Groupe Robert recently inaugurated its highly automated Canadian cold storage distribution center in Varennes, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec.
The project, undertaken in collaboration with Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, included a total investment of over $200 million supported by contributions from the province’s government, Investissement Québec, and several other partners, and places Robert at the forefront of food logistics in the region, the company said.
“This new state-of-the-art facility will serve to consolidate the supply chain in Quebec by ensuring the reliable distribution of fresh products throughout the province,” Fitzgibbon said in a news release.
Robert drew inspiration for the project from the world’s most technologically advanced distribution centers. The company wanted to offer its customers elite solutions that help ensure the reliability and profitability of their operations. “This new state-of-the-art distribution center that brings together the best proven technologies in the industry demonstrates Groupe Robert’s continued commitment to innovation and excellence for our clients,” said Michel Robert, Robert president and CEO. “Groupe Robert is the first third-party logistics service provider in Quebec with an automated warehouse for fresh and frozen food products, one of the most advanced facilities in North America.”
Beyond its functional aspect, this facility showcase Quebec “innovation, know-how, productivity, and leadership,” the company maintained. To improve the building’s energy efficiency, Robert installed certified thicker panels developed for the project. In terms of fire protection, traditional sprinklers were replaced by an oxygen level reduction system designed by Wagner, the company whose fire suppression systems are protecting the British Library.
The building is a 14-story freestanding structure built with precision parts manufactured in Austria and pre-assembled in the Saguenay before arriving in Varennes. This method helped propel the development of local expertise. To start operations, only unloading and loading will be done manually, which greatly improves efficiency in the face of the current labor shortages, without any loss of employment, because it’s a net addition in capacity, Robert said.
Located near Highway 30, the large vertical capacity distribution center boasts a height of 131 ft. and storage capacity for 60,000 pallets—30,000 for fresh products and 30,000 for frozen products.
The new warehouse is an addition to the facilities of Robert’s Boucherville agri-food complex, allowing the company to offer existing and new customers augmented solutions for their refrigerated and frozen goods.
