BRAMPTON, Ont. – Arctic Traveler is Canada’s largest aftermarket manufacturer of Class 8 truck air conditioning condensers, thanks to a recent acquisition and equipment investments.

In 2000, Arctic Traveler acquired the specialty coil manufacturing operations of Specture Premium Industries and now markets its products under the auspices of Custom Coils Canada in Brampton, Ont.

And over the last year, Arctic Traveler has invested almost $100,000 in equipment upgrades and expansions in order to retool and develop this newly acquired business unit, says Leonard Patterson, president of Arctic Traveler Canada.

“With Custom’s experience in manufacturing air conditioning condensers and our experience in marketing truck air parts, a program was conceived to provide a high quality, durable replacement condenser for trucks,” Patterson says.

Arctic Traveler has been in the mobile air conditioning, refrigeration and heating parts and systems business since 1961, and focuses on finding niche markets in specialty vehicle installations.

“We are going to stay very focused on our industry – the mobile industry. We recently added a U.S. national bus product line as a business expansion and we will continue to look for those niche markets, the specialty markets are very important to us,” Patterson says.

The key to their success is that they ensure their shelves are stocked, he says. Some Canadian distributors may be reluctant to carry inventory in a seasonal product because of the climate, but when it is time, they will be ready.

“We have the ability to supply almost overnight so the speed to market and flexibility is important to us. Smaller service shops generally don’t know they need a part until the truck is in the bay, so we can get them that part quickly and get the guy back on the road,” Patterson says.