Our Management Team | General Refrigeration

Our Management Team

Frank Nechay - President

Frank has over 25 years of industrial refrigeration experience, beginning his career in the industrial refrigeration industry as a Helper in the field. Eventually moving over to Service, he worked as a Service Technician for many years prior to moving into roles such as Warehouse Manager, Project Manager, and Parts Manager which ensured a well-rounded knowledge of the industry and business needs. Frank currently holds a Mechanical Contracting License in South Carolina, Refrigeration Contracting License in Tennessee, Class A HVAC Contractor License in Virginia, and Master HVAC Contractor Licenses in Maryland and Delaware.
 
Additionally, Frank holds the following industry-recognized certifications: Ammonia Emergency Response Team HAZMAT Certification, Frick Company Refrigeration Engineering Program Certification, IIAR/RETA Plant Safety and OSHA Compliance Certification, and IIAR/RETA Industrial Refrigeration School for Operators Certification. He is an active member of RETA, IIAR, currently serves on IIAR’s Government Relations Committee, and previously served on the Frick Advisory Council.

Bob Grice - Vice President

Bob started his career with General Refrigeration immediately following the completion of his schooling with the University of Maryland. He began as an EIT and is now a Professional Engineer licensed in the states of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and North Carolina. He has over 14 years of industrial refrigeration experience, has been the local Delmarva RETA Chapter President and Chairman, and holds certifications from Frick Engineering School, GEA/FES Production Start-up Training School, and he has completed the IIAR 2 Certification course. 

Robert Ellison - Vice President of Operations, NC

Rob provides leadership for our North Carolina office and has over 25 years of experience in the industrial refrigeration industry. He possesses a North Carolina Refrigeration License and RETA CARO Certification. He completed the Steamfitter Apprenticeship program in Maryland, Frick Sales Engineering course, Operators and Commissioning Program curriculums, and is HAZMAT Technician Certified.
 
He previously served as President of the Delmarva RETA Chapter, RETA National President, Membership Chair, Annual Conference Committee Chair, and was on the RETA National Board of Directors for 11 years. He currently serves as the Greater Raleigh RETA Chapter President and is an active member in IIAR, RSES, and ASHRAE.

Andrew McGill - Vice President of Engineering, DE

Andy has over 25 years of industrial refrigeration experience. He is currently responsible for the design, estimating, drafting, equipment procurement, and project management of industrial refrigeration systems and skid packages for our clients. Andy serves as mentor and hands on instructor for many of our employees in a variety of positions. Previously, he was Manager of Refrigeration Engineering for Perdue Farms with the majority of his time overseeing a $7.2M refrigeration and boiler room expansion project.
 
He is a current member of IIAR and RETA. He has certifications from Frick Industrial Refrigeration Engineering Program and the Imeco Institute of Air Handling for ACUair Hygenic Air Handlers.

Rick Fahnestock - Vice President of Engineering, NC

Rick is a Refrigeration Engineer and Project Manager at General Refrigeration in our North Carolina office, has over 10 years of experience in industrial refrigeration, and has completed the IIAR 2 Certification course. A North Carolina State graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Rick specializes in the engineering and coordination of capital improvement projects, process equipment installation, and facility upgrades. He also supports the design of ventilation and relief systems, covers quality control, and works with our field teams to ensure their success.