Fresno-based Pana-Pacific has partnered with Dometic to launch and distribute its Dometic CCF-T center console refrigerator for Ford F-Series trucks and Ford Expeditions. Image via Pana-Pacific

A Fresno company in business for nearly 50 years has launched a cool new product with Central Valley residents and workers in mind.

Local manufacturer and distributor Pana-Pacific has partnered with Dometic to launch and distribute its Dometic CCF-T center console refrigerator for Ford F-Series trucks and Ford Expeditions.

With the custom Ford-fit, the refrigerator is easily installed and uses the vehicles existing 12V power source.

The refrigerator features a powerful compressor that can cool up to twelve 12oz cans or six 20oz bottles.

 

The Dometic CCF-T was supposed to be launched in 2020, said Megan Souza, project and business development director for Pana-Pacific, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the release.

“Through many different discussions we started looking at refrigerators for automotive applications, and the ideal starting point was with Ford because they are the largest producers of trucks in the U.S.” Souza said. “We are all living a little differently these days. This product brings convenience to transporting something like insulin, which needs to be kept cold.”

Souza said that with such a large agricultural presence in the Central Valley, ag workers can utilize the refrigerator during the hot summer months.

It’s also expected that families that travel often could utilize the Dometic cooler for longer trips and have the convenience of fresh food stored in the car.

Pana-Pacific primarily focuses on product modification and accessory manufacturing for mass-produced products to be able to seamlessly integrate with different types of equipment for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in ag, construction and trucking.

This could involve any number of technological pieces of equipment, for example, a navigation and emission system for trucks, and modifying software and hardware so that it works perfectly with the electrical system of a vehicle.

Some of Pana-Pacific’s notable customers include John Deere and Caterpillar.

Due to the pandemic driving up the demand for essential goods, transportation saw an increase in demand, which mean a higher demand for Pana-Pacific’s after market products.

Pana-Pacific has been operating out of its current facility for the last six years. Including both the office and warehouse space, the entire facility covers about 150,000 square feet.

Fresno also serves as somewhat of a testing ground for new products, with dealerships in the area being some of the first to feature Pana-Pacific’s newest products.

Souza said that there are plans to launch the Dometic cooler with GM and Dodge to be able to be installed in their vehicles.

“An exciting thing is our expansion into the automotive space. We used to be primarily in commercial and heavy equipment specialization, but there is more to come for automotive and for R.V. and leisure vehicles as well,” Souza said.