Celebrating 65 Years of Excellence

As CSZ celebrates their 65th anniversary, they look to the past with pride, the future with excitement, and a dedication to serving customers with quality products and solutions that meet and exceed their customers’ needs. Below is a brief overview of the company’s history and where it all began.

• 1940 - Cincinnati Sub-Zero (CSZ) opened its doors as the first U.S. distributor of DeepFreeze brand freezers.
• 1949 - The Industrial division was established when CSZ began manufacturing low-temperature industrial freezers followed by a full line of environmental test chambers. 
• 1963 - The Medical division was established when the company began manufacturing products for the health care arena, supplying a full line of patient temperature management products for use with water and air. 
• 1985 - When the company reached capacity at their downtown Cincinnati facility, they relocated into a larger facility in Sharonville, Ohio to accommodate market demand and future expansion. 
• 1988 - CSZ opened ESSC test laboratory to meet the testing needs of their customers by providing contract climatic testing and independent qualification testing services. 
• 1996 & 1998 - The quality of CSZ’s products is affirmed by its ISO-9000 certifications, which were earned for its medical products in 1996 and industrial products in 1998.
• 1998 - The Medical division acquired a line of thermal therapy products from Zimmer Inc., formerly Seabrook, which set the foundation for future growth.
• 1999 - As the demand for testing increased, CSZ added an additional ESSC testing facility in the Detroit area. All ESSC laboratories meet the American Association for Laboratories Accreditation, A2LA, quality certification standard for contract test labs.
• 2004 - As the company continued to grow, CSZ purchased the neighboring property and relocated the ESSC test laboratory from Blue Ash. The warehouse incorporates CSZ’s fabrication facility along with additional space for future growth of the company. 

Since it’s founding, CSZ’s growth has been attributed to a long serving and dedicated staff. It employs approximately 225 employees many of whom have worked for the company for decades and have first, second and third generation family members who work there as well.

“Our employees are key to our success,” says Stephen J. Berke, the company President and CEO. “They understand and are dedicated to CSZ’s commitment to quality. We want to maintain our reputation as a quality provider of temperature-controlled products. By either developing, designing, distributing or providing contract services, we aim to meet the customer’s needs. Responding to customer needs is our primary goal.”