The Almquist family has been at the forefront of the refrigeration industry ever since William Almquist and his friend William Coe founded the Dallas-based Almcoe Refrigeration Company in 1960. More than 40 years later, the legacy continues with Almquist’s son Bill at the helm.

Almcoe Refrigeration offers a range of services, including food processing industrial storage facilities, refrigerant conversions, HVAC helicopter sets and food service equipment for large grocery stores and restaurants. They work with some big-name corporate clients like Target, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Winn-Dixie and Chick-Fil-A, offering installation services like ground-up construction, ice machines and control systems.

Much of the company’s success stems from its reliability. They offer services 24 hours a day and seven days a week, out of a concern for customers’ individual needs. Almcoe’s scheduled maintenance program prevents problems before they arise, and its controlled retrofits replace obsolete controls with the newest models to maintain a high standard of energy efficiency. While excellent service and products are vital to the company’s success, the cornerstone in helping the company achieve top status is a positive work environment, which in turn improves its customer service.

“Our company culture has contributed to our success,” Bill Almquist said. “It’s important to treat people they way you’d want to be treated. We try to empower people to be at their best.”

After studying music in college, the younger Almquist took over the business in 1989 and has since expanded their 20-person staff to 85 employees. A second Texas office opened up in the city of Tyler in 2007, and more locations will follow wherever they see a demand. Almquist also reports that the company has 65 trucks on the road.

In addition to embracing growth, Almquist is steering the company toward more environmentally friendly business practices. “We’re always trying to be more green, to save energy and help save the ozone,” he said. “The green movement is driving a lot of new technology.”

While Almquist’s aspirations for Almcoe Refrigeration are ambitious, his personal goals reflect a genuine concern for his team and his customers.

“I’d like to grow the company into a $25 to $50 million business,” he said. “As for my own career, my main goal is to be known as a kind man. I want to take care of our employees, and that way the company can take better care of its clients.”