Polar King International, Inc. adds industry thought leader Wilson to bring a new level of cold storage innovation to company

Polar King International, Inc. announces Kevin Wilson has been named director of engineering, research & development and refrigeration. Wilson, who has close to forty years of experience in cooling technology, will direct quality control, assist in new product and business development and work with managers to improve labor and production efficiency, according to Dave Schenkel, President of Polar King International.

“The Polar King family is thrilled to welcome Kevin aboard. His background, management skills and proven capability in advancing cold storage technology make him an ideal fit,” says Schenkel. “We are confident Kevin will play a significant role in promoting growth, introducing substantial product breakthroughs and driving our business forward.”

Wilson has amassed a breadth of industry expertise over his 37 years in the business. He recently spent four years as the managing director-North America of Tecumseh Products Company’s condensing unit division. Before that, he served for a decade as the vice president of sales with Everidge, managing the international cold storage business. He was also the vice president of operations at Master-Bilt and plant manager at Carrier. Wilson has a bachelor's degree in industrial technology and education from Western Illinois University.

“As a former Polar King competitor and vendor, I’m delighted to join a company I have admired for so long,” says Wilson. “There is a true entrepreneurial spirt here, with a leadership team willing to invest to remain on the leading edge.” He adds, “Polar King management has developed a culture in which everyone is passionate, dedicated and constantly striving to make the company better.”

Wilson says he believes in a ‘hands on’ management style. “I like to be close to the action,” he explains. Under Wilson’s direction, Polar King’s weekly R&D, engineering and operations team meetings have been on the factory floor. “I feel that the closer you are to where everything is going on, the more effective you are at solving problems. When you see needs firsthand and feel the sense of urgency, challenges are more easily conquered and our product enhancements happen,” he explains.

According to Wilson, his short-term focus will be reducing lead times, due to ongoing supply chain issues. “Long-term,” he says, “it is all about technologies and product development, in terms of controls, monitoring or refrigerants that tie into energy savings. Along the way, we want to become more efficient and streamline some of our processes so we can continue delivering a great Polar King product to our customers.”

Wilson is joining Polar King in a year in which it is celebrating 40 years in business. “The foundation is there, and Polar King has a tremendous footprint,” Wilson says. “I look forward to being a part of the continued growth and evolution of this great brand.”