INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
NEWS
“ Thank you, John, for all the assistance you have given us at Eurocool in numerous ways; it is greatly appreciated. We wish you well for what lies ahead.”— David Mackay, Eurocool
“ Thank you for your contribution and service to our industry over the years, John. Your steadfast commitment to good practice and excellence is an example to us all. We wish you many more years of success.”— Robert Hanssen, Cubicool International
“ In my mind, there are less than a handful of people that truly stand out through their unrelenting, and most of all selfless contributions for the betterment of our industry. Besides my late father, and significantly so Rory Macnamara, John Ackermann in my mind is a doyenne deserving of more words and accolades than I can express in a couple of sentences. So here goes:
Congratulations! There are not enough words to describe, give credit to, and thank you for your selfless efforts and the personal time that you have so clearly dedicated, not only to the publication of The Cold Link, but to all the links in the cold chain. John, you are an icon of our industry and I am so very proud to have had the opportunity to interact with you, both on a professional and personal level.
John, please accept our hearty congratulations on your thirtieth anniversary of The Cold Link! We sincerely thank you for the years of service and we are looking much forward to working with you for many years to come.”— Dominick Kempe and Susanne Döbelin, ToolSense
“ Over the years, when an issue of Cold Link Africa lands on my desk, I am prompted to put my feet up( briefly), divert the phone, and browse its pages with a cup of coffee. The world can stop while I catch up with the happenings in South Africa’ s refrigeration industry. Most of my practical information has come from its pages, as well as a few enquiries. In Cold Link you have created something of immense value to everyone in our industry and I thank you for it.”— James Cunningham, Barpro Storage
“ I could fill a whole Cold Link Africa with my thoughts about what John has contributed to OTTC over the years. He’ s been one of our greatest supporters and I’ ll send my( long) congratulations to one of OTTC’ s greatest supporters, personally.”— Isolde Döbelin, OTTC
Ilana Koegelenberg and John Ackermann taking a‘ selfie’ at the 2016 Chillventa show in Germany.
“’ Oom’ John, as Mr Ackermann is affectionately known to all the past and present staff at Phoenix Racks, is a legend in our industry! Mr Ackermann has always been willing to share his vast knowledge and sage advice. We at Phoenix would like to congratulate John on this awesome milestone and once again thank John and Cold Link Africa for their fantastic support over the years. We wish Mr Ackermann and Cold Link Africa all the best for the future.”— Graham Conway, Phoenix Racks
“ John Ackermann is well respected within our industry. His insightful questioning and subsequent articles give pause for thought and are very often hard-hitting. HC has always enjoyed his visits to us and the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated over the years of his intimate involvement with our sector. Well done, John, for your amazing contribution. We congratulate you on your achievements. We look forward to more of the same.”— Robert Kruger, HC Heat-Exchangers
“ John, I do not know anyone else who has put so much of their time and effort into our industry. From SARDA and SAIRAC to ACRICSA and FRIGAIR, you have been involved and taken the lead, all while running your own business and being the editor of Cold Link Africa and a member of the local Rotary. We salute you as a true stalwart and leader. The refrigeration and air-conditioning industry in South Africa owes you a big debt of gratitude. Thank you and God bless you, John Ackermann.”— André van der Merwe, Evapco South Africa
“ Mister John Ackermann( aka‘ Oom’ John) is a truly unique and exceptional individual. Over the last several years, I have gotten to know John well and today I can say it is an honour to call him a close friend. I have known John for some 25 years +.
In the early years, his direct approach would catch me off guard, but over time I came to realise that he has an incredible skill of being able to zone into the heart of the matter. His legendary“ Sorry?” and hearing problem are sometimes used as a convenient technique to be able to gather his thoughts and‘ attack’ with a different line of questioning. I learnt the hard way that if John asks you a simple question with an apparently obvious answer, watch out, it is a trap!
Having been present at several interviews where he would be gathering material for an upcoming Cold Link article, I was able to witness his practical thinking and impressive questioning techniques. Very often the interviewee( including myself!) would give complex and convoluted answers, but eventually, John would prevail and get him or her to bring it down to the basic first principles that his readers can understand. There have been some rather heated exchanges, but eventually the dust settles
I cannot think of another person who has made as large a contribution to our industry as that made by John Ackermann.
and the interviewee accepts that it is easier to come across to John’ s‘ simple way’ of thinking than to endure further interrogation.
No visit to John’ s office is complete without him dashing off to his Cold Link archive to find an interesting article relating to the subject matter at hand. His substantial archive is also useful to find material from a decade or two ago, related to a new development( for example an expansion) at a given site or project. The bottom line: if it was a meaningful industry event, he has it recorded somewhere in those thousands of pages.
Across the length and breadth of our country, from large companies to small, from CEOs to apprentices, John and The Cold Link have touched the lives of literally thousands of people. The Cold Link is a‘ time capsule’ of the last 30 years of our industry. Perhaps without realising it( even taking it for granted), we have been able to stay in touch with the goings-on of the entire spectrum of the trade in which we earn our living.
I cannot think of another person who has made as large a contribution to our industry as that made by John Ackermann. Nearly every single meaningful cause in our industry has John either leading from the front or devoting his personal time and support. The definition of a charitable man is he.
Our industry is blessed to have John Ackermann and his Cold Link. Thank you,‘ Oom’ John!”— Kevin Schlemmer, Cool Check CLA
WHAT ROLE HAS THE COLD LINK PLAYED IN YOUR LIFE?
It’ s 30 years later and there is no denying that The Cold Link has been a crucial part of the local refrigeration industry for a long time. What is your fondest memory of John and the newspaper? Share your stories with us by sending them to ilana @ interactmedia. co. za as we celebrate three decades!
COLD LINK AFRICA • September | October 2017 www. coldlinkafrica. co. za 13