United States Cold Storage (USCS), Voorhees, N.J., broke ground on a 3.6 million-cubic-foot addition to its Warsaw, N.C., warehouse.

USCS expects Phase 3 to complete by this December. The Phase 3 expansion, nicknamed “Project Frosty,” includes a new cooler with pick tunnels (set at 26°F), a new freezer (set at -5°F) and 13,000 additional pallet positions. Upon completion, USCS Warsaw will span approximately 8.6 million cubic feet with 30,500 pallet positions.

“This Phase 3 expansion is made possible by the tremendous support of our existing customers, new customers and the dedication to ‘best-in-class’ service by all of our employees,” says Jesse Hooks, vice president, Mid-Atlantic region. “USCS is committed to continuing to support the growth and change in dynamics from the processors of poultry, pork and seafood, as well as the manufacturers of various other items such as bakery foods and vegetable products.”

“This expansion allows our customers to increase their production volumes and product offerings,” adds Chad Simendinger, USCS Warsaw general manager. “The continued partnership between United States Cold Storage and its customers is critical to our shared growth objectives.”

Expansion plans USCS Warsaw also entail the temperature-controlled shipping and receiving dock to add 15 more doors as well as new office space, so existing offices can be repurposed for an employee welfare area.

While most of the facility runs on ammonia-based refrigeration system, USCS will build separate, new mechanical engine room and use CO2 to cool and freeze products in the expansion.

“The latest addition’s design incorporates state-of-the-art racking systems to enhance our distribution capabilities,” adds Hooks. “Meanwhile, the CO2 refrigeration system will improve power consumption efficiencies, and thus, reduce our overall carbon footprint.”

Located about 70 miles southeast of Raleigh, USCS Warsaw began operations in May 1997. USCS completed a Phase 2 expansion in September 2007. Warsaw is one of three USCS operations in the North Carolina, joined by sites in Lumberton and Marshville.

“With this expansion, the Warsaw facility will incorporate different features of USCS’ innovative warehouse management system to be able to provide true ‘best-in-class’ support to our customers,” says Simendinger. “This implementation is critical to the success of the expansion, and will take the hard work and dedication of USCS team members from Warsaw and other facilities. The support we are already receiving from other USCS facilities is truly remarkable and speaks volumes to the company’s culture.”