The RETA National Conference took place last week in Spokane, WA, bringing together more than 1,000 refrigeration professionals from across the country. It was a week filled with learning, collaboration, and opportunities to strengthen our industry’s future.
Members of our PSM team arrived early to attend training sessions in pursuit of additional certifications and to share their expertise with operators and other compliance professionals. The rest of the CIP team joined the opening reception on October 21, kicking off a week of valuable conversations and connections.
One of the highlights of the exhibit hall was Highland Refrigeration’s custom-built ice machine, featuring high-performance Danfoss components and a BOCK® compressor. As a certified BOCK and Danfoss dealer, Highland continues to set the standard for reliability and quality, and we were proud to showcase that craftsmanship to attendees.
Our signature CIP orange bags also made a strong showing. They were seen throughout the Spokane Convention Center as attendees carried them from session to session. It was a small but visible reminder of our growing presence across the industry.
We were fortunate to experience an uncharacteristically sunny week in the Pacific Northwest, providing the perfect backdrop for networking events and offsite discussions. One event being our Maintenance Roundtable, where we gathered insights directly from technicians and maintenance leaders about the challenges they face every day. The casual format encouraged open dialogue, and the feedback will help guide how we continue to support facilities in strengthening uptime, safety, and retention.
Another major highlight was Industrial Training Manager Mike Wright’s white paper presentation, From Shortage to Solution. Wright drew a standing-room-only crowd for his Thursday morning session, addressing the workforce challenges facing industrial refrigeration and outlining strategies to build a stronger workforce through training and technician development.
It was an energizing week that underscored the power of collaboration in advancing compliance, safety, and workforce excellence across our industry.
You can read the full white paper linked in our other blog post.
