How Sweet It Is!
(Syracuse, N.Y., March 18, 2002) -- Every year, children around the world dig into their Easter baskets to find chocolate bunnies and brightly colored jellybeans. But a sweet tooth is certainly not limited to the mouths of babes, or Easter celebrants. So next time you bite into a chocolate-covered cherry or a peanut cluster, remember that if it weren't for Carrier innovation, that sweet tooth craving might be both difficult and expensive to satisfy.
The fledgling Carrier Engineering Corporation stumbled upon a chronic problem in the candy industry. The hot and humid summer months made candy manufacturing very difficult. As a result, cooling and drying of chocolates became a lengthy process, and storing these easily meltable treats was no small task. Weather conditions also caused discomfort among factory workers and resulted in a somewhat unsanitary working environment.
The New England Confectionery Company, in Boston, enlisted the help of Carrier in 1915. The installation of Carrier air conditioning systems in its factory changed the fate of chocolate manufactured in the summer months. The controlled temperatures and humidities permitted effective year round production of perishable items such as fine chocolates.
In 1916, the process was revolutionized even further. The Carrier ejector system of air handling was perfected to provide an even distribution of controlled temperature and humidity. Installation of this system was performed at the W.F. Schrafft Company, and they too saw the benefits, in the form of faster and more uniform drying of confectionery.
Whitman candies joined the bandwagon in 1918. The plant of Stephen F. Whitman and Son in Philadelphia was next to see the value of Carrier air conditioning for more sanitary, improved candy production. As a result of the Carrier systems, it was possible for Whitman to coat and store its fine chocolates regardless of the weather outside. In 1923, both Schrafft and Whitman were among the first purchasers of another Carrier innovation, the centrifugal refrigerating machine.
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Today, the candy industry continues to benefit from Carrier's innovation. Global chocolate manufacturer Nestlé recently decided to renovate its UK Headquarters and main factory in York, England. Although the company's building specialists initially thought their refurbishment options were limited and costly, they were proved wrong when the new Toshiba Modular Multi System (MMS) was installed. The system, manufactured at Toshiba-Carrier's plant in Plymouth, has a minimal space requirement and is both quiet and reliable. The system is the first in the UK to use the largest capacity MMS outdoor units.
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