Hanson Logistics, St. Joseph, Mich., said it will spend $2 million to expand a Decatur, Mich., cold storage facility used byDole Packaged Foodsfor frozen fruit storage, mixing and packaging.

Hanson said it reached an extended lease and service support agreement with Dole, Westlake Village, Calif. The deal includes facility enhancements for higher volume fruit storage, mixing and packaging. Dole uses the southwest Michigan location to mix frozen California fruit with Michigan fruit (reducing supply chain costs) and better serve customers.

“This is certainly great news for the Michigan fruit growers, as well Hanson Logistics,” said Hanson President Andrew Janson. “We’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Dole Packaged Foods during the past several years and to extend our agreement to 11 years is a great vote of confidence in all Hanson teammates and the Michigan infrastructure.”

Officials say Dole Packaged Foods has frozen foods operations in Atwater, Calif., and is a division of Dole Food Company, Inc. In addition to fresh fruits, Dole packages frozen foods such as blackberries, blueberries, dark sweet cherries, mixed berries, mixed fruit, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, peaches, mango, tropical mixed fruit and wild blueberries.

“The team at Hanson Logistics provides the quality logistics support consistent with the Dole global brand,” said Jon Rodacy, Dole Packaged Foods vice president and general manager. “We look forward to our continuing partnership.”

Located in a prime agricultural area, Hanson's Decatur facility has a capacity of 1.4 million cubic feet that includes food-processing space, the company says. The frozen and refrigerated facility can accommodate 7,500 pallet positions configured for bulk and processed fruit and vegetables.

Hanson says Decatur is one of its eight temperature-controlled facilities. Operating primarily in the Midwest, Hansons support agricultural production and storage of food products, as well as high-velocity finished goods distribution.