Danfoss breaks ground for first North American development center

Courtesy of WFSU

Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc. broke ground on a new laboratory, research and development center Dec. 8 in Innovation Park.

Danfoss is a $6 billion global manufacturer of high-efficiency components including energy-efficient compressors for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration applications. The new 22,000-square-foot Engineering Tomorrow Application Development Center will be an expansion to the current Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Manufacturing facility. 

“This ADC will be the place where our (customer’s) challenges will meet the Danfoss solutions,” Stefon Pietrek, project leader of the Danfoss ADC, said. “It is really amazing for an engineer, like me, because it is the biggest ADC we will have.”

Danfoss and its 24,000 employees are invested in the advancement of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry and hope to continue progression by the use of energy efficient and climate friendly solutions.

“I think if you walk into our office, you’ll see our showcase of awards that we’ve already won for being such a ‘green’ company,” nine-year Danfoss employee Peggy Sue Blondheim said. “I think there’s more that is going to happen and more changes to be made which will be amazing to the people of Tallahassee.”

While federal regulations and testing requirements that impact the HVACR industry increase, including more aggressive energy efficient standards, Danfoss’ new center will train and serve as a research and development center for future technological and environmental improvements. This state-of-the art laboratory will be the third Danfoss Application Development Center Worldwide, and the very first in North America.

“Danfoss has a tremendous history of innovation and we remain committed to developing energy efficient technologies that impact the places we live and work,” Ricardo Schneider, president of Danfoss Turbocor Compressors, told Danfoss North America. “Tallahassee is the global design center for magnetic and compressor technology, and our operations here plays a vital role in advancing technology.”

Danfoss has since hosted Congresswoman Gwen Graham to tour the facility.

“The public-private partnership between Danfoss Turbocor Compressors and Florida State University is just the kind of innovation we need to make America energy independent in the 21st century,” Rep. Graham told Danfoss North America. “I’m proud this state-of-the-art research and development is being done in North Florida.”

Danfoss’ new scroll compressor technologies were recently named an Honorable Mention in the Cooling category of the 2016 AHR Expo Innovation Awards program.