More than 105 years ago , Jock Morrison was asked to take over a general dealer store in Zululand when the then-owner had suffered shell shock after returning from World War I . Morrison took the opportunity to establish a grocery business called Jock Morrison & Sons , which is still running to this day .

Just Refrigeration has supplied refrigeration to all of JMS ’ stores ; however , this project was of special interest as the firm was involved from day one – from initial site meetings to quotes up to handover on opening day .

“ Just Refrigeration is a Proudly South African company . We manufacture our own refrigeration units from scratch – therefore no delays were experienced during production , delivery or installation . Continuous site meetings are certainly a help as plans change and one needs to keep abreast of them . Just Refrigeration as a brand has been going for over 25 years – we have our own specs which the client was happy with , and no difficulties were experienced throughout the project ,” says Nicole Collyer of Just Refrigeration .

The company manufactured and supplied 22 self-contained refrigeration units for this project , as follows :

• 6 X WC250JC – wall chillers

• 10 X VT250 – visitop freezers

• 2 X CGDW2440 – curved glass deli warmer

• 3 X CGDF1830SC – curved glass deli freezer

• 1 X CGM2440SC – curved glass meat case

EXCITING OPENING DAY

Collyer explains some of the challenges of such projects : “ In KZN particularly , our retailers and clients are often located near the ocean , where high humidity levels and salt in the air can cause premature rust on units . Therefore , Just Refrigeration takes great pride in the high-quality stainless steel used to manufacture our units , making our products more durable within the South African climate and giving our clients peace of mind .”

Just Refrigeration was notified early last year that JMS would be revamping a nonoperational store in Mbazwana . By mid-year , they were ready for Just Refrigeration to come to site to discuss what refrigeration they would require for their new store , at which point the store building was really just a shell and it was amazing to visualise the potential this site had , adds Collyer .

“ I met with Terrance , the manager at Mbazwana to discuss the positioning of the deli area , butchery , frozen goods , fresh foods etc . Once we had established exactly what they needed and in what quantities , I headed back to Durban to proceed . By the end of October 2023 and after many discussions with JMS , we were ready for their units to go into production . All of the refrigeration units supplied to JMS were manufactured by Just Refrigeration at our factory in Hammarsdale , KwaZulu-Natal .

“ Once the units were manufactured , our truck and driver headed off to Zululand . The units manufactured were self-contained ( plug and play ), so the installation was a breeze ! I then headed off to Mbazwana once again , a few days before opening to assist JMS with pretty much anything that they required that would make their special day a success . Of course , the majority of the work was refrigeration , ensuring that all Just units were operating to their full potential , and even a little fun assisting JMS staff members with some packing and pricing , etc . The store opening was the following day . We all got there bright and early , by which time all of our refrigeration units were fully packed and operational , and we were good to go . The store opening itself was something amazing !”

Collyer continues : “ The hard work and commitment could be seen on everyone ’ s faces ; I couldn ’ t help but be proud to have been involved with such a community . Deadlines were obviously extremely important , but with Just manufacturing our units ‘ in-house ’, there were really no delays . We successfully managed to supply JMS their units ahead of time . I have since been in regular contact with JMS with regards to the refrigeration in their new store and all units are operating just as they should . They are very happy with the product and service received .”

MODELS OF REFRIGERATION UNITS

The models of refrigeration units were selected as per the produce requirements of JMS .

• VT250 ( glass top freezer ): Selected for all of their frozen produce such as frozen vegetables or pre-packed meat . These units can be easily lined up back-to-back , creating an island of freezers of any size . The glass lids ( hence VT – Visi Top ) allows the clientele to view the produce before opening the doors . The VTs supplied to JMS are self-contained units ( plug and play ) so the installation of these units was straightforward . These units are manufactured with polyurethane insulation and low emissivity glass yields power savings around 40 % lower than conventional refrigeration units .

Images supplied by Just Refrigeration

The façade of the JMS Food Hall .

The deli stocking up .

• WC250 ( wall chiller ): Excellent for their fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables , along with milk and other dairy products . Just ’ s wall chiller range can also be lined up , side to side , providing a display of their fresh produce . The units come standard with night blinds , trolley bumpers , which are a fantastic way to protect supermarket units from shoppers bumping into them with their trollies . The wall chillers also come with adjustable shelves .

• CGDW2440 ( curved glass deli warmer ): Selected for the supermarket ’ s cooked meals such as curries , stews , roasts and more . The curved glass warmer is designed with aesthetically pleasing aluminium sections used , front sliding glass for easy cleaning , adjustable feet for levelling the units – which is always handy if the store floor is not 100 % level .

It boasts a stainless-steel work top for extra durability , and as always Just ’ s units are insulated with polyurethane , including warmers . It comes safety-first with an automatic element burn out protection .

• CGDF1830SC ( curved glass deli freezer ): Just ’ s deli freezers are designed for frozen fish , chicken and the like . The unit holds a temp of -14 ° C to -18 ° C forced air cooling to ensure cold air reaches all corners of the units ’ interior and products , automatic defrost and rear sliding doors for easy packaging .

• CGM2440SC ( curved glass meat case ): The curved glass meat case is perfect for fresh cuts from the butchery such as lamb , beef and other meats . It keeps meat chilled between -2 ° C to 2 ° C and comes with a rear plug point for electronic scale .