This summer, Global Cooling Inc. and Stirling Ultracold made a big move from their Columbus Road facility to the Bill Theisen Industrial Park in the Plains. Global Cooling and Stirling Ultracold CEO Neill Lane gave Athens Business Remixed a tour of the company’s new location recently and discussed the unique work, life balance of Athens County, which has helped to foster the dramatic growth of the business.
The company, a manufacturer of ground breaking environmentally-friendly, ultra-low temperature freezers, is a recent recipient of the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier investment initiative, which supports technology areas that represent Ohio’s key competitive opportunities. There is no doubt about Stirling Ultracold’s competitive edge. The company’s pioneer Shuttle Model which can maintain temperatures of -86° C using about the power required for a light bulb is a game changer. For example, The Shuttle can aid medical organizations when transporting materials like vaccines to remote areas of the planet, which before were reached with dry ice in a cooler – a risky and cumbersome delivery method.
According to Global Cooling Inc. CEO Neill Lane, the new facility, built by the Athens County Port Authority in 1998, suits them perfectly.
A Stirling Ultracold freezer
“We were looking at commercial space in town and then the Port Authority and Todd Shelton introduced us to this building,” Lane said. “It’s perfect. It is exactly what we need as a manufacturing company. It’s 10,000 square feet of office space; 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space. It’s unpretentious. It’s what you want to show your investors. It’s clean, well laid out; it’s what you want to show your customers.”
Lane also pointed out that employees enjoy working for the company and that support from the Athens community has made it relatively easy to find qualified workers.
“We have had very good luck getting our labor force,” Lane said. “We have not, so far, had to advertise. We’ve had a stream of people dropping off resumés. We’ve been in the news somewhat as we’ve gotten help from the state and the local community.”
Lane also cited Global Cooling Inc.’s proximity to schools like Ohio University and Hocking College have made it easier to find well-trained additions to the company’s manufacturing staff.
As a business manager, Lane says that Athens makes sense for their business because the ultra-low temperature freezer was invented in Marietta, Ohio. But personally, Lane said that Athens is a great place to live.
“We have a very nice community here, and a community that is often not replicated in bigger places,” he said. “The university is clearly a big part of the community. The campus is beautiful; it’s a beautiful place to walk around.”
Lane is also a farmer’s market enthusiast.
“We have one of the best farmer’s markets in the nation. I shop there every Saturday,” he said. “Come rain or shine, I’m at the farmer’s market.”
Lane concluded his musings on Athens by saying, “It’s community, it’s culture, it’s sport. It’ just a really great place to live.”
