and Southeast Asia, which was organized as a reward for sales performance. A company spokesman, quoted in the press in reaction to the tragedy, said that "this has got to be one of the worst things that a company can experience." During the 1970s, Thermo King continued to manufacture equipment for the transportation industry. Their early efforts have evolved into a widely recognized line of products and Thermo King has becoming a worldwide business. Thermo King Europe opened in Galway, Ireland, and began producing refrigeration units to be sold throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia. Their global expansion continues to this day. In 1991, the National Medal of Technology was awarded to Joseph A. Numero and Frederick M. Jones. President George Bush presented the awards posthumously to their widows at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. Jones was the first African American to receive the award (see Frederick McKinley Jones). In 1997, Ingersoll Rand acquired Thermo King from Westinghouse for $2.56 billion in cash, 13 times earnings, and added it to its Climate Control Technologies (later Climate Solutions) businesses, alongside Trane and Hussmann. At the time Thermo King controlled close to half the global market for refrigeration equipment. References External links Thermo King Model C in MNopedia, the Minnesota Encyclopedia Official website Thermo King Europe ThermoKare Service Solutions Thermo King Turkey Auto parts suppliers of the United States Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies Trucking industry in the United States Manufacturing companies based in Minnesota Companies based in Bloomington, Minnesota Trane Technologies 1997 mergers and acquisitions