How do we make sure our freezer cases and backroom refrigerators stay cool? At Publix’s new refrigeration training center, associates learn how to repair and maintain our equipment.

Publix started a refrigeration technician program in 2020 to train associates to maintain our store refrigeration systems. And with our upgraded training center completed in June, the maintenance program is kicking into high gear.

“When we hired our 1st technicians to maintain our own refrigeration systems, we quickly determined that there was a need to provide them with training,” said Director of Facility Refrigeration and Energy Management Mikhael Ser. “The grocery refrigeration industry is a very niche industry; there aren’t a lot of people out there trained on these systems.”

Even vendors are having a hard time finding qualified technicians.

“The refrigeration industry is continuing to shrink as people retire,” Mikhael said. “There are more jobs than there are people coming into the workforce, specifically for grocery.”

According to Mikhael, outside service contractors maintain all but 60 of our stores.

“We upgraded the training center by building specialized classrooms and a mechanical center on the back dock, similar to what we have on our store rooftops,” Mikhael said. “The only way we used to be able to get hands-on training was at a store, but we couldn’t cut off the refrigeration system and see what happened in a store like we can at the center.”

They also built a training area that functions as a giant walk-in cooler, similar to the ones in the back of our stores.

Mikhael believes the way to successfully bring these jobs in-house is to train store associates who have been to HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) school to learn grocery refrigeration.

“That will give us the optimal associate and help Publix,” Mikhael said. “We have to grow the industry for our long-term success.”

The center is located in the Industrial Maintenance Training Center in Lakeland, Florida. During training, associates spend 1 day doing classwork, then another working hands-on with the equipment.

“Our long-term goal is to provide better value to our stores,” Mikhael said. “And we do that by providing better customer service, diagnosing and fixing the root cause of refrigeration issues, and providing more reliable systems for our retail partners at the same cost, or less, than what we pay our vendors.”

If you have HVAC training and are interested in joining our refrigeration team, check out job openings on our Careers site.