NETWORKING
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
An excited Steyn struggled to express her gratitude for the R44 750 the auction raised for Club 21. Michael Vaudin of AMS also pledged a laptop, one of the items on the much-needed wish list of Club 21. Later in the afternoon, a TV was also pledged. All the auctioned items were donated by a host of generous suppliers.
Looking somewhat exhausted, Van Vuuren bid farewell before the buffet of scrumptious desserts was served with coffee or tea.
The presentation of a new floating trophy was next on the agenda. The Cape Town committee selected John Ackermann for an award in recognition for his long commitments as a SAIRAC member and as an industry activist. Instead of receiving the award, Ackermann opted to sponsor a trophy to be awarded annually. Known as the John Ackermann Achiever Award, the 2025 recipient was announced by Hennie Basson, namely Marthinus Greeff of WEG for his technical talk. Ackermann in his introduction of the Achiever Award, said:“ As a SAIRAC member, centre committee member and two terms as president, I have many happy memories of working alongside outstanding members of our industry. Our away weekends as the Cape Town Centre committee, organised for many years by Keith Fletcher, were great team builders. The many hours spent by the teams that organised FRIGAIR conferences in Cape Town, the canvasing of local and overseas speakers, the full programme of social events and the printing of papers and delegate handbooks, were all done by SAIRAC committee members and on occasions at early breakfast meetings. These were exciting times and the camaraderie was vibrant.
“ Similar to other trade associations, SAIRAC had some internal challenges which at the end of the day were resolved amicably. The award, I hope, will inspire SAIRAC members to act as ambassadors of a professional institution representing a vital sector of our economy. Our modern lifestyle is not sustainable without refrigeration and air conditioning in our homes, offices, supermarkets, hospitals, food processing, storage and distribution.
“ The conduct of SAIRAC members in our economy will gain recognition as a sought-after vocation characterised by professionalism. May the new trophy act as a catalyst in developing our future industry leaders,” he concluded.
The afternoon ended with thanks given by Van der Linde to all the organisers, committee members, prize sponsors and last but not least, the attendees. For all her many hours of planning, centre secretary Rozelle Steencamp was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
Planning of the SAIRAC lunch in 2026 has already begun – be sure to be there. CLA
The passion of Annemarie Steyn spurred attendees to open their pockets and hearts for Club 21.
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COLD LINK AFRICA www. coldlinkafrica. co. za January / February 2026