A Chilling History of Frozen Food A Chilling History of Frozen Food A Chilling History of Frozen Food Swanson TV Dinner. Courtesy of the Pinnacle Foods Corporation By Mary Bellis Updated April 01, 2016. When we crave fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of winter, we can thank an American taxidermist for making possible the next best thing. Clarence Birdseye, who invented and commercialized a method for quick-freezing food products in convenient packages and without altering the original taste, was simply seeking a way for his family to have fresh food all year round. The solution came to him while conducting fieldwork in the arctic, where he observed how the Inuit would preserve freshly caught fish and others meats in barrels of sea water that quickly froze due to the frigid climate. The fish were later thawed, cooked and most importantly tasted fresh -- much more so than anything at the fish markets back at home. He surmised that it was this practice of rapid freezing in extremely low temperatures that allowed meat to retain freshness once thawed and served months later. Back in the U.S., commercial foods were typically chilled at a higher temperature and thus took longer to freeze.

continue reading below our video Should I Buy my House or Continue to Rent? Compared to conventional techniques, fast freezing causes smaller ice crystals to form, which is less likely to damage the food. So in 1923, with an investment of $7 for an electric fan , buckets of brine, and cakes of ice, Clarence Birdseye developed and later perfected a system of packing fresh food into waxed cardboard boxes and flash-freezing under high pressure. And by 1927, his company General Seafoods was applying the technology to preserve beef, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. Two years later, The Goldman-Sachs Trading Corporation and the Postum Company (later the General Foods Corporation) bought Clarence Birdseye’s patents and trademarks in 1929 for $22 million. The first quick-frozen vegetables, fruits, seafoods, and meat were sold to the public for the first time in 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts, under the trade name Birds Eye Frosted Foods®. These frozen products were initially only available at 18 stores as a way to gauge whether consumers would take to what was then a novel approach to selling food.

Grocery shoppers could choose from a fairly wide selection that included frozen meat, blue point oysters, fish fillets, spinach, peas, various fruits and berries. The products were a hit and with the company continued to expand, with frozen food products transported by refrigerated boxcars to distant stores. Today commercially frozen foods are a multi-billion dollar industry and "Birds Eye," a top frozen-food brand, is widely sold just about everywhere. Birdseye served as consultant to General Foods up until 1938 and eventually turned his attention to other interests and invented an infrared heat lamp , a spotlight for store window displays, a harpoon for marking whales. He would also establish companies to market his products. By the time of his sudden passing in 1956 he had about 300 patents to his name.

The Strange History of Frozen Food: From Clarence Birdseye to the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats - Eater The Strange History of Frozen Food: From Clarence Birdseye to the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats Photo: ValeStock / Shutterstock.com Gregory Ng is the chief marketing officer for a marketing agency from North Carolina and the self-proclaimed "Frozen Food Master." He doesn't like pickles — especially the frozen kind — and as the dedicated host to the Youtube frozen food review series Freezerburns , he tried Bob's Pickle Pops, which apparently is pretty trendy in Texas. "People tell me they use it as an energy boost before exercising or as a refreshing snack," he says. "To me that's really disgusting." But the pickle popsicle is only one of thousands of frozen food items Greg has sampled. He walks the frozen food aisle twice a week at every major supermarket chain. He gets two or three shipments of new frozen meal or snack options per week on dry ice. "Part of the reason why I coined the term "Frozen Food Master" is really just the idea that I can say with great certainty that I have tasted more [frozen food] variety than anyone on this planet," he says.

There are thousands of new items introduced into the market every month, he says. Some gourmet, some gluten-free, others family size. These days, there are entire grocery store aisles dedicated to frozen pizzas alone. In 2010 — during a recession — frozen-food sales grew 3.1%, according to the Wall Street Journal . Since then, frozen food technology has increased its popularity by including healthier options and more eco-friendly packaging, which allow foods to stay fresher longer and retain more nutrients. Clarence Birdseye: Father of Frozen Food The frozen food industry would be nothing without Clarence Birdseye, the man responsible for Birds Eye frozen foods, which is currently owned by Pinnacle Foods Inc. People have been freezing foods as a means of preservation since as early as 1000 B.C., when the Chinese stored goods in ice cellars. But Birdseye figured out the logistics of selling frozen foods: how could he freeze it fast so it didn't deform the food tissue? How would he package it? How would he transport the product?

Clarence Birdseye [Photos: Birdseye] As a young engineer in Labrador, an eastern province in Canada, Birdseye often froze his catch after a day of fishing to keep it fresh. He learned this from the Inuit who would fish from holes in the ice and let it freeze instantly in the frigid temperatures, Mark Kurlansky writes in Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man. Birdseye noticed that when the fish thawed, it wasn't mushy like other frozen foods he had tried before. This was around 1912. "When he lived in Labrador, the food he froze for his family was really good — not like the frozen food that was available everywhere," Kurlasky writes. "He realized that because it froze instantly, because it was so cold — that was the key to making frozen food good." It wasn't until 1927 that Birdseye applied to patent a multiplate freezing machine. According to the Handbook of Frozen Foods, Birdseye placed food between two metallic plates at -13 degrees F against a low convection tunnel to flash-freeze the product.

In 1928, Birdseye was successful in creating the double belt freezer which would be the forerunner to modern freezing technology. In 1930, the first line of frozen foods went public through the Birds Eye Frosted Food Company which was later sold to Postum, Inc. The company advertised June peas "as gloriously green as any you will see next summer." The original, flash-frozen foods included haddock fillets, 17 other cuts of meat and fish, as well as fruits and veggies like spinach, loganberries and raspberries. The company advertised June peas "as gloriously green as any you will see next summer." By World War II, canned goods were sent to soldiers overseas and Americans were encouraged to purchase frozen foods. Frozen also used fewer ration points than canned, according to the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association's (NFRA) website. Post-war, between 1945 and 1946, Americans bought 800 million pounds of frozen food, Kurlansky writes. With the invention of the fish stick and the 98-cent TV dinner in 1954, frozen meals became an American staple.

TV trays are still among foods Greg reviews on his show, but they make up less than one percent of the total frozen variety. "People just don't eat that way anymore," he says. "You can make a really good full meal using frozen products out of components in a way that saves time without sacrificing health." [Photo: letsgoroadtripping / Flickr ] Gerry Thomas: Father of the TV Dinner Back in 1954, when the Swanson TV dinner was first sold in retail outlets, a complete, frozen meal was the first of its kind. And it was controversial: men wrote to the company complaining that they preferred their wives cook from scratch like their mothers did as opposed to the "just heat and serve" Swanson meal. (A sign of the times, surely). In 25 minutes, this commercial from 1955 says, your wife could make a meal with "hearty slices of moist tender Swanson turkey, with whipped sweet potatoes and golden Swanson butter." The original TV dinner also included "garden fresh" peas and a cornbread dressing.

Video: 1955 Swanson TV Dinner Ad But as these invention stories go, at least three different sources have been attributed to the TV dinner, according to the Library of Congress: Gerry Thomas, the Swanson Brothers, and Maxson Food Systems, Inc. In 1944, W.L. Maxson Co. created the first frozen dinner called "Strato-Plates," which it sold to the Navy and airlines. In 1944, W.L. Maxson Co. created the first frozen dinner called "Strato-Plates," which it sold to the Navy and airlines. The meals consisted of three basic dishes — meat, vegetables and a potato — on a paperboard tray treated with Bakelite resin. According to the April 1947 issue of Popular Mechanics , until then, crew members and passengers had only had the choice of cold sandwiches and K-rations. Knowing that airplanes had weight limits, founder William Maxson invented a convection oven called the "Maxson Whirlwind Oven" that weighed 35 pounds (made of aluminum and steel) and could cook six frozen meals at once in half the time of a conventional oven.

At the time of the Popular Mechanics article, Maxson was making plans to produce "single food items for the busy housewife" like french fries, corn, carrots, Swiss steak and turkey. But due to decline in demand at the end of WWII and the death of Mr. Maxson in 1947, Strato-Plates never made it to the retail market. Three years later, Jack Fisher released FrigiDinner, the first aluminum tray for frozen meals. It was the design the Swanson TV dinner tray — which was shaped like a television — would borrow from a decade later. When Albert and Meyer Bernstein created Frozen Dinners, Inc. in 1949, the FrigiDinner found a market. By 1954, the same year Swanson trademarked the TV dinner concept, the brothers sold over two and a half-million frozen dinners. [Photos: blakta2 , joebehr / Flickr ] The most popular story — until recently — was that Swanson exec Gerry Thomas came up with the idea during a turkey surplus in 1952. The company needed a way to sell 520,000 pounds of extra bird.

The most popular story was that a Swanson exec came up with the idea during a turkey surplus in 1952. Thomas, then 30, was on a business trip to Pittsburgh flying Pan American Airlines, when it hit him. His heated meal was served in a metal tray. This was how Swanson would package the extra turkeys: frozen and in trays like the one on the plane. "It was just a single compartment tray with foil," he said in a 1999 Associated Press interview. "I asked if I could borrow it and stuck it in the pocket of my overcoat." The first few thousand TV dinners were sold in Omaha near Swanson headquarters in 1954. After the meal went national, they sold ten million dinners in the first year. In the 1999 AP interview, Thomas claimed credit not for the TV dinner itself — the airlines did that first — but for the method of how it was served. Marketing the product as an easy-to-eat meal in front of the television set, which was then skyrocketing in popularity, and using your lap as a table is what set Swanson apart from the previous frozen meals.

The Swanson TV Dinner Tray at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History [Photo: SNMAH ] For his years of work in the industry and, of course, the TV dinner, Thomas was inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame (more on that later). One of his trays made an appearance in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and his hand prints are cemented into the ground outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. But in 2003, controversy over the real inventor surfaced from a Los Angeles Times article that questioned Thomas's story. Heirs to the Swanson fortune told the newspaper that Thomas made the whole thing up, that he had little or nothing to do with the design of the dinner tray. Carol Swanson Price said her father, Clarke Swanson, and uncle, Gilbert Swanson, who ran the company in the early 1950s, pitched the idea. "This has been a source of annoyance to me over the years because I have seen a lot of people claim credit," Price told the LA Times. "I'd like to set the record straight." Nearly 60 years later, the true inventor remains unknown.

One thing we do know: Thomas stuck with his story until he died from cancer in 2005. He was 83. The First Frozen Bagel The first frozen bagel was born in New Haven, Connecticut, a product that would introduce a convenience for shoppers that would change the American breakfast table for good. In 1927, Harry Lender and his sons Murray and Marvin began selling traditional Jewish breads and rolls and what would eventually make them famous: bagels. With the efficiency of the Thompson machine (it could form 600 bagels an hour), Lender's outgrew the state of Connecticut in bagel production. Even after they began packaging them in plastic bags in the mid-fifties, the bagels would go stale after a few days. To extend the shelf life of the bagels they were producing in such large quantities, they flash-froze the product before shipping. This, of course, compromised some of the made-from-scratch goodness of the original Lender's bagel, but over time, the company developed recipes for sweeter, softer bagels post freeze. By the seventies, Lenders bagels could be found in grocers' freezers across the country.

Murray Lender, founder of Lender's Bagels. [Photo: Easy Home Meals ] The original use of frozen technology was just to keep the bread fresh before delivery. The night before, they'd defrost the bagels and their recipients were "none the wiser," writes Maria Balinska in her book The Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread. Word eventually got out that the "fresh" bagels were yesterday's frozen bread and buyers were angry at first. But the convenience of the easy-to-grab, frozen breakfast item drowned out initial complaints. Lender's was also the first bagel producer to sell frozen bagels pre-cut so clumsy customers wouldn't slice themselves on slippery, recently-defrosted bread. Pre-cut, the frozen product was toaster ready straight from the freezer — a first for bagels and the frozen food industry as a whole. The Frozen Food Hall of Fame Gerry Thomas is among hundreds of others in the Frozen Food Hall of Fame, which honors individuals who have substantial involvement with the frozen food industry or have contributed substantially to the advancement of the industry.

According to National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association president and CEO Skip Shaw, the first class of the Hall-of-Famers included frozen food wonders from Clarence Birdseye, John Baugh from the Sysco Corporation, to C. James McNutt of the Campbell's company, among others. The Hall of Fame was co-founded by the NFRA in 1990, but has roots dating back to the early fifties with the creation of the somewhat mysterious group known as The Distinguished Order of Zerocrats. Each spring, the Zerocrats, made up of industry professionals including Hall-of-Famers and incoming chairman of various trade associations, vote on the newest inductees. The nominations are then sent to the selection committee, which consists of the Chairman of the Zerocrats, the Chairman-Elect and presidents of the NFRA and The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI). The 2013 Refrigerated Food Hall Of Fame Inductees: Harry Hussmann, Nevin B. Montgomery, and L.B. (Lively) Willoughby. [Photo: The Shelby Report ] At the last Zerocrat dinner, the inductees for October 2013 were announced.

Three individuals: the late Harry Hussmann, founder of the Hussmann Patented Refrigerated Meat Display case and Hussmann Refrigerator Company; Nevin B. Montgomery, retired president of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association; and the late L.B. (Lively) Willoughby, patented inventor of the refrigerated biscuit dough (later used by Pillsbury). This summer, the Zerocrats will meet again to pick next year's recipients. While the TV dinner seems a novelty item these days — nostalgic down to its individual tray compartments — it doesn't seem like frozen food products are going anywhere. At least if the "Frozen Food Master" has anything to say about it. "The technology and convenience of frozen food has created a hyper niche market served by Whole Foods and Trader Joe's," Gregory says. "These healthier companies like Amy's Organics and Kashi are feeding really specific eaters—gluten free, low calorie, and organic. As long as companies have microwave-only kitchens and there are healthy options are out there, frozen food technology is always gonna be around." —K. Annabelle Smith writes about weird food history at Smithsonian.com and has tackled everything from gun culture in New Mexico to the lost Rice Krispie mascot.

Her work also appears in OutsideOnline.com and Esquire.com . The PeopleString Story The PeopleString Story Fun Food Trivia Fun food trivia questions and answers. What milk product did the U.S. Agriculture Department propose as a substitute for meat in school lunches, in 1996? A: Yogurt. What breakfast cereal was Sonny the Cuckoo Bird "cuckoo for"? A: Cocoa Puffs. Why was the Animal Crackers box designed with a string handle? A: The animal shaped cookie treats were introduced in 1902 as a Christmas novelty, and packaged so they would be hung from the Christmas trees. On what vegetable did an ancient Egyptian place his right hand when taking an oath? A: The onion. Its round shape symbolized eternity. How many flowers are in the design stamped on each side of an Oreo cookie? A: Twelve. Each as four petals. Black-eyed peas are not peas. What are they? A: Beans What European nation consumes more spicy Mexican food than any other? A: Norway What part of the banana is used to make banana oil? A: No part. Banana oil, a synthetic compound made with amyl alcohol, is named for its banana-like aroma.

Under what name did the Domino's Pizza chain get its start? A: DomNick's What was margarine called when it was first marketed in England? A: Butterine What are the two top selling spices in the world? A: Pepper is 1st and mustard is second. What was the name of Cheerios when it was first marketed 50 years ago? A: Cheerioats What flaver of ice cream did Baskin-Robbins introduce to commemorate Americ's landing on the moon on July 20, 1969? A: Lunar Cheescake What is the most widely eaten fish in the world? A: The Herring What is the name of the evergeen shrub from which we get capers? A: The caper bush. What fruits were crossed to produce the nectarine? A: None. The nectarine is a smooth skinned variety of the peach. What animals milk is used to make authentic Italian mozzarella cheese? A: The water buffalo's. What nation produces two thirds of the world's vanilla? A: Madagascar. Why did candy maker Milton S. Hershey switch from making caramels to chocolate bars in 1903?

A: Caramels didn't retain the imprint of his name in summertime, chocolate did. What was the drink we know as the Bloody Mary originally called? A: The Red Snapper, which was its name when it crossed the Atlantic from Harry's New York Bar in Paris. What was the first commercially manufactured breakfast cereal? A: Shredded Wheat. When Birdseye introduced the first frozen food in 1930, what did the company call it? A: Frosted Food. Company officials feared the word frozen would suggest flesh burns. The name was changed to frozen soon after. What American city produces most of the egg rolls sold in grocery stores in the United States? A: Houston, Texas. What was the first of H.J. Heinz' "57 varieties"? A: Horseradish, marketed in 1869 What is the literal meaning of the Italian word linguine? A: Little tongues. Where did the pineapple plant originate? A: In South America. It didn't reach Hawaii until the early nineteenth century. What recipe, first published 50 years ago, has been requested most frequently through the years by the readers of "Better Homes and Garden"?

A: The recipe for hamburger pie, which has been updated and republished a number of times over the years. What is the only essential vitamin not found in the white potato? A: Vitamin A PeopleString Homepage & Mailbox-CashBox Tutorial Learning all the new things necessary for you to become efficient on the PeopleString Homepage can be a bit confusing when you are a new member. This video will help you to become more familiar with some of the functions of the PeopleString Homepage. I hope you find that this will also help you to become better at recommending PeopleString to your friends, family and interested people of the world. Thinking of joining the PeopleString team? There is no better time than now, as the Ground Floor opportunities are filling up fast. Just click on the this link for more info. The PeopleString Story PeopleString 'Where You Own the Web'. It is the new wave in relationship and social communities; it has the Creativity, Culture, Expressive Forums and places to meet new people and network; but now it combines all that with giving you a share in the revenues that are created by the users of the website. The 'other' social sites keep all of the money for themselves and never give any to their users.

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Then why not get paid for what you are doing? So, go ahead and join PeopleString and start making money on the internet. Whether you want to make a few friends, extra money or a second income you can find it all at PeopleString . Just click on the link below for some additional details. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME "The easiest money you will ever make." Posted by About Us « Hillphoenix About Us Since Hillphoenix began with a single New Jersey grocer in search of a solution to a problem, we have made a conscious decision to listen to what our customers need and provide fresh ideas that help them serve their customers better. Our mission is to provide fresh, industry-leading solutions that help our customers stay relevant and competitively differentiated in their markets through our customer-centric approach to innovation. Our vision inspires us to become the recognized global leader in creative, flexible and responsible innovations in retail refrigeration. And the values that every Hillphoenix associate aspires to, drive what we stand for and how we deliver on the promises we make to our customers. It’s a restless spirit, part of our heritage that drives us to deliver “ Fresh thinking. Responsible solutions .” Hillphoenix has provided innovative technologies to retailers for more than a century.

View some of the highlights of our illustrious history. Hillphoenix Timeline 1887 – C.V. Hill, a New Jersey grocer is dissatisfied with the coolers currently available both with regard to price and performance. Because he dislikes lifting out the heavy butter and lard tubs stored in the coolers he invents a butter slide that comes out automatically when the cooler door is opened. A neighboring grocer heard about the unit and when he saw it he bought it on the spot. Mr. Hill sold another cooler and then decided to go into the cooler manufacturing business. He calls the new business C. V. Hill Refrigerator Works. 1889 – Mr. Hill establishes his first factory to produce coolers for C.V. Hill Refrigerator Works. 1890 – Mr. Hill invents the first baffle and bunker system for ice-refrigerated coolers. 1896 – C.V. Hill Refrigerator Works moves to a larger building located in Trenton, NJ. In addition to the coolers he produces Mr. Hill starts to develop concepts for refrigerated showcases. 1905 – The first Hill Refrigerated Showcase for dairy products is introduced.

1909 – Utilizing the growing availability of the electric motor and ammonia as the refrigerant develops a showcase that displays fresh meat. Hill Refrigeration Company is born. 1920 – During the early 1920’s Hill introduces the first “top display” cases which allow customers to view the merchandise inside. 1927 – Hill introduces the first all metal display case. 1928 – Hill develops the first display cases capable of holding frozen food and ice cream. Swift and Company uses the Hill cases in their laboratory as they work to develop frozen foods. 1929 – Hill installs the first frozen food case in a retail store. 1930 – Clarence Birdseye recommends the use of the Hill “2000” model frozen food case to display the new Birdseye “frosted foods” then being introduced in the marketplace. 1932 – C.V. Hill retires and turns the company over to his sons, C.V. Hill Jr., and J.S. Hill.

1932 – Hill introduces the first porcelain-clad display cases 1934 – Hill introduces the first service deli cases with mezzanine shelving and storage in the bottom area. 1934 – Hill publishes first edition of Hardcover book entitled “Modern Food Merchandising”. 1936 – Hill introduces “add-a-unit” feature to display cases allowing cases to be joined together to make lineups. 1945 – Hill introduces the first three-deck open dairy case. 1953 – Hill becomes the first manufacturer to offer the option to add color to display cases. “Color Blend” transforms an industry that previously only offered white. 1967 – Hill introduces Vista Line of medium temp cases with expanded Color Blend® colors and sleek streamlined styling. 1977 – Grant Brown starts new refrigeration systems business in Georgia called Engineered Supermarket Products. 1977 – ESP introduces the first uneven parallel refrigeration system. 1980 – Grant Brown sells ESP and starts up Engineered Refrigeration Systems. 1980 – Hill starts new service training program called Hill Aware, a program that became an acclaimed success throughout the industry. 1981 – Hill introduces the first U.S.

manufactured curved glass service deli case. 1983 – Hill introduces ParaTemp®, the industry’s first outdoor parallel distributed refrigeration system. 1985 – Grant Brown sells ERS to Margaux, Inc. 1988 – Grant Brown re-enters the refrigeration systems market with a new company named Phoenix Refrigeration Systems. 1990 – Hill introduces the Origin® line of display cases; a bold departure in case styling. 1990 – Hill introduces WeatherPac® distributed outdoor refrigeration systems 1993 – Dover Corporation acquires Phoenix Refrigeration Systems. 1994 – Phoenix Refrigeration Systems acquires Hill Refrigeration to form Hillphoenix®. 1995 – Hillphoenix acquires Margaux Refrigeration. 1995 – Display case operations move to new factory in Colonial Heights, Virginia. 1995 – Hillphoenix introduces ORIGIN2® display cases. 1995 – Hillphoenix introduces Phill, the first commercially available secondary coolant refrigeration system prototype. 1996 – Hillphoenix introduces 2Cool™ secondary coolant refrigeration systems 1997 – EDS (Electrical Distribution Systems) merged back into Hillphoenix.

1999 – Hillphoenix re-enters the Walk In Cooler business. 2002 – Hillphoenix expands secondary coolant refrigeration system focus with introduction of Second Nature® Technology. 2002 – Hillphoenix introduces patented Coolgenix® service case technology. 2003 – Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first six-door, refrigerated display case at the Food Marketing Institute FMI Show. 2004 – Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first true 5-deck rear load fresh meat display case and a companion front load model (O5MR/O5M) 2005 – Hillphoenix management commissions team to develop educational programs for sales, service, dealers, customers and contractors. 2006 – Hillphoenix launches the Hillphoenix Learning Center. 2006 – Refrigeration Systems Division introduces InviroPac™ distributed systems. 2006 – Hillphoenix Refrigeration Systems Division installs first test sites utilizing CO2 as a secondary fluid at a Food Lion store in Montpelier, Virginia and a Sam’s Club in Savannah, Georgia. 2007 – Hillphoenix begins field testing of SmartValve™ patented superheat management system.

2007 – Hillphoenix introduces Climate Keeper™ providing an advanced approach to in-store, environmental control that significantly improves upon these less successful methods. 2007 – Hillphoenix becomes the first refrigeration equipment manufacturer to join the EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership. 2007 – Hillphoenix releases the industry’s first Sustainability Report from a refrigeration manufacturer. 2008 – Hillphoenix installs the first test site utilizing Second Nature CO2 Cascade Refrigeration technology at Price Chopper location in New York. 2008 – Hillphoenix installs the first full store test site utilizing Second Nature medium temp system utilizing Propylene Glycol and low temperature system utilizing CO2 as a secondary coolant. 2009 – Hillphoenix receives an Ozone Layer Protection Award in the corporate/government category from the U.S. EPA. 2009 – Hillphoenix receives the 2008-2009 GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership “Distinguished Partner Award” from the U.S. EPA. 2009 – Hillphoenix acquires select assets of Tyler Refrigeration Corporation.

2009 – Hillphoenix acquires Barker Company creating Specialty Products by Hillphoenix. 2009 – Hillphoenix introduces Clearvoyant® LED Systems; LED lighting specifically designed for display cases. 2009 – Hillphoenix becomes the first manufacturer to receive SNAP approval from the U.S. EPA to use CO2 as a replacement for HCFCs in retail refrigeration 2010 – Hillphoenix launches Synerg-E™ Technology; the most energy efficient display case refrigeration technology available. 2010 – Hillphoenix expands Second Nature CO2 technology offering announcing the availability its industry-leading Second Nature Low Temperature Direct Expansion Cascade system. 2010 – The Champlain Valley Vermont Chapter of ASHRAE presents Hillphoenix with its first Research Promotion Award, recognizing the Hillphoenix Learning Center for its leadership and commitment to training for the commercial refrigeration/supermarket industries. 2011 – Hillphoenix helps Sprouts Farmers Market become the third U. S. retailer to achieve Platinum GreenChill status with the installation of the new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade System for both low and medium temperature applications. All three Platinum Certified GreenChill stores are Hillphoenix designs.

Hillphoenix History Company History – We Were Born To Leap Hillphoenix Inc., a Dover Company, designs and manufactures an extensive line of commercial refrigerated display merchandisers, commercial and light industrial refrigeration systems and mechanical centers, electrical distribution products, and specialty display cases and fixtures. The origin of Hillphoenix dates back to 1887, when C.V. Hill, a New Jersey grocer, dissatisfied with the coolers currently available to him both with regard to price and performance, decides to build his own. Because Mr. Hill “dislikes lifting out the heavy butter and lard tubs stored in the coolers”, he invents a butter slide which comes out automatically when the cooler door is opened. This is the first of many patents the company will own as new ideas are initiated over the decades that follow. A neighboring grocer hears of the unit and when he sees it, buys it on the spot. Mr. Hill sells another cooler and then decides to go into the cooler manufacturing business, as he says “for a few years,” then return to the grocery store. He starts a new company and names it C. V. Hill Refrigerator Works.

He never returns to the grocery business deciding instead to focus on developing better ways for grocers to display perishable products. Not only is a company born but so is an industry. Mr. Hill learns about refrigeration and air circulation on the first two coolers he builds and in 1889 he establishes his first factory. He builds two more refrigerators and shows them at the first Trenton State Fair. Although he enjoys the fair, he does not sell any products. In March of 1890, he sells two refrigerators at $115.00 each. He also invents the first baffle and bunker system for ice-refrigerated coolers. This “puts him on the map in Trenton.” By 1896 Hill Refrigerator Works moves to a larger facility in Trenton, N.J., and begins to receive orders from the government and steamship operators, as well as from grocers. As the turn of the century arrives Mr. Hill starts developing refrigerated show cases and in 1905 introduces the first Hill refrigerated show case. As he continues to develop show case concepts he is particularly focused on developing the first refrigerated display case for fresh meat.

Around 1909, utilizing the growing availability of the electric motor and ammonia as the refrigerant, Mr. Hill begins to make a name for himself as grocers up and down the Eastern Seaboard want to buy his meat cases for their stores. Hill Refrigeration Company is born. In the early 1920s, the company develops the first top display case, which allows customers to view the merchandise inside. Other innovations include the 1927 introduction of the first all-metal case and the 1928 introduction of the first display case capable of maintaining frozen food and ice cream at the right temperatures. When Swift and Company is looking for a case to use for frozen meat, they are surprised to learn that one has already been developed by Hill. Swift uses the Hill case successfully in their laboratory test helping to establish the retail frozen food business in grocery stores. In 1929 Hill installs the first frozen food case in a retail food store and in 1930 Clarence Birdseye recommends the use of the Hill 2000 model to display the Birdseye “frosted foods” then being introduced in the marketplace. In 1932, Mr.

Hill retires, leaving the company in the very capable hands of his sons, C. V. Hill Jr., and J. S. Hill. That same year the company creates the first porcelain-clad cases, providing retailers with a more durable case that is easier to clean. In the next few years, the company introduces the first service deli case with mezzanine shelving and storage in the bottom area. As the 1930’s introduce larger, self-service stores, Hill Refrigeration is ready, once again leading the way with their new “add-a-unit” feature, developed in 1939, which allows cases to be joined together in a continuous lineup. This feature is perfect for the larger stores that are being built and catches on with grocers all over the country. At the height of the depression, the company scores another first, only this one is in the area of marketing. Hill Refrigeration publishes a book called “Modern Food Merchandising” in 1934 which enumerates guidelines on successful food marketing. The book is enthusiastically received and five editions are published. The company also builds its own grocery store, both to test its new equipment and to try out new merchandising ideas.

During World War II, Hill manufactures landing craft for the military along with refrigerators for use on Navy vessels. When the war ends the company is in an excellent position to meet the demands of the food industry for new equipment, since it was able to devote significant time in research and development efforts focused on making war-time products better. In 1945, Hill Refrigeration announces a major breakthrough in refrigerated display case design; a three-deck open dairy case. This mechanical and merchandising breakthrough maintains temperature on each level while showcasing a greater quantity and variety of product. The new case not only gives grocers an attractive display setting that stimulates impulse sales, it also allows them to show much more quantity and variety in the same floor space. The case breaks new merchandising ground, and helps speed the spread of “self-service shopping”. The immediate success of the new Hill dairy case leads to the introduction of the Hill self-service open frozen food cases with the “add-a-unit” feature and automatic defrost. During the 1950’s Hill dramatically expands its manufacturing capabilities to meet the requirements of the many new “super markets” that are being built for the ex-soldiers and their families who are moving in huge numbers to the suburbs.

In 1953 Hill becomes the first manufacturer to offer grocers the option to add color to their display cases. The introduction of “Color Blend” styling leads a design transformation in an industry that previously only offered one color, white. Up to this point, Hill Refrigeration has been a family-owned operation. In the 1950s, the company is sold and, after a series of owners, Hill becomes a division of Emhart Corp. in 1964. The “Color Blend” trend that began in 1953 culminates with the 1967 introduction of the Vista line of medium temperature cases. The Vista line offers a departure from the traditional white boxes by expanding the range of available colors and sporting sleek, streamlined styling. With the arrival of the 1970s comes the nation’s first real energy crisis. Hill Refrigeration responds by improving the energy efficiencies of its cases and by developing technologies to allow grocers to capitalize on the most efficient refrigeration systems for their specific needs. In 1971 the company introduces a new five-deck frozen food case, the most efficient in the industry and it immediately becomes the best selling multi-deck case.

In 1977, Georgia entrepreneur Grant Brown recognizes a neglected niche in the market for custom refrigeration systems and starts Engineered Supermarket Products (ESP). Immediately, ESP introduces the first uneven parallel system and begins to establish a leadership position in the refrigeration systems market. In 1980 ESP is sold and ultimately becomes the company known today as Emerson CPC Controls. That same year Grant Brown forms a new company, names it Engineered Refrigeration Systems (ERS) and continues to expand his presence in the custom refrigeration systems business. At the FMI 1981 trade show, Hill unveils the first U.S. manufactured curved glass service deli case. The prototype creates much positive response, and as a result, Hill develops the first complete line of curved glass service cases to meet the varied needs of its customers. In 1985 Grant Brown sells Engineered Refrigeration Systems to Margaux, Incorporated.

In 1988, realizing that the niche is still unfulfilled, Grant re-enters the market, forming a new company which he names Phoenix Refrigeration Systems and completely changes the nature of system design with innovative ideas such as the introduction of the first pre-fabricated mechanical centers and electrical distribution centers. Phoenix Refrigeration Systems quickly becomes a major designer and manufacturer of refrigeration systems in the United States. In 1990, Hill Refrigeration introduces a new look for Hill cases. The ORIGIN™ line represents a bold departure in case styling, featuring soft, rounded exteriors with a distinctly European flavor. Hill pioneers the use of polymers, which permits the creation of curved bumpers and rounded edges while increasing the durability of the cases. No other case on the market looks like this one. Phoenix Refrigeration Systems is acquired by Dover Corporation in 1993 and in 1994 Phoenix acquires Hill Refrigeration to form Hillphoenix®. The merger of Phoenix Refrigeration Systems with Hill Refrigeration is a natural and the circle is completed one year later when Hillphoenix acquires Margaux Refrigeration, the company that acquired ERS from Brown 10 years earlier.

Display Case Operations relocate to a new 450,000-square-foot factory in Chesterfield County, Va., in 1995. The new facility is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and expanded manufacturing processes for producing Hillphoenix cases. The stream of innovative new product lines continues with the 1995 introduction of ORIGIN2®, which extends the exterior case makeover of ORIGIN to the interior. The redesign features curved tanks for improved sanitation; improved coils and fan plenums for increased efficiency, sanitation and ease of maintenance and upgraded lighting for better product display. The ORIGIN2 line also introduces Radial Airflow®, a patented feature that improves airflow for better case performance and removable casters to aid in assembly line movement, in shipping, and in the installation of cases in stores. No other case in the industry offers this patented, convenient feature. In 1995, Hillphoenix is the first to introduce secondary coolant refrigeration technology to the supermarket industry both as a “green” environmental initiative and as a system with positive design advantages over conventional direct expansion systems. After seven years’ performance experience for its growing installed base of secondary coolant systems at many of the top U.S.

chains, in 2002 the company brands its secondary coolant technology Second Nature®. Hillphoenix Second Nature technology includes secondary coolant system design and installation, low- and medium-temperature merchandisers, walk-ins and prep rooms. In January of 1997 a team of 40 Hillphoenix associates meets over a long weekend and develops a statement of purpose that defines the Hillphoenix commitment to achieve a leadership position in the industry through the delivery of excellence to customers. This call to action continues to clearly communicate the company’s ideals and goals providing every Hillphoenix associate with the focus and direction needed to provide answers that help our customers be successful. It is in fact a rededication to the principles that C.V. Hill and Grant Brown were dedicated to when they started the respective businesses that became Hillphoenix. The Hillphoenix Statement of Purpose We will lead the markets we serve with innovative products, solutions and technical advances in a relentless pursuit to exceed customer expectations. We will create a culture that promotes teamwork, integrity and respect for our customers, our suppliers and ourselves. We are intolerant of mediocrity and dedicated to continuous improvement as a way of life.

As a result, Hillphoenix will enhance the success of our customers, the return to our shareholders, and the satisfaction of our employees. Also in 1997, Electrical Distribution Systems (EDS), a Dover Diversified Company, manufacturer of electrical distribution systems that was originally started by Grant Brown during the Phoenix Refrigeration years, is merged back into Hillphoenix. EDS, located in Covington, Ga., becoming the Power Systems Division of Hillphoenix. Power Systems designs and manufactures pre-assembled, pre-wired electrical distribution products including PowerCenter®, PowerPlus, Power On, Power Flow, industrial enclosures and solar equipment. Hillphoenix re-enters the Walk-In Cooler and Freezer business in 1999 and in 2009 begins a series of major commitments in people, plants and processes all focused on creating the industry’s leading Walk-In’s business. Today, the mission of Hillphoenix Walk In’s Division is consistent with the same mission Mr. Hill had when he started the Hill Refrigerator Works cooler business in 1889; to provide the Food Retail industry with high quality products and services that exceed our customers’ expectations.

With a renewed focus on providing innovative product designs and customer service, the people who make up Hillphoenix WALK INS look forward to the opportunity to serve our customers needs in a more comprehensive manner than they have ever experienced. As the 21st Century gets under way, Hillphoenix continues its leadership position as an industry innovator with a strategic direction dedicated to developing products focused on making supermarket operators more effective operationally and financially. The May 2002 introduction of the proprietary Coolgenix® display case technology provides retailers with the opportunity to reinvent their service departments. The patented secondary coolant conduction design enables significant increases in product shelf life and dramatically reduces product shrinkage. At the 2003 May FMI Show, the introduction of new ORIGIN2 display case technologies including the industry’s first six-door reach-in display case and a focus on efficiency in system and display case design and performance provides customers with answers to energy cost concerns. Hillphoenix introduces “The People Factor Makes The Difference”, a campaign that celebrates the impact that the people and the culture that make up Hillphoenix have in providing daily examples of Hillphoenix’s century-long commitment to providing specific answers to customer challenges.

In 2004, Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first true 5-deck rear load fresh meat case, the O5MR, and its companion O5M front load model. A key feature is a patented articulating shelf design that provides supreme product integrity and striking display opportunities. In 2005 a team is formed and a charter created that leads an intense focus on the development of the industry’s most extensive product and process training program. The Hillphoenix Learning Center is launched in June of 2006. President Ray Hoglund says at the time, “Throughout Hillphoenix, we believe we can only provide the individual answers that help improve the profitability of our customers by supporting our sales force and customers with top quality training. I am pleased to announce the opening of The Hillphoenix Learning Center. We have made a very significant investment in the development of distinctive product training programs, increased our training staff and renovated our facilities in order to provide the best possible product training experience using state of the art technology.

I invite you to learn about Hillphoenix Answers; people, products and technology working together for a brighter future.” In 2006, as environmental concerns move to the forefront of the industry’s focus, Hillphoenix Refrigeration Systems Division begins redesign work on the distributed systems offering that was first introduced in 1984. The ParaTemp® and WeatherPac® system designs are updated and the industry’s most complete and efficient indoor distributed system, InviroPac™, is introduced. Also in 2006, the company’s Refrigeration Systems Division installs the first test stores utilizing CO2 as a secondary fluid at sites in Montpelier, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia. In 2007 Hillphoenix becomes the first refrigeration equipment manufacturer to join the U.S. EPA’s GreenChill Refrigeration Partnership program. As a charter member, Hillphoenix is instrumental in helping the EPA work together for the first time with supermarket retailers to develop this partnership program designed to advance the deployment of sustainable refrigeration technologies. That same year Hillphoenix releases its first SustainAbility Report, the first from a refrigeration manufacturer.

There is no doubt that at this time, Hillphoenix leads the way in the commitment to and development of sustainable technologies for its customers. Also in 2007, two distinguishable energy-saving technologies are introduced by Hillphoenix. The company starts extensive field testing of SmartValve®, a patented superheat management system designed to help customers insure that display case superheat is maintained at a pre-set condition eliminating adjustments that are typically required to maintain optimum efficiency. And Climate Keeper™, a proprietary air distribution system is introduced during the FMI Energy Conference. 2008 brings the first test site utilizing a new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade system design. Installed at a Price Chopper location in New York this design provides yet another example of Hillphoenix’s commitment to work together with its customers to continue moving the technology envelope forward in an effort to help them implement their sustainability plans. Also in 2008 Hillphoenix works with Food Lion to install the first full store test site utilizing Second Nature glycol medium temp systems and CO2 secondary coolant low temp systems. And in 2009, Hillphoenix receives two awards from the U.S.

EPA; an Ozone Layer Protection Award and the 2008-2009 GreenChill advanced Refrigeration award. In 2009 Hillphoenix completes two key acquisitions. In May the company acquires key assets of Tyler Refrigeration and the opportunity to welcome many key Dealers from the Tyler Dealer Network to the Hillphoenix Dealer group. As a result, the Hillphoenix Dealer network immediately becomes the largest of any manufacturer, servicing the needs of customer in the U.S. and Canada. And in November, Hillphoenix acquires Barker Company of Keosauqua, Iowa creating Specialty Products by Hillphoenix. Both acquisitions help deliver strategic initiatives directed at helping food retailers sell more products, more profitably and more responsibly driving significant growth with existing and new customers. 2009 also sees the introduction of Hillphoenix’s proprietary Clearvoyant® LED lighting system designed specifically for use in Hillphoenix display cases. And Hillphoenix becomes the first manufacturer to receive SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) approval from the U.S. EPA to use CO2 as a replacement for HCFCs in retail refrigeration.

When the announcement is made Drusill Hufford, the director of the EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division says, “I am glad to see Hillphoenix’s continued leadership in the supermarket industry in providing options that protect the ozone layer and significantly reduce impacts on the climate.” In 2010 Hillphoenix expands its Second Nature CO2 technology offering announcing the availability of its industry-leading Second Nature Low Temperature Direct Expansion Cascade system. And at the FMI Show Hillphoenix introduces the availability of its Synerg-E™ display case technology, the most energy efficient case technology available in the marketplace. In December of 2010, the Champlain Valley Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in Burlington, VT, presents Hillphoenix with its first Research Promotion Award, recognizing the Hillphoenix Learning Center for its leadership and commitment to training for the commercial refrigeration/supermarket industries. In 2011 Hillphoenix helps Sprouts Farmers Market become the third U. S. retailer to achieve Platinum GreenChill status with the installation of the new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade System for both low and medium temperature applications.

Hillphoenix is the manufacturer as of this point in time that has been able to help customers achieve the Platinum certification level. Mr. Hill started something over a century ago – and the people of Hillphoenix are determined to live up to that legacy. As a result, Hillphoenix “LEAP of Excellence” innovations continue to define an industry. L.E.A.P. is an acronym born of over a century of experience. Learn our customer’s business. Earn their trust. Answer their needs. Perform beyond their expectations. Today, while there’s no doubt that the spirit of innovation runs deep in our bloodline, it’s most apparent to our customers in the products and services we bring them. Every day, systems and technologies are being improved – even revolutionized– to be the next leap that makes a difference. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring! Hillphoenix has its corporate headquarters in Conyers, GA. The company employs more than 3,500 people nationwide. Manufacturing facilities are located in Covington and Conyers, GA., Richmond, VA., Keosauqua and Centerville, IA, and Chino, CA.

The company also has Comprehensive Services Operations located in Phoenix, AZ and Brea, CA.

Question: When Birdseye introduced the first frozen food in 1930, what did the company call it/
Answer: Frosted food