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30 effective years of Aisberg history

15.11.2019

Aisberg was founded in 1989 by Oleg Antonenko. At the same time, the logo and trademark were registered. The team is just a few young refrigeration engineers.

Aisberg began as a research and production company for the manufacture of cooling systems for technical lasers, air conditioning systems for telephone stations and milk cooling plants in agriculture.

Even then, all Aisberg products are exclusively author’s developments, for which official author’s certificates were obtained first of the USSR, and then of independent Ukraine. Now the intellectual property of the company – 32 patented inventions and utility models.

The first Ukrainian industrial chillers (refrigeration units for technical lasers) “AIS” were presented at the international exhibition Komnastech in Moscow in 1992.

In the early 90s Aisberg began to export “AIS” to Bulgaria and Russia. The first customers were industrial and scientific giants- Kirov plant in St. Petersburg, the National Institute of Aviation Technologies (NIAT) in Moscow, Ozontlaser in Sofia, XX Congress of the CPSU plant in Kirov (here the installation “AIS” still works).

Aisberg is the oldest family enterprise in Ukraine in the machine-building industry. The co-founder of the company was Grigory Antonenko, head of the NGO “Odessholodmash”, father of Oleg Antonenko. Now Oleg’s right hand is his daughter-Daria Antonenko.

In 1993 Aisberg began to assemble gastronomic refrigerated showcases “Tair” and refrigerated cabinets “SHH”, to produce units for pop-corn and mini-refrigerators for hotels, opened its own guarantee service. The first buyer of commercial refrigerating equipment of the company became shop “Vegetables-Fruits” on Deribasovskaya St. in Odessa.

In 1995 the management of Aisberg makes the plan of markets development of Ukraine and Moldova. The direction of refrigeration equipment for retail trade is recognized as the most promising. The company becomes the first official representative in Ukraine of the leading world brands: Arneg, ISA, Framec, Afinox (Italy), and opens the exhibition centers and guarantee services in Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Simferopol, Kharkiv.

The first advertising catalog of commercial refrigeration equipment in Ukraine was developed and printed for Aisberg by the Italian creative agency Studio Verde.

At the same time Aisberg starts selling technological equipment for bars and restaurants. On the territory of Ukraine the company officially represented the Italian brands Sirman, TM, La Spaziale, IFI, French Robot Coupe and many others, providing a complex supply of equipment to catering enterprises.

The first buyer of Italian refrigerated showcases and gastronomic buffets in 1995 was the chain of restaurants “Pan-Pizza” of Savely Libkin.

Aisberg was the only refrigeration company that presented commercial equipment at the first in Ukraine specialized exhibition MaRGo (Shop. Restaurant. Hotel) in 1996 at VDNH Ukraine. Further Aisberg became a regular participant in this forum which is now known as the «Trade Industry».

In 1997 Aisberg became the general contractor for the supply, connection and maintenance of the first self-service store with the European supermarket concept «La Fourchette» in Kiev on Naberezhno-Khreshchatyk street. The store was equipped with Arneg refrigeration equipment.

Same year Aisberg implemented another landmark project for the capital – complex equipment of refrigeration and technological equipment of restaurants of the Kiev railway station.

One of the first supermarkets in Odessa – «Tavria V» on Recordnaya street– also equipped by Aisberg. It was the first self-service store of the Odessa retailer.

It was Aisberg which in 1999 introduced Ukrainian retail to multicompressor refrigeration units. A series of seminars was held with the participation of Italian Central manufacturers by Zanotti to popularize the use of this technical solution for shops in Ukraine.

In the late 90’s Oleg Antonenko published the first book in Ukraine dedicated to the self-service system in retail, where he presented the European experience in the design and equipment of such stores – “Income Technology”.

In 2003 Aisberg was the first in Ukraine to open its own production of refrigeration centers and units. In 2007 the company started to produce a full range of refrigeration equipment for stores suitable for remote cooling.

The year of 2003 is the start of heat recovery systems in Ukraine. The first installations were designed and delivered by Aisberg in supermarkets “Kopeyka” in Odessa and “Grand Market” in Cherkassy. In “Planet” supermarket in Odessa was designed and installed recycling system, working on water heating and heating of premises. The system is still functioning for the moment.

That time “Silpo” supermarket chain began the development in the South of Ukraine, and Aisberg began to equip comprehensively shops of this trade network in Odessa and Nikolaev. Six markets were equipped within two years. Shortly thereafter “Velyka Kyshenya” and “Varus” chains become the partners of Aisberg.

Same year the first book in Ukraine devoted to domestic shop building “Supermarkets. Ukrainian approach” comes out. The book contained illustrations and descriptions of more than 70 stores equipped with Aisberg equipment. The publication combines the experience of Ukrainian retailers who stood at the origins of Ukrainian retail trade. Among them Silpo, Kopeyka, Velyka Kishenya, Rost, Fifth ocean, Grand Market, Varus.

The first Ukrainian refrigerated display case for supermarkets suitable for remote cold – Medusa – was released in 2004. For the advertising campaign of this showcase the rights to a small edition of Annie Lennox’s self-titled music album were purchased from Sony Records in Ukraine. Most of the components for the Medusa showcases, in particular the sidewalls and evaporators, were made in Italy according to the Aisberg’s drawings.

The first object comprehensively equipped with Aisberg equipment outside of Ukraine is Populi supermarket in Tbilisi with an area of 3000 sq. m. The opening of the largest supermarket in Georgia for that time took place on December 19, 2006.

In 2008 Aisberg became the first Ukrainian manufacturer to present Ukrainian refrigeration equipment at EuroShop in Germany. Since then, the company participates in every exhibition – for the 5th time will take part in 2020.

In 2010 Aisberg became the general contractor for the refrigeration equipment production and installation of the Green hypermarket in the largest shopping center of Central Asia – Khan Shatyr Shopping Mall in Astana.

In 2014 Aisberg became the official supplier of refrigeration equipment for Carrefour, one of the world’s leading retailers. Today among the partners of Aisberg are such international trading companies as BILLA, Coop, METRO Cash&Carry, Spar, Delhize, Foot Works, Sultan Centre, Kaufland.

In 2016 in Almaty the assembly production of the brand refrigerated showcases for the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan was opened.

Aisberg is the leader of Ukrainian export of refrigeration equipment according to the indicators of export operations and data of UTFEA commodity items. The company supplies its products to 30 countries – from Iceland to Australia. The equipment of the brand is presented in Africa, Europe, the Gulf countries, and even on the Islands of New Caledonia.

The company employs 180 people.

In serial production there are more than 300 models of refrigeration equipment for retail.

In 2019 the European office of Aisberg Europe was opened.