Craig Ward
Davenport,WA
Summary
Subject Matter Expert in industrial refrigeration systems with over 20 years of experience in energy efficiency and big data utilization. Extensive background in system start-ups, maintenance, and safety protocol implementation for major companies, including Coca-Cola and Anheuser-Busch. Strong training and development skills with a focus on cross-functional collaboration to enhance system performance and compliance. Proven operations leader with a track record of identifying process improvements that boost efficiency and productivity.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Founder
Refrigeration.AI
02.2023 - Current
- Company Overview: Refrigeration.AI is an advanced, AI-driven platform designed to optimize the maintenance and operational efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including sensor networks, real-time monitoring, and advanced analytics
- Refrigeration.AI is an advanced, AI-driven platform designed to optimize the maintenance and operational efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including sensor networks, real-time monitoring, and advanced analytics
Startup Tech
SubZero Constructors, Inc.
11.2022 - Current
- As a Refrigeration Commissioning Technician at SubZero Constructors, performing a pivotal role in the startup of newly constructed refrigeration systems, including:
- - System Evaluation: Thoroughly assessing components including compressors, condensers, evaporators, heat exchangers, pumps, and valves
- - Operational Checks: Monitoring and validating performance metrics, piping configurations, pressure levels, and control mechanisms
- - Innovative Solutions: Collaborating with engineering teams to implement new technologies
- - Maintenance & Repairs: Proactively identifying operational issues to minimize downtime
- - Energy Efficiency: Evaluating consumption patterns and recommending optimization strategies
- - Safety & Compliance: Adhering to industry regulations while handling refrigeration equipment
- - Collaboration: Working closely with contractors during installations and repairs
Industrial Manufacturing Consultant
Self-employed
01.2019 - 08.2024
- Areas of subject matter expertise:
- - Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration
- - Industrial Process Manufacturing
- - Industrial Energy Optimization
- - Industrial Process Safety
- - Industrial Maintenance
- - Industrial Control Systems
- - Industrial Technology
- - Data Collection and Analysis
Product Manager
CrossnoKaye
06.2021 - 10.2022
- Played a pivotal role in shaping the direction and success of the company's AI-Augmented Cloud Based Refrigeration Control System (ATLAS):
- - Conducted extensive customer research to identify market gaps and innovation opportunities
- - Led development and refinement of AI-driven refrigeration control solutions
- - Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between design, engineering, and executive teams
- - Created detailed product roadmaps and timelines
- - Continuously evaluated control system performance against metrics and user feedback
- - Maintained clear stakeholder communication to ensure alignment on product direction
- - Understood and built solutions to solve user and buyer persona pain points
- - Provided subject matter expertise to product team and business, filling in 'unknown unknowns'
- - Designed features, user interface, user experience, and hardware to meet company goals
- - Translated complex trade lingo and concepts in terms a lay-person could understand
- - Detailed the daily life/user experience customers go through when using a control system
- - Explained regulatory constraints and documentation requirements for control system changes
- - Served as Process Safety Champion
- - Trained team mates as Subject Matter Expert in industrial refrigeration/process safety
Outside Sales, Service, and Safety Consultant
Packaged Cooling Systems
01.2019 - 08.2021
- - Operated and maintained customer equipment including refrigeration (anhydrous ammonia), water filtration, air compressors, electrical systems, piping systems, and hydraulics
- - Determined safe transportation, operation, and maintenance procedures for transportation of anhydrous ammonia systems
- - Responsible for all outside customer interface, including training, sales, setup, teardown, transportation, and service of mobile cooling units
- - Developed and iterated a PLC control system for data collection and mobile unit operation, optimizing for electrical efficiency and reliability
- - Created systems to comply with FDA and USDA Regulations through relevant data reports
- - Forecasted unit efficiency based on collected data and prioritized maintenance activities on underperforming units
Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist
The Coca-Cola Company
03.2020 - 06.2021
- Crucial role in ensuring optimal performance of all utilities systems:
- - Ammonia Refrigeration System: Maintained proper temperatures and pressures in all refrigeration systems
- - Maintenance & Repairs: Performed routine and preventive maintenance on industrial systems
- - Safety Protocols: Developed and implemented health and safety ammonia system emergency plans
- - Equipment Care: Managed equipment in cold rooms, loading docks, boilers, air compressors, and water treatment
- - Innovation: Implemented new technologies and processes for refrigeration systems
- Additional responsibilities included:
- - Operating and maintaining plant facility equipment
- - Active member of the Hazardous Chemical Response Team
- - Managing computerized maintenance systems (MAXIMO)
- - Performing water treatment tests for cooling towers
- - Implementing energy savings plans and performance tracking
- - Properly executing startup, maintenance, and shutdown of refrigeration equipment in normal and emergency situations
- - Performing vibration analysis and monitoring
- - Using infrared devices to troubleshoot condensate traps and associated equipment
- - Implementing power outage management practices
- - Conducting periodic equipment inspections to detect and document issues of concern
Ammonia PSM/RMP Coordinator / Utilities Operator
Anheuser-Busch InBev
07.2013 - 01.2019
- Led initiatives that resulted in multiple millions of dollars in annual energy spend reduction:
- - Process Safety Management (PSM): Implemented and maintained compliance systems for refrigeration
- - Risk Management Program (RMP): Identified, assessed, and mitigated potential ammonia refrigeration risks
- - Regulatory Compliance: Ensured systems complied with OSHA's NEP and RAGAGEP standards
- - Energy Efficiency: Analyzed and modified operational parameters and system design to optimize energy usage
- - Training & Development: Conducted training sessions on ammonia refrigeration safety protocols
- - Utilities Operation: Managed various utility systems including refrigeration, steam, CO2 collection, compressed air and water
- - Managed plant PSM sharepoint, monthly PSM meetings, and Management of Change Projects
- - Analyzed large data sets and trends to determine optimal operating procedures
- - Created, maintained, reviewed, and updated all standard operating procedures for utilities department
- - Developed 'interactive process maps' that drove employee engagement and acceptance of VPO tools
- - Used formulas, infographics, pivot tables, and pareto charts to display and analyze large data-sets
- - Monitored fuel and electrical usage costs in real-time to improve KPI performance
- - Consistently pushed to achieve KPI targets using VPO tools while maintaining lowest cost of operations
Refrigeration Specialist
Kagome USA, Inc.
02.2011 - 07.2013
- Maintained flawless record of zero production days lost due to refrigeration equipment failure by:
- - Starting systems and monitoring operation
- - Responding to emergency calls regarding refrigeration
- - Maintaining water chemistry for equipment service
- - Testing malfunctioning components using electrical, mechanical, and pneumatic testing
- - Performing repairs, overhauls, and start-ups of ammonia refrigeration systems
- - Conducting preventative maintenance, site surveys, replacements, and modifications
- - Preparing for on-site installation and repairs by examining building layouts, anticipating difficulties, and coordinating work
Ammonia Technician/Lab Instructor
Garden City Ammonia Program
03.2010 - 02.2011
- Role was pivotal in imparting knowledge and skills related to the ammonia refrigeration industry:
- - Curriculum Development: Designing and updating course materials with latest advancements
- - Hands-on Training: Providing practical sessions on installation, maintenance, and repair
- - Safety Protocols: Educating students on regulatory standards and testing procedures
- - Electrical & Mechanical Systems: Teaching maintenance and repair of refrigeration components
- - Building Infrastructure: Covering maintenance and repair of refrigeration-related infrastructure
- - Equipment Operation: Demonstrating proper equipment usage and troubleshooting methodologies
- Taught at largest hands-on ammonia operator training facility with 15,000 square foot facilities, including engine room with 14 compressors, 4 boilers, and CO2 cascade systems
Facilities Maintenance/Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist
The Coca-Cola Company
08.2005 - 03.2010
- Operated and maintained plant facility equipment including boilers, refrigeration systems, wastewater treatment, water filtration, air compressors, electrical systems, piping systems, and hydraulics
Education
Ammonia Operator 1-3 + PSM/RMP program -
Garden City Ammonia Program
Garden City, KS01.2010
Skills
- Refrigeration
- AI-driven solutions
- Data analysis
- Energy optimization
- System evaluation
- Regulatory compliance
- Product development
- Problem solving
- Safety protocols
- Innovative thinking
- Relationship and team building
- Ammonia Refrigeration
- HVAC
- Air Compressors
- Water Treatment
- Wastewater Treatment
- Boilers
- Steam Boilers
- Cooling Towers
- Chillers
- Chilled Water
- Cooling Water
- Reverse Osmosis
- Water Filtration
- Pumps
- Steam
- Coolers
- Energy Conservation
- Energy Management
- Energy Audits
- Continuous Improvement
- Engineering
- Maintenance & Repair
- Maintenance Management
- Preventive Maintenance
- Predictive Maintenance
- Industrial Maintenance
- Maintenance
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Aptitude
- Mechanical Inspection
- Mechanical Analysis
- Manufacturing
- Food Processing
- Food & Beverage
- Operations Management
- Utilities
- Vibration Testing
- Infrared Thermal Imaging
- Data Mining
- Machine Learning
- Training
- Corporate Training
- Expert Communicator
- Industrial Process Safety
- Electrical Controls
- Computer Maintenance
- SaaS Development
Services Offered
- Environmental Consulting
- Business Consulting
- Educational Consulting
- Engineering Design
- Industrial Design
- Customer Support
- Technical Support
- SaaS Development
- Training
- Corporate Training
Certification
- Certified Refrigeration Energy Specialist (CRES)
- Certified Refrigeration Service Technician (CRST)
- Certified Assistant Refrigeration Operator (CARO)
- Certified Industrial Refrigeration Operator (CIRO)
- Ammonia Operator I, II, III
- Industrial Electricity
- Boiler Operation, Maintenance & Safety
- Boiler Operator I, II
- Infrared Thermography: Level 1, 2
- PSM/RMP
- Vibration Analysis: Level 1, 2
- Fundamentals of Predictive Maintenance
- Industrial Electrical Controls/Basic Electrical Controls
Professional Recommendations
- Daniel Walsh, Founding Scientist at CrossnoKaye, Worked with Craig on the same team, Craig joined us as a Project Manager at CrossnoKaye, but I distinctly recall the day I met him in the office when his keen familiarity with ammonia refrigeration was immediately evident...
- Dave May, Senior Refrigeration Engineer at CrossnoKaye, Worked with Craig but on different teams, I have been in the industrial Ammonia arena for a little over four decades. Through the years I have had the pleasure to work with some very talented individuals...
- Rita Hovorka, Sr. Technical Writer/UX Writer at CrossnoKaye, Worked with Craig but on different teams, It was a pleasure working with Craig at CrossnoKaye. He started a short time after me, and it often felt like we were navigating through the new system together...
- Mercedes Dondlinger, Worked with Craig but on different teams, Never in my wildest did I think I would end up working so closely with Craig (PM). We both found ourselves at a company where software development and industrial refrigeration collide...
- Davor Magdic, Worked with Craig on the same team, Craig served as the product manager for the industrial controls system for which the team I was on was developing software...
- Doug Patrick, Safety Manager at MTS Stimulation Services, Worked with Craig but at different companies, I met Craig through Garden City Ammonia Program, where he came to our facility to provide an ammonia operator certification to some of our clients...
About Refrigeration Ai
Refrigeration.AI is an advanced, AI-driven platform designed to optimize the maintenance and operational efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems. Founded in 2022, the company is committed to revolutionizing the industrial refrigeration sector by harnessing AI to drive efficiency, safety, and insight., ThermoLogic, Refrigeration.AI's flagship product, ThermoLogic, is an AI-powered industrial refrigeration assistant that addresses critical industry challenges., IoT Sensor Integration & Open API Architecture, Real-Time AI Monitoring, Generative Dashboards & Conversational AI, Automated Maintenance & Knowledge Capture, Interactive Reporting & AI-Driven Insights, Workforce Shortages, Energy Efficiency, Equipment Reliability, The North American industrial refrigeration market is projected to reach $11 billion by 2030, growing at 8.7% annually.
Current Positions
- Founder, Refrigeration.AI, 02/01/23, Present, Remote, Refrigeration.AI is an advanced, AI-driven platform designed to optimize the maintenance and operational efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems, leveraging cutting-edge technologies including sensor networks, real-time monitoring, and advanced analytics.
- Startup Tech, SubZero Constructors, Inc., 11/01/22, Present, As a Refrigeration Commissioning Technician at SubZero Constructors, performing a pivotal role in the startup of newly constructed refrigeration systems.
Previous Experience
- Outside Sales, Service, and Safety Consultant, Packaged Cooling Systems, 01/01/19, Present, Operated and maintained customer equipment including refrigeration (anhydrous ammonia), water filtration, air compressors, electrical systems, piping systems, and hydraulics.
- Industrial Manufacturing Consultant, Self-employed, 01/01/19, 08/01/24, Areas of subject matter expertise include Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration, Industrial Process Manufacturing, Industrial Energy Optimization, Industrial Process Safety, Industrial Maintenance, Industrial Control Systems, Industrial Technology, Data Collection and Analysis.
- Product Manager, CrossnoKaye, 06/01/21, 10/01/22, Played a pivotal role in shaping the direction and success of the company's AI-Augmented Cloud Based Refrigeration Control System (ATLAS).
- Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist, The Coca-Cola Company, 03/01/20, 06/01/21, Crucial role in ensuring optimal performance of all utilities systems.
- Ammonia PSM/RMP Coordinator / Utilities Operator, Anheuser-Busch InBev, 07/01/13, 01/01/19, Led initiatives that resulted in multiple millions of dollars in annual energy spend reduction.
- Refrigeration Specialist, Kagome USA, Inc., 02/01/11, 07/01/13, Maintained flawless record of zero production days lost due to refrigeration equipment failure.
- Ammonia Technician/Lab Instructor, Garden City Ammonia Program, 03/01/10, 02/01/11, Role was pivotal in imparting knowledge and skills related to the ammonia refrigeration industry.
- Facilities Maintenance/Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist, The Coca-Cola Company, 08/01/05, 03/01/10, Operated and maintained plant facility equipment including boilers, refrigeration systems, wastewater treatment, water filtration, air compressors, electrical systems, piping systems, and hydraulics.
Timeline
Founder
Refrigeration.AI
02.2023 - Current
Startup Tech
SubZero Constructors, Inc.
11.2022 - Current
Product Manager
CrossnoKaye
06.2021 - 10.2022
Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist
The Coca-Cola Company
03.2020 - 06.2021
Industrial Manufacturing Consultant
Self-employed
01.2019 - 08.2024
Outside Sales, Service, and Safety Consultant
Packaged Cooling Systems
01.2019 - 08.2021
Ammonia PSM/RMP Coordinator / Utilities Operator
Anheuser-Busch InBev
07.2013 - 01.2019
Refrigeration Specialist
Kagome USA, Inc.
02.2011 - 07.2013
Ammonia Technician/Lab Instructor
Garden City Ammonia Program
03.2010 - 02.2011
Facilities Maintenance/Ammonia Refrigeration Specialist
The Coca-Cola Company
08.2005 - 03.2010
Ammonia Operator 1-3 + PSM/RMP program -
Garden City Ammonia Program