The modern supermarket is an established part of American life, and something we tend to take for granted. Today’s stores are large retail outlets offering far more
than just groceries. They’re well-lit emporiums with wide aisles, inviting decors, and specialized sections featuring a vast assortment of foods.

This is a competitive business, where major supermarket chains seek to gain an edge by featuring more locations, attractive pricing, a broad selection of products, and a
first class shopping environment. The key to success is building brand loyalty by offering visitors a convenient, comfortable experience that features exemplary customer service and encourages return visits. Safeway, Inc. is one of North America’s premier supermarket retailers, with almost 1800 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Its branded stores include such well-known names as Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Vons, Carrs, Randalls, and Tom Thumb. The company’s long history includes such innovations as pricing produce by the pound, establishing open dating on perishables to assure freshness, and developing nutritional labeling.

When the store’s original backup system was replaced in 2001, Safeway selected a new 100 kilowatt natural gas fueled Generac gear drive genset to take its place. The unit is located in a second floor mechanical room at the rear of the store, standing ready to take on the building’s electrical load whenever necessary.

Generac is the only generator manufacturer in the North American market to offer a gear drive configuration option on numerous models. Instead of the engine running at a speed of just 1800 RPM (the rotational speed necessary to produce electricity at a frequency of 60 Hertz), the Generac gear drive allows the engine to operate at its normal, higher speed (like 2750 RPM). This has three benefits. First of all, the engine runs within its comfortable operating range, which reduces wear and extends its life. Second, the engine operates at its optimal speed, producing significantly more mechanical power and thus a higher kilowatt output. Finally, the higher operating speed and greater inertia allow the engine to more easily handle sudden block loading, which occurs whenever a backup generator restores power. Gear drives have proven to be extremely reliable and durable. Thousands of Generac gear drive gensets have been providing outstanding service for almost twenty years in a myriad of real-world applications, each one covered by a ten year limited warranty. By increasing power output and lowering the acquisition cost on a per kilowatt basis, Generac gear drive technology offers outstanding value – something a company like Safeway especially appreciates.