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ACE Refrigeration has completed a large project with SAFC, the custom manufacturing and services business unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, building a suite of seven cold rooms as part of an expansion to their Centre of Excellence biologics manufacturing campus in Irvine, Ayrshire.

SAFC is recognised as a top 10 global specialty chemicals and biologics supplier to the life science and high technology industries and is investing in the development of a new dry powder manufacturing facility at the site.

Family firm ACE, which has been serving customers since 1951, built a freezer room, a raw materials room and a large temperature controlled warm room as part of SAFC’s Phase I expansion. Phase II of the expansion followed with ACE Refrigeration installing a chill room, a freezer room and another large chill room, with temperatures ranging from -22°C to 25°C.

One of only a few UK companies with the specialist knowledge, experience and ability to design and install these rooms, ACE Refrigeration was recently responsible for a state-of-the-art, blood plasma room at the new South Glasgow Hospital for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, capable of maintaining lows of minus 40°.

The team previously worked on a similar facility for the West of Scotland Blood Transfusion Centre at Gartnavel Hospital, and have now successfully maintained the blood bank equipment for more than 10 years.

The new SAFC expansion in Irvine is the Company’s second dry powder manufacturing facility, and was initiated to support and strengthen SAFC’s risk management program, ensuring customers a secondary supply of materials is in place.

Shane McKenzie, Sales Director at ACE Refrigeration, said: “Our previous experience put us in a great position and our success with the new South Glasgow Hospital and the West of Scotland Blood Transfusion Service facility ultimately helped to secure us the contract.”

“We worked alongside the existing teams involved in the expansion to fulfil the bespoke requirements of the facility and create a durable, energy efficient and fully functioning suite of temperature controlled rooms.

He added: “This is yet another great example of our diversity having already enjoyed success in the food production industry this year, in particular the fish and seafood sector and the meat industry.”