A Cool Export Trail
Sun Herald
Sunday March 18, 1990
AUSTRALIA can hold its head high as a producer of quality fridges, freezers and air conditioners.
In fact, we are an exporter of these products.
So boasted Mr Robert Toone, marketing manager for Email.
"Talk about imports being superior to the Australian product is simply not true," said Mr Toone.
"We have a thriving refrigeration industry in this country.
"The technology is more advanced than in Europe and very much akin to what is happening in North America and Japan.
"And our air conditioners are at least as good as, if not better than, most of the products coming into Australia.
"I'm not saying the imports are no good," said Mr Toone. "But they are no better and sometimes not as good as the Australian product."
The predominantly Australian-owned Email and American Hoover are the only manufacturers of fridges in Australia.
"We are making a significant contribution to the standard of living and employment," said Mr Toone.
"We should be quite nationalistic and support the Australian product."
He said that compared with years ago, the consumer can now buy a fridge with more and improved features - and one which is cheaper in relation to salaries.
There has been a lot of innovation, for example in the area of crispers and frost-free cabinets.
And there are none better than locally-made fridges for coping with the wide range of climatic conditions in Australia. Mr Toone said the industry is very sensitive to environmental concerns.
"The current generation of fridges are becoming cheaper to run day by day,"he said.
"Different insulation is leading to different designs, although these are difficult to see from the outside.
"We will progressively see units being produced with big reductions in chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)."
© 1990 Sun Herald