the ability to remotely report temperature and alarms.
1993 -- Thermo King introduced the screw compressor for its trailer-mounted units, delivering fuel savings. This new screw compressor used two helical gears that compressed the refrigerant gas. Although screw compressors work best in high-capacity, continuous large industrial applications, they worked well for Thermo King's smaller transportation refrigeration units.
1994 -- Thermo King completed development of components and refrigeration units using ozone-friendly chemicals.
1995 -- After Westinghouse bought CBS in 1995, Westinghouse planned to spin off Thermo King as an industrial component of the new Westinghouse Electric subsidiary known as Welco. But the plans changed in June 1997 after receiving more than a dozen serious offers to buy Thermo King, so the CBS media side of the split retained full Thermo King ownership with plans to sell the company. By 1996, Thermo King accounted for a fourth of Westinghouse's $4.21 billion in industrial sales. The CBS media side accounted for $4.15 billion in revenue.
1997 -- Acquisition by Ingersoll-Rand in September 1997 for $2.56 billion.
1997 -- Thermo King introduced a new refrigeration unit, The Whisperer, that ran 87 percent quieter than previous models. This quieter unit used a scroll compressor to compress the refrigerant gas. Scroll compressors work best for small applications where lower capacity is needed in the smaller interior spaces of transportation equipment.
1997 -- Thermo King launches a silent cryogenic single and multi-temperature control system. This industry benchmark uses liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) as a substitute for diesel fuel, and it increases energy efficiency as well as reduces emissions and noise pollution.
2003 -- Thermo King introduces the MAGNUM container unit, the only reefer unit on the market that maintains a -35 degrees C (-31 degrees F) set point. The unit guarantees that, no matter the global destination, deep-frozen cargo will stay frozen even in 50 degree C (122 degree F) ambient conditions.
2020 -- Ingersoll Rand underwent a major corporate restructuring, spinning off its industrial segment while retaining its climate and refrigeration businesses (including both Trane and Thermo King) under the newly formed Trane Technologies plc. This resulted in Trane and Thermo King becoming siblings under the same parent company, Trane Technologies.
(Read the Wikipedia article about Trane, dating back to 1913, named for the company founder James Trane)
More Information
(Read the FundingUniverse article about the history of Thermo King Corporation)
Frederick McKinley Jones Story at Thermoking.com
Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961)
(May 17, 1893 - February 21, 1961)
During World War I, Jones served as a mechanic and electrician in France, returning to Hallock, Minnesota, in 1919. Although he had only a few years of formal education, he had a broad range of interests and gained expertise by watching others, asking questions, reading books and magazines, and by practice.
While working as a projectionist at the Grand Theater in Hallock, Jones volunteered to build a version of a sound-movie machine. Using common everyday materials he pieced together a sound-on-record projection system for the theater. When the industry upgraded to sound-on-film (optical soundtrack), Jones again went to work and made a lens ground from a glass towel rod that focused the light to the needed 0.05-inch beam needed to produce the sound. The system he created rivaled the quality of those that commercial manufacturers were leasing to movie houses, and cost considerably less.
(Other sources not related to Thermo King or to Frederick Jones, state that talking pictures first came to the Grand Theater in Hallock until late 1929. The Grand Theater in Hallock was up for sale in July 1928.)
Word of the homemade sound system Jones fabricated reached Joseph Numero in Minneapolis. When Numero heard how well it worked he sent a letter to the Hallock theater asking the maker to come to Minneapolis where Numero was running his company, Ultraphone Sound Systems, Inc. Jones went to Minneapolis in 1930, beginning a 30-year business relationship with Joseph Numero. Soon after going to work for Ultraphone, Jones was appointed chief engineer.
Jones was hired by entrepreneur Joseph A. Numero to work as an electrical engineer for Ultraphone Sound Systems Inc. Jones's work revolutionized the film industry, starting with his invention of a device to combine sound with motion pictures. He then transformed silent movie projectors into audiovisual projectors and developed a ticket-dispensing machine for theaters.
"The day he first came to the plant, the president of the company, Joseph A. Numero, was uncertain as to how the other men, including several university engineering graduates, would react to the self-taught Negro scientist. He took him out to the shop, introduced him and then left. When he came back an hour later, the group was working out a Jones suggestion on a troublesome order. Another hour and the shop was empty. Numero found the whole engineering department across the street with Jones, surrounded by blueprints and coffee." (Steven M. Spencer, "Born Handy," Saturday Evening Post, May 7, 1949)
In 1939, Frederick McKinley Jones patented the world’s first successful refrigerated transportation system. At the time, he was working for the Minneapolis-based company U.S. Thermo Control. Two years later, he released an improved version, the Model C, which revolutionized the agriculture and military industries.
Frederick McKinley Jones patented more than sixty inventions over his lifetime, making him one of the most prolific African American inventors ever. The Thermo King Model C stands as his most prominent achievement.
(Read the Wikipedia article about Frederick M. Jones)
One of his many patents was granted in late 1950. It described his new damper system for rail and truck transport. By sealing off cargo compartments once a specific temperature is reached, the device prevented produce from wilting or dehydrating, proving more efficient than traditional ice-based cooling.
In February 1961, one of the company founders and engineering genius Fred Jones died. At the time of his death, Jones was Vice President of Engineering for Thermo King. And soon thereafter Joseph Numero sold Thermo King to Westinghouse Electric Corporation for approximately $35 million. Numero continued as company president until 1963.
Frederick McKinley Jones, Thermo King's first engineer, pioneered the refrigerated transportation industry by designing the original portable air-cooling unit for trucks. Recognized for his lifetime of revolutionary achievements, Fred was posthumously inducted into the American Trucking and Industry Leader Hall of Fame by the American Truck Historical Society.
Joseph A. Numero (1896-1991)
(November 1, 1896 - May 8, 1991)
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 9, 1991.
Thermo King founder Joseph Numero dies. - Joseph A. Numero, 94, founder and retired president of Thermo King Corp. — a multimillion-dollar refrigeration business that began with a truckload of spoiled meat and a friendly chat on the golf links, died Wednesday (May 8th) at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
The invention that led to the formation of the Bloomington-based company came about on a warm afternoon in May 1938 on the links at Oak Ridge Country Club in Hopkins. In the golfing foursome with Numero were Max Winter, then a restaurateur at the 620 Club in Minneapolis; Harry Werner of Werner Transportation Co., a trucking firm that hauled meat and fruit from Minnesota to Chicago, and Al Fineberg, who headed U.S. Air Conditioning Co.
Werner collected $6 in winnings, $2 from each loser, but ended up losing much more because his dispatcher didn't put enough ice in a load of meat shipped from South St. Paul to Chicago, and the meat spoiled.
News of the spoilage prompted Numero, whose business was building sound equipment and ticket-dispensing machines for theaters, to suggest that Fineberg, the air-conditioning expert in the group, come up with a refrigeration system for Werner's trucks so that he could keep perishables cool while shipping long distances.
When Fineberg bowed out of the venture, Numero took over. He already had a successful business, Ultraphonic Sound System of Minneapolis but had been involved in a six-year court battle with AT&T, which claimed Ultraphonic had infringed on its patents. In addition, he was competing with such giants as Western Electric and RCA in the market for theater sound equipment.
He assigned one of his best electrical engineers to design refrigeration units to keep perishable foods fresh on the road. The refrigeration units for trucks, trains, buses and ships that Numero first envisioned and later refined to state-of-the art revolutionized the transport of perishable foods around the world.
(Note that Frederick M. Jones is not mentioned.)
Although Numero had little luck persuading major meat-packers to buy his products in the beginning, today the company is the world leader in transport refrigeration. It has about 3,000 employees around the world, including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Ireland, England, Spain and China. Its headquarters in Bloomington employs about 900 people and includes a manufacturing plant, an engineering test facility, a parts distribution center and a training school for mechanics.
Numero was born in St. Paul and originally intended to become a judge. His studies at the University of Minnesota Law School were interrupted by Army duty in Europe during World War I. When he returned in 1919, he went into the real estate business and bought the Builders Exchange building in St. Paul, the old Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis and an interest in a hotel in Iowa.
He completed law school at age 30 and passed the Minnesota Bar examination but fell one credit short of graduating. Sixty years later, at age 91, he received his diploma. He was the oldest graduate on record at the University of Minnesota Law School.
In 1961, Numero sold Thermo King to Westinghouse Electric Corp. of Pittsburgh, Pa., but continued as its president until 1963. He remained active in the company as honorary chairman until his death.
Myron B. Green (1910-1994)
(February 8, 1910 - December 3, 1994)
Co-founder of U. S. Thermo Control Co. in 1938.
From the Minneapolis-Star, November 29, 1957.
There might seem to be very little connection between jewelry and refrigerated trucks, but Myron B. (Mike) Green has proved that a good salesman can make good in both businesses.
Green, a graduate of West High school, was almost through the University of Minnesota when the illness of his father forced him to quit and go into the family jewelry store.
Later on, Green spent three years selling a variety of products. In 1939 he and a friend set up the U.S. Thermo Control Co., to make refrigeration units for trucks. This was almost a new field, for at that time there were no widely successful refrigerated trucks. Now the company, renamed "Thermo-King Corp." in 1946, makes about 90 per cent of the refrigeration units used in trucks and trailers in this country.
Green is executive vice president of Thermo-King.
In addition to such professional organizations as the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers, the Tractor-Trailer Manufacturers association and the American Trucking association, he is a member of the Oak Ridge Country club, where he golfs with a handicap of nine, which he considers "pretty good golf." He also belongs to the Standard club and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, in whose alumni group he is active.
From the Star Tribune, December 19, 1963.
M. B. Green, one of the founders of Thermo King Corp., has been elected president and chief officer of the company, it was announced today.
He succeeds Joseph A. Numero, who was elected board chairman.
Numero has been president since he and Green founded the company in 1938. Originally called U.S. Thermo Control Co., the company pioneered in the development and manufacture of refrigeration control units for transport equipment.
Now a subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Corp., Thermo King is the nation’s largest producer of mechanical truck refrigeration.
Green, a 1931 graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Business, has been executive vice president and general manager since 1948.
Numero is a 1928 graduate of the university law school. Before founding Thermo King, he manufactured amplifications systems and sound equipment for theaters.
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 5, 1994.
Refrigeration pioneer Myron Green dies. - Myron (Mike) Green was working in his family's jewelry business when he met a trucker with a problem: The trucker couldn't transport food without it spoiling.
So with the help of an engineer, Green developed the first refrigeration units for trucks, and his company, Thermo King Corp., became one of the largest refrigeration companies in the United States.
Green, 84, died Saturday at Sholom Home West nursing home in St. Louis Park.
Green, of St. Louis Park, was born in Minneapolis and graduated from the old West High School. He attended the University of Minnesota but had to quit so he could work at his family's business.
In 1938, he and Joe Numero, a law school graduate and manufacturer of theater amplification systems, founded Thermo King (originally called Thermo Control Co.) in Minneapolis. They developed the first truck and trailer transport refrigeration system with Fred Jones, who became one of the city's well-known African-American engineers. Tom Green said his father handled the new product's marketing, and Numero the manufacturing.
During World War II, Thermo King contributed to the war effort by developing an engine heating system for airplanes and refrigerators that could be constructed in the field. The company later developed seagoing container refrigeration and air conditioning for buses, automobiles and passenger trains.
In the mid-1940s, Thermo King manufactured 90 percent of all refrigerated trucks and grew with the expansion of the frozen juice and vegetable markets in the mid-1950s. In 1965, the company's annual sales were estimated at $40 million.
Green was executive vice president of Thermo King when it was sold to Westinghouse Electric Corp. in 1961. He became president two years later and retired in 1975. By then, the company had offices and distribution centers in Europe, Asia and South America. The company is headquartered in Bloomington, where it had moved in the mid-1950s.
He was an excellent golfer and was a member of Oak Ridge Country Club in Hopkins and Tamarisk Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif. He was active in the DFL Party, was on the founding board of governors of the old Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis, and was a trustee of Temple Israel synagogue in Minneapolis, an officer of the Minneapolis Federation of Jewish Service and a member of Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity and the Minneapolis Club.
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