Netherlands-based cold chain logistics company NewCold says it is expanding its existing customer partnership with Conagra Brands and investing in a new, state-of-the art facility in Indiana.
NewCold will build and operate an advanced, large-scale automated cold store facility that will be the biggest in the state and one of the largest in the U.S., the company said. It is approximately half the size of the mammoth Lucas Oil stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. At 141 feet high (43 meters), the facility holds more than 100,000 pallet positions.
The Lebanon IN facility will be NewCold’s third facility in the U.S., including an existing presence in Tacoma WA and Burley ID. Scheduled to be operational in 2022, the $150 million facility is expected to create 150-200 new jobs.
“It is very pleasing to see our continued growth in North America as we seek to build a long-term strategic relationship with Conagra, built on mutual trust,” said Bram Hage, founder and CEO of NewCold. “Our robust global pipeline includes the delivery of at least six new capital projects, as we continue to develop multiple large-scale automated facilities across Europe, Australia and North America. This momentum confirms a very positive future for customers and an innovation boost for the industry.”
The Indianapolis-area cold storage facility will use state-of-the-art technology, including automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to automatically move and store products in the ‘dark’ high-bay warehouse, the company added. To serve the high volume of case picking, an advanced automated case picking solution for detailed order fulfilment activities is part of the investment. The equipment and operators will be directed by NewCold’s proprietary advanced software systems, while products are kept in optimal conditions with all cold store areas cooled down to sub-zero temperatures.
This advanced cold chain solution ensures that processes are sustainable, traceable, fully integrated with the processes of NewCold’s customers, and always at the very forefront of technological developments.
“At Conagra Brands, we’re modernizing our distribution network infrastructure as part of our overall supply chain strategy,” said Craig Weiss, Conagra’s senior vice president of supply chain and chief transformation officer. “We’re partnering with NewCold to develop a new, state-of-the-art distribution center that will support our growing frozen business so we can better meet the needs of our customers and consumers.”
NewCold said it expects to begin site mobilization and construction activities in the coming weeks.
