(BIVN) – The Young Brothers’ water carrier is rolling out 78 new refrigerated containers, so-called “reefers”, which the company says will enhance service with better temperature control.

This media release was issued on Thursday:

HONOLULU – Young Brothers, LLC, Hawai’i’s inter-island tug and barge company, today announced the addition of 78 new 20-foot refrigerated containers, or “reefers”, to their equipment fleet. The new reefers, which ensure temperature controlled cargo transport between islands, will improve efficiency, increase reliability, support local agriculture and businesses and contribute to the state’s sustainability initiatives.

“The acquisition of our new reefers enhances our ability to maintain freshness and reduces the risk of equipment failure, elevating our overall service and helping local companies expand and increase production,” said Joe Boivin, president of Young Brothers, LLC. “These modern 20-foot reefers are well-suited for the scale of production of local growers, and strengthens our alignment with Hawai’i’s economy and our ability to best serve our customers’ unique needs.”

A total capital investment of $1.5 million, the new reefers play a critical role in Young Brothers’ commitment to providing unmatched inter-island freight handling and transportation services and superior customer service to the people of Hawaiʻi. The new reefers also support Governor Ige’s Sustainability Initiative, joining Young Brothers’ new tugs in reducing fossil fuels, lowering emissions and supporting the growth of local agricultural production. Part of Young Brothers’ forecasted 5-year replenishment plan, the new reefers cut the average age of the current 20′ reefer fleet in half, from 14 to 7 years, increasing both reliability and customer confidence.

“Young Brothers makes over 1,250 sailings each year between the Hawaiian Islands to meet customer needs and our equipment experiences much higher turn rates than other companies,” said Boivin. “That means our reefers make an average of 43 round-trip turns per year, compared to only 10 reefer turns for other shipping companies, making the replacement of old, worn-out reefers vital to our provision of high-quality, uninterrupted service.”

The new reefers are manufactured by Daikin Reefer, a company known for pushing the boundaries of refrigeration technology through continuous improvement and constant innovation. The Daikin “Zestia” Reefers, the model purchased by Young Brothers, promises an exceedingly low failure rate, the fastest cooldown in the market, energy savings and stabilized temperatures. The introduction of DC inverter variable frequency drive technology eliminates the spikes in energy that accompanies conventional compressors and also makes it possible for two reefer units to operate off of one plug, further reducing energy consumption.

Young Brothers plays a critical role in Hawai’i as the water carrier responsible for transporting all cargo that originates and ends in the state. It is also the only water carrier to serve all islands, including Lāna’i and Moloka’i, and transport all types of cargo no matter how big or how small. For more information about Young Brothers, please visit youngbrothershawaii.com.