On July 11, NewCold, a deep-frozen storage and logistics specialist based in the Netherlands, announced it will open its second fully mechanized facility in the U.S. in the spring of 2019. Located in Burley, Idaho, the state-of-the-art freezer facility is a joint design effort and construction built by NewCold and Fisher Construction Group of Burlington, Wash. Once open, NewCold will be one of the largest frozen storage facilities of its kind in the U.S., bringing an estimated 75 jobs to the area.
“It’s great to welcome NewCold to the Idaho business community and top off their state-of-the-art cold storage facility in Burley,” said Idaho governor C.L. “Butch” Otter, who was present at the event. “It provides us with a chance to celebrate innovation and collaboration that begins with NewCold’s tremendous investment in Idaho’s food processing supply chain. It figures to add significant value and opportunity to Idaho’s world-class food processors in a competitive global marketplace.”
The 180,000-square-foot, fully automated building will serve the logistics needs in the northwestern U.S. region for McCain Foods USA, Inc., a division of McCain Foods Limited, the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen french fries and potato specialties. McCain maintains 11 manufacturing facilities in the U.S., including its Burley plant, where a $200 million processing expansion is currently underway. The McCain expansion is due for completion in the fall of this year, increasing employment at the facility by 180, taking the total number of employees to near 600.
“We are proud to partner with innovative companies like NewCold as we expand our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Burley to meet our growing demand for McCain products,” said Dale McCarthy, McCain’s vice president of integrated supply chain for North America. “McCain’s commitment to strong, longstanding partnerships with growers, companies and the communities in which we operate, is key to our success and will continue as we expand our business.”
The cold storage facility currently being constructed uses cutting-edge technology, including automated storage and retrieval systems to automatically move and store products in the “dark” high-bay warehouse. Operators direct equipment using advanced software systems, while products are kept in optimal conditions with all cold storage areas cooled to sub-zero temperatures. NewCold offers a highly consistent level of logistic service. Above all, NewCold offers a more energy-efficient and better food safety alternative compared to conventional cold storage solutions.
NewCold developed this style of storage automation in its European operations for faster and more efficient storage and shipping options. This is NewCold’s second U.S. facility, with the first facility, which opened in early 2018, based in Tacoma, Wash.
“NewCold’s further expansion into the important U.S. market is a vital step for our organization,” said NewCold vice chairman David Richardson. “We are very proud to advance the quality of food storage in the U.S. by offering an integrated warehousing solution to our customers. The privilege to partner with McCain, a world leader, is an honor.
“NewCold offers solutions to cover the cold chain from production to distribution,” Richardson continued. “We plan, design, build, own and operate the cold storage facilities with our own people and our own proprietary warehouse management system, CORAX. NewCold believes in automation for sustainable cost and environmental benefits, but our ultimate focus is industry-leading customer service.”
“Fisher is pleased to continue our partnership with NewCold in constructing the facility in Burley, Newcold’s second in North America,” said Dan Powers, president and CEO of Fisher Construction Group. “Companies across America are very interested in the cold storage solution that Newcold offers customers. The unique construction techniques and the highly automated technologies make this, along with the Tacoma facility, the way of the future. Fisher Construction Group is pleased to work with both NewCold and its storage partners to design and build this leading-edge project in the heart of Idaho.”