Tips and strategies for industrial site identification prior to building cold facilities, particularly since greenfield sites are in high demand today.

Vertical Cold Storage, a developer and operator of temperature controlled distribution centers sponsored by real estate asset manager Platform Ventures, is acquiring Liberty Cold Storage from West Liberty Foods. The terms of the transaction are not public.

NewCold has hired Josh Currie as Vice President of Construction for North America to oversee the expansion of NewCold in America. Currie brings 30 years of warehousing design and construction experience to the role and has extensive project management and leadership skills. 

The facilities that produce, package, store, and distribute cold foods were truly essential in helping the supply chain satisfy record demand for those products during 2020, while the paradigm shift created by pandemic shopping habits—particularly e-commerce—is still being felt today. As a result, many design-build firms are busier than ever, as the need for cold storage space, plant expansions, facility renovations, fulfillment centers and distribution hubs has only increased.

Fortune Fish & Gourmet, a leading processor, distributor and importer of seafood, meats, and gourmet products, has acquired CCT Logistics, a Theodore, Alabama-based 68,000-square-foot cold storage facility. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

North Carolina Ports has reached an agreement with Cold Summit Development to build a 280,000 square foot multi-suite cold storage facility located on the Ports Raleigh Street property. The facility would offer 40,000 pallet positions and could house a broad range of product categories, including pork, poultry, produce, grocery as well as life sciences at temperatures ranging from negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit to 57 degrees Fahrenheit. 

NewCold has announced changes to its leadership and organization structure as it continues its transformation into a faster, leaner and more agile company poised for global growth. The changes are designed to further strengthen the execution of the company’s strategy in regional markets. The new, simpler management structure will provide greater clarity on responsibilities, and new reporting lines will strengthen leadership accountability and long-term stewardship.

Groundbreaking has started on Houston ColdPort, a 315,101-square-foot speculative cold storage warehouse in Houston, Texas. Houston ColdPort will feature a 50-foot clear height warehouse, a 60-foot-deep cold dock, 38 dock positions with vertical storing hydraulic dock leveler equipment, LED lighting throughout, a Tyco Quell dry fire sprinkler system, a 200-foot-deep truck court with 57 trailer parking spaces and ample automobile parking. Houston ColdPort can accommodate a single tenant or can be demised for a two-tenant layout.

Cold Creek Solutions (CCS) has announced a second project in the state of Texas, this time in San Antonio. The roughly 305,000-square-foot facility will provide storage for 45,000 pallets of frozen or refrigerated products upon completion. Unlike existing vintage facilities and other new builds in the region, this new project, designed by ARCO National Construction, will allow for efficient large-scale or multi-operator build-out. CCS anticipates breaking ground this fall, with the facility scheduled to open in late 2022.

Constellation Cold Logistics, a pan-European platform comprising cold storage businesses, announced that its partner company in Belgium, Stockhabo, has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Frigologix. This acquisition strengthens Stockhabo’s leading position and service offering in the Belgian market and expands the Constellation network into France.