The specialist’s advantage
A national vendor can send someone. We send the person who has spent twenty years doing exactly this, in this province, on this equipment.
How the expertise was built
- Age 12
An early interest in refrigeration and air conditioning, and the chance to help on small projects through a family friend.
- Age 19
Officially joined the industry.
- 2000
Awarded Interprovincial Journeyperson status in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning — at the time, the second youngest in Manitoba to achieve it.
- 14 years
At Frontier Refrigeration, excelling at special projects and learning ultra-low work directly from Manitoba’s ultra-low certified technician, now retired.
- 2007
Became the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario third-party representative for Thermo Fisher Scientific.
- Today
Owner-operator of DR LAB WORx Inc, certified across Thermo Fisher and PHCbi product lines, listed with NuAire, and extensively trained on Conviron controlled environments.
What that means in practice
- Ultra-low cascade systems diagnosed by stage, not by guesswork
- Manufacturer-specification repair without waiting for a fly-in
- Controlled-environment chambers understood as systems, not boxes
- Honest advice when a unit has reached the end of economic repair
- Documentation that stands up when someone asks for it
Colleen Riddoch
Twenty years across dispatch, wholesale parts distribution and customer service. She is the reason you know where your job stands without having to chase it.
“When you want an answer about something quickly, you call Colleen.”
Where a small specialist wins — and where it doesn’t
We are two people. That is a genuine advantage for responsiveness and continuity, and we will say plainly when a job needs a manufacturer rather than us.
| Feature | DR LAB WORx | A typical national vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers the phone | Dustin or Colleen, 24/7 | A dispatch centre, business hours |
| Who attends site | The same person who diagnosed it on the phone | Whichever technician is assigned |
| Emergency response | Live answer at any hour | Ticket, then triage |
| Product protection | Three -86 C loaner freezers held ready | Rental arranged separately, if available |
| Local knowledge | Two decades in Manitoba facilities | Regional or fly-in coverage |
| Certification | Thermo Fisher, PHCbi factory authorized, NuAire, Conviron | Varies by technician assigned |
The three freezers that make the difference
Most service companies can fix your equipment. Far fewer can guarantee your product survives the wait for a part. Three modern −86 °C freezers sit ready for exactly that scenario.
How it works
Ask us the awkward questions
Response times, after-hours rates, what is and isn’t in scope. We would rather answer them now than have you find out later.
Calls are answered by Dustin or Colleen — not a call centre.