EMERGING as a successor to a number of businesses, starting with Webster’s engineering in the late 1920’s, energy solutions provider CAC 2000 has transcended decades of milestone achievements in its distribution, installation, and servicing of energy-efficient air conditioning systems locally and in the Caribbean.

Boasting a history of firsts, the company which played an instrumental role in the installation of complex, commercial air conditioning systems — dating as far back as its work for the Carib Theatre in 1938 when it executed its first project — has since then pioneered a number of undertakings in the market. Its installation of the first non-ammonia glycol chiller system, to provide process temperatures as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit for Campari in their sophisticated rum processing application, in later years caused it to help that company with pushing its rum to being among the most sought after in the world.

“Continuing our tradition of firsts and our penchant for the innovative and complex, we boast having installed one of the most complex air conditioning systems in the Caribbean at the Basic Medical Science Building of the Mona campus at The University of the West Indies,” records of the company’s history highlights.

“The air conditioning system, which includes four-stage pumping systems, have variable speeds with sophisticated controls, including — for the first time in Jamaica — dehumidifying air-handling units, and chilled beams. It also has the first commercially installed Taco zone pumps in the world. The system is rounded out with a complex, chilled water system involving underground piping and multi-zone distribution across four buildings, including the Basic Medical Sciences department,” the history details.

The company in recent years however, more focused on the quality of life, health and productivity of its clients, has also turned its attention on delivering more economically friendly solutions which will not only help global decarbonisation efforts but also cut costs.

“Through our entity in partnership with Tropical Battery Company Limited, Enrvate Limited, we offer energy audits of existing systems along with a unique approach to establishing energy-saving solutions for our commercial customers in Jamaica and the Caribbean, by focusing on real-time measurement; the monitoring of energy consumption; and using the resulting data to identify, design, and execute energy and water-saving opportunities. In other words, we help our clients to save money and we help them to save the environment by improving the efficiency of their systems,” the company’s directors said.

Specialising in applied air conditioning systems such as chillers, cooling towers, pumps, air handling units and state-of-the-art variable refrigeration flow (VRF) systems, CAC 2000 prides itself on offering technical solutions and multiple options for clients’ needs.

Born out of Conditioned Air and Associated Contractors Ltd, the company has more than eight decades of history in the commercial and residential air conditioning space. The company listed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange in 2016, after succesfully raising over $130 million from an initial public offer.

Over a long history it has been the distributor of brands such as Carrier, Broad, LG, Fujitsu, Carlyle, Honeywell, Sanyo, Emerson, TopTech, and Fasson, offering some of the largest stock of technologically advanced air conditioning and refrigeration systems in Jamaica. The company, now positioning to counter a series of recent losses brought on by a downturn in business occasioned by the novel coronavirus pandemic, recently added its new VYTAL brand through which it aims to diversify not only its product offering, but also revenue streams.

With recent capital injection and the build out of its first retail store located inside Village Plaza in St Andrew the company, in looking to recover from past shocks, said it is now moving from a place of survival to expansion mode.

Currently controlling approximately 25 per cent of the retail AC sales and service market, the company, in going after additional business in the competitive AC market, recently announced plans to venture into the second city of Montego Bay, with intentions to build out a second retail store at the National Supply Complex from which it is to offer offer AC units, air purifier systems, fans and solar panels for sale, similar to that of the Village Plaza store.

CAC, in looking to expand at a time when its revenues for the last reported quarter dipped above 15 per cent year on year, harbours a better outlook for the upcoming financial year, armed with its portfolio of confirmed projects worth $650 million among other efforts to unlock new sales through the retail market and its water purification business.

“I look forward to reaping the benefits of our collaborative focus in 2023 as we continue our history of firsts via our mission to engineer solutions and provide products and services that sustain healthy, comfortable, and productive indoor environments,” CEO Gia Abrahams said in the company’s last annual report.