While bananas are the most important fruit that requires ripening solutions, Thermal Technologies sees growing interest in avocados, pears, mangoes and other items, increasing demand for its multifruit-capable rooms.
“These rooms give our clients the ability to ripen multiple fruit types as needed, and we’ve seen demand for that flexibility increase as the benefits of commercially ripening these items have come to the forefront,” said David Byrne, vice president of sales for Thermal Tech.
The demand for ripening solutions will continue to expand as the retail sector continues to grow and grocery delivery grows, he said.
“The stores that can consistently deliver the highest-quality and longest-lasting produce are going to enjoy the greatest success,” Byrne said. “Having the best ripening technology is part of the equation, but it also takes a proven process backed by solid training and a quality control program executed by a dedicated staff to make it all work. From our perspective, assisting our clients to get these pieces in place is key.”
Byrne said the company is always striving to maximize the performance of its system while making it easier for ripeners to achieve the results they’re looking for. The latest version of the company’s digital control system does that by offering control from touch-screens at the room, from a centralized computer and from its phone app, he said.
Thermal Technologies has installed ripening rooms for leading retailers, wholesalers and growers, he said, adding that performance, training, experience, service and support are keys to the company’s success.
“We’ve kept our clients on the cutting edge, servicing and updating their rooms as needed and offering professional ripening training to ensure their rooms continue to deliver the superior results for which they were designed ...” Byrne said.


