FSDF member NewCold Advanced Cold Logistics, which is expanding quickly in the UK, is making its first foray into the US with a new coldstore in Tacoma – believed to one of the largest in the country with storage capacity of over 25 million cubic feet.
The $50 million warehouse in South Tacoma, is NewCold’s first large US project, according to Jonas Swarttouw, business development manager for the company’s US operations. NewCold is working with Trident Seafoods, its first major US client, for the project.
The warehouse, which is expected to be operational in the middle of the year, will be fully automated and NewCold will be using the experience gained at its European operations, including the Wakefield site in the UK. Part of that automation includes using fewer fork-lift trucks and more conveyors and robots to pick up customer orders.
Swarttouw said that automation became the solution for NewCold’s European operations in response to “increased labour, land and energy costs”. Businesses in the US are now facing the same pressures at a time when customers are demanding faster and more efficient shipping options, he said.
In the UK NewCold is expanding quickly at Wakefield: it recently announced that it taking delivery of 36 new Volvo FH tractors, as part of a fleet upgrade to meet increased demand for its services.
The company is also planning to extend its cold store with 87,500 pallet locations to reach a total storage capacity of over 143,000 pallets with frozen food produce. The enlarged pallet capacity means the company will be able to respond to an increasing demand for high-quality storage from food producers in Yorkshire and surrounding areas.
