Conagra brands has long been the apple of any partnership’s eye, and this year a cold chain logistics company NewCold, is expanding its existing customer partnership with Conagra Brands. In addition, NewCold is investing in a new, state-of-the art facility to add even more value to the promising opportunity.
"At Conagra Brands, we're modernizing our distribution network infrastructure as part of our overall supply chain strategy,” Craig Weiss, Sr. Vice President of Supply Chain and Chief Transformation Officer for Conagra Brands, expressed. “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."
The NewCold automated cold store facility in Lebanon, Indiana, will be one of the biggest in the state and one of the largest in the United States, according to a press release. At 141 feet high (43 meters), the facility holds over 100,000 pallet positions. It is scheduled to be operational in 2022 and is valued at $150 million.
"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,” Bram Hage, Founder and CEO of NewCold said. “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."
Featuring state-of-the-art technology including automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to move and store products in the 'dark' high-bay warehouse, the new investment promises to impress on all fronts.
An advanced automated case picking solution for detailed order fulfilment activities is part of the investment and will serve the high volume of case picking. In addition, the equipment and operators will be directed by NewCold's proprietary advanced software systems. Products are kept in optimal conditions with all cold store areas cooled down to sub-zero temperatures. Advancements in cold chain solutions ensure that the actions are sustainable, traceable, and fully integrated with the processes of NewCold's customers.
A huge congrats to both NewCold and Conagra, on your continued to success and new opportunities yet to come!