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