COLD LOGISTICS BRIEFS

Nestlé USA and Nestle Water’s North America said both companies signed multi-year contracts to ship their products on pallets from CHEP Americas. Nestlé continues to move products from its Baking, Beverage, Buitoni, Confections & Snacks, Dreyer’s and Waters divisions to supermarkets, distributors and wholesale clubs across the United States on CHEP pallets. The decision affects numerous brands such as refrigerated Buitoni pastas and sauces and frozen Dreyer's / Edy's ice creams.

Said George Sheats, operations and logistics procurement manager for Nestlé Business Services, “We at Nestle see CHEP as a valued and long-term partner. We have confidence in their ability to continue to improve their operations and service to bring further value to our supply chain. We feel that a wood platform brings the best and most sustainable value to the supply chain.”


How does Pinnacle Foods coordinate the supply chain activities of multiple frozen food plants and brands as diverse as Birds Eye frozen vegetable and Aunt Jemima frozen breakfasts? Supply chain systems software provider Logility Inc., Atlanta said its annual customer conference, March 23-25 in Orlando, Fla., will include a presentation by Tony Hipszer, Pinnacle Foods' chief information officer. Officials say Hipszer "will share how the IT organization at Pinnacle is critical in the supply chain integration process, specifically managing changes in key segments and shifts in structural and cultural dynamics to drive substantial strategic gains."


North America's fourth largest refrigerated public warehouse company, Preferred Freezer Services, said it expects by Feb. 1, 2011, to relocate its corporate headquarters from Newark, N.J., to Chatham, N.J. Officials said the move enables Preferred to combine all administrative, sales and marketing functions in one office.


Third-party pharmaceuticals distributor DDN, Menomonee Falls, Wis., said it added 140,000 square feet of refrigerated storage to its Memphis, Tenn., warehouse, taking the facility up to 500,000 square feet. Officials also said DDN plans to expand its cold chain storage capacity for controlled and non-controlled products. The company also operates a cold storage warehouse in Ontario, Calif.

“In today’s slow growth economy, life science manufacturers are taking a hard look at the best use of their resources," noted DDN President Mark Wiesman. "They’re opting to outsource capital intensive warehousing and distribution infrastructure in order to free up cash for investments that will produce greater economic value.”



Refrigerated truck body and trailer manufacturer Great Dane Trailers, Chicago, announced four personnel appointments. Great Dane named Jim Pines executive vice president of sales and operations. Rick Mullininx was promoted to executive vice president, engineering. Dean Engelage joined Great Dane as executive vice president, strategic planning and administration. Jim Petrarca was named chief financial officer.

Multi-temp truckload carrier C.R. England, Salt Lake City, Utah, appointed Dustin England as vice president of safety compliance.