An OEM in industrial refrigeration supports one of the largest grocery distribution networks in North America. The network requires massive chiller and screw compressor units for million-square-foot cold storage facilities.
These environments depend on highly specialized, OEM-specific motors. The components are not available off the shelf and are critical to continuous operation.
To support this customer, our customer needed a dependable partner capable of supplying and supporting these motors beyond traditional OEM channels.
They reached out to Romanoff Industries, an MCE company, for help.
The Challenge
The grocery chain wanted to replace older motors throughout their operations but faced serious challenges: long lead time for OEM replacement motors, high and unpredictable costs, limited sourcing options due to proprietary motor designs, and operational risk when failures occurred without spares on hand.
When a motor failed, there was no fast or flexible replacement plan in place. Standard procurement options often led to months-long delays. This is unacceptable in facilities where downtime directly affects product integrity and distribution.
The OEM needed a partner who could meet timelines and budgets for replacement motors across multiple facilities. The industrial refrigeration OEM partnered with Romanoff to build a structured spare motor program tailored to the customer’s refrigeration systems.
The Solution
Romanoff has more than 75 years of experience in the electric. It also has one of the largest motor inventories in North America, including hard-to-find motor units and components.
The team re-engineers and modifies base motors to match OEM requirements. Instead of sourcing OEM replacements like other distributors, Romanoff works with OEM teams and end-user engineers to develop application-specific solutions.
The collaboration between the OEM and Romanoff is already seeing measurable results:
- Improved availability of critical spare motors
- Lead times reduced by months
- Significant cost savings even after market price increases
- Emergency support delivered before the full program even launched
- Clear documentation for maintenance schedules
The repeatable spare motor program could be replicated, rather than a one-off fix. The first wave of motors has already shipped with expansion underway across additional facilities.
The Results
The grocery chain will save more than $250,000 on the replacement motors a year, with access to emergency motor replacements and a three-year warranty on motors that follow proper maintenance schedules.
The partnership changed how the OEM manages risk across their end-users. Today, the company has fewer emergencies and faster recovery when issues do occur, along with better control over maintenance.
- Facilities now have planned access to critical spares
- Massive inventory allows for application-specific customization
- Maintenance teams are no longer dependent on long OEM lead times
- Engineering teams have a partner who can translate requirements into real-world solutions
- The program is scaling toward nationwide implementation
When you’re dealing with OEM-specific motors in critical systems, you need more than replacement parts. You need a partner fast enough, reliable enough, and knowledgeable enough to keep your operation running smoothly. Reach out to MCE today.