A Cool Story: From Underdogs to Global Challengers

With customers in over 120 countries, one would easily include ARCTIKO in a premier league of scientific manufacturers. And yet, Peter Laugesen, Arctiko’s CEO, vividly recalls the time when his company was perceived as the underdog… until it slowly began challenging global brands.

Arctiko, a professional cold chain manufacturer, delivers customized freezers to life scientists and clinicians. “We’re a young company that started in 2001. What we did in 18 years, other businesses did in 30 or 40 years,” says Laugesen.

Arctiko has one, single commitment – freezers. “It’s always been freezers,” gushes Laugesen. “For us, it was always cooling solutions from the beginning. We didn’t make microscopes, we didn’t make washing machines or incubators. We are and have always been ‘true cooling specialists’.”

The company launches its new INTEGRA line of ultra-low freezers this year. “The big advantage of our range of freezers is the dual cooling system,” says Laugesen. “It is basically two independent systems that run simultaneously. If one breaks down, the other one kicks in to maintain the temperature at -80°C, so all your valuable samples are stored with the best security.”

5 things you didn’t know about Arctiko’s INTEGRA line of freezers:
- The dual cooling system protects your samples from the nightmare of a freezer breakdown. If one compressor goes awry, the second one kicks in to maintain the freezer at -80°C.
- The noise reduction technology limits noise levels to only 49dBa, which means a quieter lab space.
- The vacuum insulated panels facilitate low power consumption, so you can do your bit for the environment while still in lab.
- The shelves are adjustable to best store your samples, so even that awkwardly tall sample box gets a spot in your freezer.
- The shelf lids are detachable for easy and speedy cleaning.

People, be they customers or employees, form the core of Arctiko’s business mantra. “When we started this company, I must admit, we didn’t have a big reach. However, within the past few years, I’ve seen our position change as a challenger to top brands,” explains Laugesen. “Our sales have skyrocketed. This doesn’t simply happen overnight unless your products get an acceptance from the customers. People might not know a company’s name or brand, but they instantly know of a good-quality product when they see one.”

All of INTEGRA’s features are designed with the customer in mind. This explains the inclusion of noise reduction technology to create better work environments for the scientists, or the vacuum insulated panels that enable the freezers to work with the lowest possible power consumption. Even the smallest of features – such as detachable inner lids to make cleaning easy – represent the brand, according to Laugesen. “Ultimately, we need good brands. One day when I’m gone, and younger people take over — what will still remain is the Arctiko brand.”

For scientists, frozen samples have exceptional value. Rare tissues, a collection of samples over decades and sometimes, the entire legacy of a lab, all stay stored inside a freezer. This, however, imparts immense responsibility on manufacturers of freezers. “The real need is safety of the frozen samples. That’s why we truly believe our dual cooling system can benefit scientists,” says Laugesen.

Learn more about Arctiko's INTEGRA line of freezers here.