Pac Cool Rises Again to Conquer the World
source: https://www.voka.be/nieuws/west-vlaanderen-ondernemers-2024-17/pac-cool-verovert-opnieuw-de-wereld
The revival after Packo Cooling’s bankruptcy proves to be a success. Less than two years after the bankruptcy of Packo Cooling in Zedelgem, its successor Pac Cool, based in Gistel, is already back on track. This isn’t surprising, as the takeover was led primarily by former employees and ex-dealers of the high-quality cooling tanks for milk and other liquids. “When I look at who we were before and what we are today, I feel like we could at least double our capacity,” says general manager Christophe Huyghebaert.

The bankruptcy of Packo Cooling at the end of February 2023 came as a surprise after a failed acquisition process. Bert and Klaas Rommelaere from Gistel-based dealer Rommelaere NV joined forces with a Walloon company (Lentec) and three Dutch dealers (Nooren, Mtec, and Van Winden & de Bie) to purchase the most critical machinery and restart operations in Gistel. Former production manager Christophe Huyghebaert was asked to take the lead. “By mid-last year, we had cleared out the Zedelgem site, and in September, we were able to start here. Remarkably, every former colleague I called—many of whom already had other jobs—immediately agreed to come on board. Today, we have a team of 25 people.”
From the outset, Huyghebaert focused on planning and sales. “At the start of the year, I began reaching out to former customers worldwide. Step by step, we were able to convince the entire dealer network for milk cooling tanks to continue working with us. Our strong focus on flexibility—offering custom-made products—and strict delivery timelines has been well received. Today, we are once again delivering milk tanks as far away as Australia and Brazil. Through Italy, we are also targeting the African market, and we’re active in the Middle East as well.”
Immense Interest
The dairy farming sector, however, is facing challenges, with increasing consolidation and fewer customers. “That’s why we are now also focusing on industrial players. In October, we launched our CO2 ice water battery at the Chillventa trade fair in Nuremberg. It produces cold water to cool the tank or its liquid using the cheapest available energy at the time—solar power or inexpensive grid electricity—and CO2 is 100% environmentally friendly. We had this idea back at Packo, but it was never developed. Now, we’ve pushed it forward, and the interest at the trade fair was immense. We also want to establish a foothold in other industrial sectors, such as blood cooling in slaughterhouses.”
Currently, Pac Cool is housed in a building that Rommelaere quickly vacated for the startup. “Soon, we will be building our own production hall, warehouse, and offices across the street, although soil remediation is causing delays.
That new space will allow us to work more efficiently and continue growing. We aim to increase our output while keeping the number of employees limited by organizing ourselves better. Today, with a quarter of the previous workforce, we achieve half of the former revenue. Our team, driven by the bankruptcy, is determined to prove that we are worthy of our customers’ trust.”