FROM cooling Red Stripe’s breweries in the 1940s to installing cold rooms for some of Jamaica’s largest distributors today, Geddes Refrigeration Limited has remained a pioneer in the island’s air conditioning and refrigeration industry. Established by Paul Geddes as part of the Desnoes & Geddes group, the company has evolved from a support arm for the beer maker into a full-fledged engineering business serving commercial, domestic, and industrial clients.

“Being the pioneer that Paul Geddes was, it’s not just to satisfy a current need; he’s always forward-thinking. In establishing his leadership team, my father was a part of that team as well,” said COO Dane Lafayette while sharing the history with the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

The 77-year-old firm continues to expand its footprint in Jamaica’s cooling solutions market. Operating from the same location at 226 Spanish Town Road since inception, Geddes Refrigeration provides mini split air conditioning (AC) units, central systems, VRF systems, chilled-water systems, and a wide range of equipment for both commercial and domestic cooling needs. The company maintains and repairs all types and brands of AC units while stocking parts for almost every make and model of AC system on the island.

“We are the largest after-sales service provider on the island,” Lafayette noted.

The Lafayette family has guided Geddes Refrigeration for the past 25 years, ever since Dane’s father, Roy Lafayette, took over as CEO and chairman in 2000. For Roy, the transition was no easy feat. Coming from humble beginnings with no wealthy background or family name to lean on, securing funds to acquire the business was a major challenge, as was learning how to manage and grow it. He later earned his master’s degree in his 30s, but much of his training came on the job under the guidance of founder Paul Geddes, who taught him the intricacies of refrigeration while he studied and worked for more than 15 years before assuming control. For Dane Lafayette, joining the family business was never in doubt. From his childhood, he shadowed his father, spending summers in the warehouse and on the road with technicians.

“I always knew wherever my father was going to be, I would always be there. That’s just a given,” he told the Business Observer.

Dane and his brother Dean were gradually placed in different roles over the years to gain experience across all areas of the company. For Dane, the path was clear; once he completed his degree, he knew he would join Geddes to support the family business. Over time, he became known within the company as a problem-solver, a reputation that helped ease his transition into leadership. In 2023, he formally stepped into the role of chief operating officer. Before his leadership role, there was a moment when the leadership team was challenged by a major fire that gutted Geddes Refrigeration. It burnt for nearly three days and destroyed the company’s facilities. With no materials on hand and no physical space to work from, the staff improvised, buying what they could to fulfil client needs, while suppliers stepped in to help the company restock and stay afloat. Temporary space was rented to store goods and house the team until the facility was rebuilt. After a year and four months of reconstruction and renovation, the company emerged with a new warehouse, expanded from 6,500 square feet to 16,000 square feet. The following year, Geddes launched a tech subsidiary, Estech Energy Limited, focused on building management solutions.

“Our AC units are very energy efficient, and we’re saving. Because we were selling quality AC units and refrigeration systems, customers asked us, ‘What else can you do? Can you control this?’ That’s when we realised we could also offer energy solutions to manage and control the systems,” Lafayette explained to the Business Observer.

Estech Energy’s solutions allow customers to conserve energy by virtually controlling their systems, with notifications sent to the main office to quickly identify issues. The subsidiary also offers card-access features throughout buildings, providing an integrated approach to energy and facility management. Estech is managed by General Manager Courtney Hanson, and operates from Geddes’ Spanish Town Road headquarters. During the pandemic, Geddes expanded further into indoor air quality solutions. The company began outfitting all its air-conditioning units with bipolar needle ionisers, a technology designed to scrub the air and kill pathogens, including COVID-19 and the flu. This solution has since been largely adopted by its corporate clients. Geddes Refrigeration is now shifting from being purely service-orientated to becoming more sales-driven, expanding beyond air-conditioning systems into cold rooms and chill rooms, while also supplying parts and equipment to the wider market rather than just corporate clients. Recently, the company completed Cari-Med’s new distribution cold room storage facility and commissioned a 10,600-square-foot project at Essex Valley for the Ministry of Agriculture. With a staff of 177, Geddes is preparing for further growth. The company is looking to expand its current warehouse and open additional offices in Ocho Rios, St Ann, and Montego Bay. It has introduced its own brand of air-conditioning units, refrigeration system, HVAC tools and parts called Glacier that is available to the general public whether domestic, commercial or industrial and AC contractors.

“Glacier is available in the market today at more affordable rates than any other than brand, and we’re very efficient, with futuristic capabilities like Wi-Fi standard, self-cleaning mode, and 4D air flow. Without even promoting the brand, corporate Jamaica has already taken this up,” Lafayette shared.

The company is positioning its Glacier brand for the domestic market, aiming to become a household name.

“Jamaicans like steak dinner at patty prices,” he noted.

He explained that Geddes intends to bring Glacier to market at affordable rates, expanding its client base beyond corporate Jamaica to everyday consumers.

LAFAYETTE…I always knew wherever my father was going to be, I would always be there. That’s just a given

Glacier — Geddes Refrigeration’s in-house brand of energy-efficient AC units, designed for both commercial and domestic clients.

Inside Geddes Refrigeration’s warehouse, operator Kirk Blake manages inventory of the company’s Glacier air-conditioning units.

At the Estech Energy control hub, COO Dane Lafayette demonstrates how the team can monitor and manage clients’ AC systems virtually, ensuring efficiency without ever leaving the office.

Roy Lafayette, who took the reins of Geddes Refrigeration in 2000, transforming it into a family-run business and guiding its expansion over the past 25 years.

Geddes Refrigeration’s Spanish Town Road facility engulfed in flames during the 2017 fire that destroyed the building.

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