BUSINESS AND TRAINING

INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

THE HISTORY OF OTTC

By Isolde Döbelin

Peter Döbelin , founder of OTTC and German Master in Refrigeration , Airconditioning , Heating , and Cooling , is also an expert in ammonia refrigeration . He worked in Germany for 11 years at Ahlborn Hildesheim , which is now part of GEA . As a project manager in industrial refrigeration , he was involved in the installation of refrigeration systems for dairies , breweries , chicken processing plants and chocolate factories .

On request from BBC York , he was responsible for upgrading the historical Linde Ammonia Refrigeration Plant at the Stuttgarter Hofbräu , which was replaced by the first Erzener Screw Compressor .

In 1972 , Peter earned his Master ’ s degree as ‘ Kältemechaniker Meister ’ ( Master in Refrigeration Mechanics ). This was the second time that the Handwerkskammer in Germany offered this qualification .

In 1972 , Peter and Isolde Döbelin started their own HERVAC company in Germany , specialising in the development , design and construction of tailor-made , energy-efficient heat pump systems for factories , bakeries , butcheries , restaurants , private homes

( including indoor and outdoor pools ), air conditioning and underfloor heating systems .

The first heat pump system was built in their house in 1972 for central heating and hot water , and it remained in use until 1982 when they decided to move to South Africa .

In July 1982 , Isolde graduated as ‘ Betriebswirt im Handwerk ’ ( MBA for Entrepreneurs ) from the Handwerkskammer Freiburg , a programme that was only offered for the second time by the German Handwerkskammer .

In October 1982 , Peter began working for the German company Unger SA , an agent for industrial process cleaning plants such as dairies , breweries , fruit juice processing , and tanker plants . Later , he worked at National Dairy Equipment ( NDE ) with Kurt Johannsen , director of NDE , building new ammonia plants , renovating abattoirs , and maintaining ammonia and refrigeration plants for two years before starting his own business . He wanted to bring his expertise in building specialised heat pump systems to South Africa .

Their daughter , Susanne , completed a two-year apprenticeship in refrigeration in Germany at ‘ Peter Döbelin Refrigeration , Air-Conditioning , and Heating ’ before moving to South Africa . She also completed the business component of her Masters at the Nord Deutsche Kälte-Fachhochschule ( Master School ) in 1997 .

Isolde ’ s MBA qualification opened many doors for her . In 1983 , she was employed by Robert Bosch ( Pty ) Ltd in Johannesburg , where she worked for the technical

director , Ludwig Hesse , in the automotive training division . Her first role involved setting up the administration system for the new Robert Bosch Automotive Training Centre and the Bosch Service organisation .

In 1994 , she left Robert Bosch to focus full-time on OTTC , a part-time venture she had shared with Peter and Susanne since 1992 . This combination of qualifications and experience gave them the confidence to establish OTTC for the refrigeration industry in Southern Africa .

OTTC was founded in 1992 by Peter , Isolde , and Susanne . Together , they developed the OTTC Practical , Technical , Air-Conditioning , and Ammonia Diploma qualifications , modeled after the training concepts used at the worldwide Robert Bosch Automotive Training Centre .

Because there was no independent training centre specifically for ammonia product training ( other than training provided by manufacturers for their own staff and customers ), Peter started the OTTC Ammonia Diploma training programme in 1993 . He believed that people working with ammonia should not only know the technical aspects but also be trained in safety practices to ensure they can perform their work safely .

Sadly , Peter passed away in 2002 . However , Isolde and Susanne were able to continue with the support of Dr Professor Achim Bothe from Gelsenkirchen University ( Fachhochschule ) for refrigeration technology , who sent Tim Pertrat , Lars

Wegmann and Sven Schwarze to assist with their practical engineering projects . They successfully completed the Merseta NQF Level 3 Pilot Project , qualifying the first 25 students in 2003 with the National Trade Test as part of the NQF Level 3 pilot programme .

In 2003 , to enhance their capabilities , OTTC brought in Kurt Johannsen to lead the training for the OTTC Ammonia Diplomas . Kurt has continued to support OTTC since then , helping safeguard the safety of people working with ammonia . To date , OTTC has trained approximately 650 Ammonia Diploma holders who now work in high-level positions worldwide . As a result , ammonia-related accidents have become rare in South Africa .

Since 1995 , OTTC has supported the National WorldSkills SA organisation with expertise and sponsorship . Isolde was elected chairperson of the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Trade from 1996 to 2007 and served as a director of WorldSkills SA from 2003 to 2005 .

OTTC has produced the best refrigeration training in Southern Africa for 32 years . Their students have won the WorldSkills SA National Competition 10 times , and OTTC ’ s students have been selected to participate in eight WorldSkills International Competitions , where they represented South Africa and proved their international training standards . All OTTC WorldSkills International participants achieved results above 80 % of the total points , with some earning Gold Medals . CLA