Efficiency Maine helps Wyman’s Control Refrigeration Costs

During the month of August and through Labor Day, Wyman’s of Maine will process an estimated 1.2 million pounds of blueberries a day. About 400,000 pounds a day are processed in their central operation in Cherryfield alone.

Wyman’s of Maine is a family-owned company with expertise in growing and marketing wild blueberries. Over the course of four generations, the company has perfected the science of fresh freezing fruit to maintain optimum flavor and nutritional benefits and that business has been growing.

It takes a lot of energy to bag, freeze, and ship all that fruit and the old system could no longer keep up with demand, especially during the peak times of the year. That is why the company invested $1.4 million in a new refrigeration system.  Purchasing the more efficient system cost the company $550,000 more than a less efficient one, an added cost that would not meet the company’s payback requirements. Through its Large Customer Program, Efficiency Maine offered to share the extra cost with an incentive of nearly $260,000.

Click here to watch WABI’s coverage of the project and here to read more about the efficiency project in the Bangor Daily News.