Business Spotlight: Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse Inc.

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It's a steamy summer day, but Randy Kesterson is wearing a heavy overcoat and insulated overalls. |ret||ret||tab|

"I've got the coolest job in town," said Kesterson as he wheeled a pallet of frozen pizzas into the company's warehouse, which is kept at a bone-chilling minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit. |ret||ret||tab|

Kesterson is one of three warehousemen at Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse who belong to Teamsters Local Union 245. Rick Gardner, who serves as one of the local union's assistant business representatives, said the Teamsters' relationship with the company dates back to 1948.|ret||ret||tab|

"To my knowledge, Springfield Refrigerated has the oldest ongoing contract with the Teamsters in the area," said Gardner. "They were one of the first companies the Teamsters organized after the Taft-Hartley Act was passed in 1947." |ret||ret||tab|

The Taft-Hartley Act, among other things, permitted a union shop only if it was approved by a vote of the majority of employees.|ret||ret||tab|

Founded in the 1930s, Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse leases space to both large and small commercial food vendors, including Willow Brook Foods, Pepperidge Farms and Otis Spunkmeyer. These companies store their frozen goods at Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse before distributing them to area grocers. The company also rents a limited amount of space to customers who wish to store dry goods.|ret||ret||tab|

When Bob Fisher bought Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse in 1997, there was one year left on the union's contract with the company. Fisher admitted he didn't know what to expect, but he was pleased to find that Gardner and the Teamsters were willing to work with him so he could meet his needs as a small-business owner.|ret||ret||tab|

"The Teamsters have bent over backwards," said Fisher. "They've understood the flexibility I needed as a small-business owner. They've also brought a certain stability to the work force, and they've helped me find employees."|ret||ret||tab|

Fisher, who also owns Springfield Mechanical Services, did repair work at Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse prior to purchasing the company. According to Fisher, buying Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse "just made sense."|ret||ret||tab|

"It was kind of a natural step, because I knew I could keep the place running," he said. "The company already had an established customer base, which made things easier, and business was consistent."|ret||ret||tab|

Fisher soon discovered that business at Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse was not only consistent, it was thriving. Although he didn't advertise or employ a sales staff, he soon found himself turning away customers simply because there wasn't any space available in the company's 120,000-square-foot warehouse, which is located at 305 W. Mill St. in downtown Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

Intent on expansion, he began looking for a second facility, and in August he signed a letter of intent to purchase a warehouse in north Springfield. The warehouse, which spans more than 120,000 square feet, would allow him to double his floor space and significantly increase his storage capacity because the building has 35-foot ceilings. |ret||ret||tab|

"I'm looking forward to expanding," he said. "Once the second warehouse opens, my next step will be to hire a full-time salesman."|ret||ret||tab|

In the meantime, Fisher said he thinks he'll be able to fill a great deal of space at the new warehouse by offering additional storage to his existing customers. He also believes he'll be able to accommodate many other customers who only want to lease a small amount of storage space. According to Fisher, these customers aren't being served by other warehouse facilities in the area.|ret||ret||tab|

"We're one of the only warehouses in town that leases small amounts of space," said Fisher. "A lot of these customers would have nowhere else to go if I wasn't here."|ret||ret||tab|

Fisher said leasing small amounts of storage space has helped Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse remain prosperous by allowing the company to fill a niche in the local market. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse offers a number of services to its customers, who range from local vendors to national food manufacturers. To increase security, the warehouse is broken into zones so customers can only access their own storage areas. The facility also is open 24 hours a day for customers' convenience, and someone always is on-site in case there's a problem.|ret||ret||tab|

Fisher admitted it has been challenging running two businesses at once. Fortunately, he thrives on challenge.|ret||ret||tab|

"I'm definitely a risk taker," he said. "If I took one of those tests that is supposed to measure your tolerance for risk, I'd definitely get a high score."|ret||ret||tab|

Fisher took his first big risk as an entrepreneur in 1990 when he founded Springfield Mechanical Services. The company, which employs an average of 15 people, designs, services and repairs a variety of commercial heating and cooling systems, including environmental systems, commercial refrigeration systems, chilled and hot water systems, and automated control systems.|ret||ret||tab|

While Fisher spends a great deal of time at each of his two companies, he said he's come to rely on several key employees, including Tammy Marshall, who serves as the general manager at Springfield Refrigerated Warehouse. |ret||ret||tab|

"If it weren't for Tammy, I couldn't do it," he said. |ret||ret||tab|

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