EP-36 Cooling the Texas Data Center Bonanza
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RSS Feed Dave sits down with Ronald Bekker, Managing Director for LU-VE Group North America, to discuss the company's journey expanding into the Jacksonville region of East Texas. The conversation highlights LU-VE's global expertise in industrial heat exchange and cooling solutions, their decision to build a significant manufacturing presence in Texas, and the challenges and opportunities of operating in a rapidly evolving market, especially with the explosive growth of data centers.
Ronald shares candid reflections on adapting to East Texas culture, the importance of community partnerships, and the evolving requirements of workforce development in the area. Listeners get an inside look at LU-VE ’s strategic planning, from international acquisitions to securing local support and incentives, all within the context of Texas' business-friendly environment. The episode also explores what it’s like to relocate from Europe to the United States, encompassing personal insights on local values, lifestyle adjustments, and the unique business climate of East Texas. They also talk about the region’s growing industrial hub, collaborative community engagement, and the dynamic future of manufacturing and technology innovation in Texas.
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Gone to Texas is the official podcast of the Texas Economic Development Connection, hosted by "Super" Dave Quinn, CEcD.
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Vice President and Managing Director
Ronald Bekker has spent his career doing the kind of work most folks never see—but depend on every single day.
He's a global manufacturing leader in the HVACR industry who understands that behind every cold storage facility, every food processing plant, every data center, every industrial operation trying to keep its product—and its promise—intact… there's a cooling system that has to work. No excuses. No downtime. No second chances.
Today, Ronald serves as Vice President and Managing Director of LU-VE North America in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, where he is leading the construction of a 220,000-square-foot production facility for industrial cooling systems. That investment isn't just square footage—it's a signal. A commitment to building advanced manufacturing capacity right here in Texas while upgrading the processes, teams, and systems required to compete on a global stage.
Before bringing his leadership to North America, Ronald held managing director roles across Germany, the UK, Benelux, and Italy—guiding multinational operations through restructures, market entries, and strategic turnarounds. At Thermowave, he helped drive the business from double-digit negative EBIT to profitability in just one year, delivering 80 percent revenue growth and a 50 percent increase in productivity along the way.
That kind of transformation doesn't come from spreadsheets alone.
It comes from leading cross-cultural teams through real change. From understanding how to bring new industrial refrigeration products to ma… Read More