Dole Refrigerating Company was incorporated in the State of Illinois in December 1937. The company carried on the business of manufacturing and marketing refrigeration equipment from a Chicago area plant until moving to Tennessee in 1976. It has continued in the same business since that time and its corporate office is now in Lewisburg, Tennessee.

In 1951, Dole incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary in the State of Illinois licensed to carry on a similar business to the parent company in Ontario, Canada. In June 1989, the Canadian plant was closed and the site sold. Manufacturing was consolidated to the Lewisburg factory in Tennessee.

In 1967, Dole acquired Kenco Plastics Company, a company that manufactures molded fiberglass products, based in Necedah, Wisconsin. In 1988 Kenco was merged with Dole and operates as a division of the group.

In June 1988 the Dole Group of Companies was purchased by Climate Master, Inc. of Canada. An air conditioning and heating manufacturer based in Edmonton, Alberta, Climate Master owned all the shares of Dole Refrigerating Company through a wholly owned subsidiary Dole Climate Master, Inc. registered in Delaware.

In February, 1991, John W. Cook, Sr. purchased the Dole Climate Master, Inc. from Cooper & Lybrand after the parent company, Climate Master Ltd. of Alberta, Ontario, Canada was forced into receivership by Royal Bank of Canada.

Under the ownership of Mr. Cook, the company has introduced two new products, the Vertical Plate Freezer and the Side Ram Plate Freezer. Although the competition continues to refer to Dole products as "antiquated," growth has continued as more people recognize the benefits of Dole products.