SOSIAD, the Turkish Association of Refrigeration Industry and Businessmen, has joined AREA.

It joined on 14 May at the AREA General Assembly spring meeting in Dublin. AREA now comprises 23 members in 20 countries.

Created in 2005, SOSIAD is a national association serving the refrigeration sector that represents RAC contractors, wholesalers and manufacturers. It organises training programmes with its industry partners, develops and adapts new standards and offers consulting services. Its primary aim is to establish a robust, progressive and innovative base for the Turkish refrigeration industry in a sustainable economy, ensuring compliance with national and international standards and regulations, in cooperation with national and international refrigeration societies.

President of SOSIAD, Mertin Terzibasiogullari, said: “When the goals, missions and activities of SOSIAD and AREA are put side by side, synergies are quite obvious. This is why SOSIAD sought membership, to bring together our contractors, educators, engineers and installers in both organisations and potentially other countries in the region”

Per Jonasson, president of AREA, said: “AREA continues to grow and will certainly strengthen with SOSIAD’s presence. The opening to Turkey also reflects the growth of AREA’s activities at international level, notably with UNEP. In this regard, we have also decided to open to other contractors’ associations worldwide; they will now be able to join AREA as observers.”