Compass Cold Storage opened its highly anticipated complex last month in the Arkansas River Valley.

Located near Fort Smith in Mulberry, Arkansas, the 142,160-square-foot facility can maintain temperatures ranging from 40 degrees F to -20 degrees F. 

The building has 18,500 pallet positions supported by a QFM In-Rack Freezing System that combines blast freezing technology and pallet racking. QFM freezes pallets up to four times faster than traditional blast freezers, reducing energy consumption by up to 50%.

Featuring cutting-edge refrigeration and freezing technology, the new complex offers cold storage opportunities for food wholesalers, retailers, and food manufacturing customers in central and northwest Arkansas.

Doug Bowen, co-owner of Compass Cold, said the company plants a three-phase development: completion of the second phase of the project is scheduled to be finished by late summer and will include additional freezer and dock space and will bring the project total to about $50 million. An additional third phase is in the planning stage.

The complex, off Interstate 40, was developed and built by Ti Cold.

"Working with the Ti Cold team has been a gratifying and smooth process," said Bowen. "It has only been around a year from groundbreaking to grand opening which is good for almost any type of new build project, but for a commercial project of this magnitude that turnaround timeframe is nothing short of exceptional. We are so pleased with how this has come together. We have already broken ground on phase two of the project with completion scheduled for early fall of this year."

With this new facility, Compass Cold supports clients with third party logistics (3PL) services. As a 3PL provider the company will store inventory as well as pick, pack and ship the client's products directly from the facility.

"Any time we at Ti Cold can help fill critical food storage capacity demands within a region we feel great about the accomplishment," said Sam Tippmann, president of Ti Cold.