DAYTON, Ohio -- Emerson Climate Technologies is building a fully operational commercial kitchen to research and develop solutions to foodservice industry challenges, including connected kitchen concepts, new refrigerants and food safety.
The kitchen is one of five modules currently under construction at The Helix innovation center, a nearly 40,000-square-foot facility on the University of Dayton campus. Emerson’s $35-million total investment in The Helix will foster an ambitious, collaborative approach to conducting research to create new technologies that address heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry challenges.
“We want to look holistically at the challenges facing busy commercial kitchens, so our new facility will be a working restaurant that can serve 150,” said Allen Wicher, director of foodservice marketing for Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration business. “We will be able to simulate warm and cold climates, as well as looking at zoning, lighting, humidity and food temperature scenarios. The facility will be built with the latest technology from foodservice equipment manufacturers and Emerson’s own controls and food recycling systems.”
The functioning 1,500-square-foot commercial kitchen will help Emerson and its collaborators tackle innovative solutions to current and future challenges in foodservice operations. The company is kicking off the process by creating a cross-functional team of its foodservice product experts to interview chefs and staff at commercial kitchens across the country.
When completed, The Helix innovation center will employ about 35 people and focus on five HVACR industry markets: supermarket refrigeration, foodservice operations, residential connected homes, data center cooling and light commercial buildings.
Emerson plans for The Helix to be a global hub of HVACR industry education. In addition to the five modules, the facility includes three learning labs and the company plans to host industry meetings and hold forums for HVACR professionals on-site.
Emerson, based in St. Louis, Mo., is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world.
Emerson Climate Technologies, a business segment of Emerson, is the world’s leading provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions for residential, industrial and commercial applications.
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