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STEVE DAVISON: A LIFELONG CHILL IN ENGINEERING
Born in the UK and transplanted to Southern Rhodesia at 12, Steve Davison ' s journey into the world of engineering took an unexpected turn during a university break.
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After gaining three mediocre A levels," he chuckles, " I studied mechanical engineering at UCT, graduating in ' 72." It was a mid-year holiday job as a replacement draughtsman at Cool Engineering, an ammonia refrigeration contracting company, that truly ignited a lifelong passion. " That stirred my lifelong interest in refrigeration," he recalls. A subsequent vacation stint at the Perishable Products Export Control Board( PPECB) further solidified this fascination.
Duty called him back to Rhodesia after graduation to fulfill bursary obligations, where he found himself lecturing in thermodynamics. A year of national service followed, culminating in his role as an officer in the Corps of Engineers. Fate then intervened with an offer to return to PPECB as an engineer, stepping into the shoes of his former boss. For 18 months, Davison immersed himself in testing cooling rates for produce in innovative packaging and certifying vessels for safe perishable transport.
The pull of his earlier connection proved strong, leading him back to Cool Engineering as technical manager, a role that evolved over 13 years to managing director. A thwarted management buyout prompted a brief stint at Grenco before Davison, seeking a new challenge, partnered with long-time friend and accountant Neil McMurray to acquire Minus 40, a specialist refrigerator manufacturing company. He remained at the helm until his retirement and the company ' s sale in 2017.
Reflecting on a project that filled him with pride, Davison harks back to his early days at Cool Engineering in 1976. " The screw compressor was being introduced into the industrial refrigeration market for larger high-capacity plants," he explains. Cool Engineering had just secured an agency for an American-made machine, and the challenge lay in convincing users of its merits. Davison ' s approach was hands-on.
" I overcame this challenge by taking a personal interest in the selling, installation, commissioning and servicing of this new product." His dedication paid off handsomely. " This resulted over the next 10 years in this particular brand becoming the compressor of choice for fruit cold stores, frozen storage and breweries." To further enhance the offering, a local package assembly team was established under his guidance.
While the screw compressor introduction stands as a significant innovation he was involved in, Davison also recounts a less celebrated but equally crucial challenge: " Every industrial refrigeration engineer ' s nightmare is a large refrigerant leak."
A few months into the operation of a low-temperature cold store in Johannesburg, Cool Engineering faced just that. A cracked weld resulted in approximately three tonnes of ammonia escaping. Davison emphasises the collaborative spirit in overcoming this hurdle: " Working closely with the customer, consultants, insurers and our subcontractors, we removed all the insulation, cut out and remade all the welds on the plant, re-insulated and recommissioned within a period of four months."
His experience led to active involvement in industry bodies. " I was encouraged to join SAIRAC early in my career, subsequently joining the Cape Town committee and becoming chairman for four years, and then in 1990 becoming national president. I was also a member of SARACCA, and in the contracting industry, I served four years as a commission member of the International Institute of Refrigeration( IIR)."
For young people considering engineering, Davison offers simple yet profound advice: " Once you have your qualification, seize any opportunity to learn something new." He also fondly remembers John Bester, the technical advisor at PPECB, as a key mentor. " An expert in cold storage, refrigeration, post-harvest handling of fruit, and shipping requirements for all perishable products, he gave me a sound basis in managing people."
What continues to excite Davison most about HVAC & R is " getting to understand the customer ' s business in order to best assess his needs and find a solution to his problems." He recalls an‘ aha’ moment while designing a refrigerator for train drivers ' cabs powered by a 72-volt battery system. " We hit on the idea of using a 12 DC compressor with a 72 to 12 V DC-DC converter. This proved to be more rugged and reliable than a domestic 220v compressor with an inverter," a solution that led to over 2 000 unit sales. On the flip side, he believes that " regulation of the refrigeration service industry and control of installation quality, as well as refrigerant availability and distribution, requires a lot of attention."
Looking ahead, Davison sees " increasing sophistication of system controls, including the use of AI, with a view to improve efficiency " as the future of HVAC & R. He also anticipates " improvements to reduce energy consumption, particularly in the field of air source heat pumps " driven by research and development, and hopes for the " wider use of natural refrigerants " in the industry. RACA
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RACA Journal I July 2025 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za