History: Refricenter

Refricenter was originally founded in 1957 in Havana, Cuba under the name "Refricentro" by Cirilo C. Hernandez. Due to the changing political climate in Cuba during the early 1960's, Refricentro reestablished itself in Puerto Rico, with its first store opening in Hato Rey, San Juan in 1964.

Due to the success that "Refricentro" experienced after its transition to Puerto Rico, Cirilo Hernandez decided that it was time to expand the company. In 1971, the company acquired its first warehouse in the United States in Miami, Florida. Originally, the warehouse was used as a hub to consolidate orders from various vendors in an attempt to reduce freight costs to Puerto Rico. Out of that very warehouse, the first sales counter was opened to the Miami market, under the name "Refricenter". In 1972, Refricenter further expanded its operations into the Dominican Republican, founding the company "Refripartes S.A.".

Today, Refricenter and its sister companies, Refricentro and Refripartes, have approximately 300 employees spread across South Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. With 9 stores in the Florida market, 15 in Puerto Rico, and 15 in the Dominican Republic, Refricenter has become a major influence in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry. Hispanic Business, a California-based business magazine, named Refricenter the 59th largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States in 2013.