Netherlands-based NewCold, which specializes in automated cold storage, recently opened a $90 million, 180,000-square-foot facility in Burley IA.
It is one of the largest cold storage warehouses in the nation and will employ 100, the company said.
NewCold’s Burley facility, which NewCold said took 25,000 tons of steel to construct, is using advanced conveyance and stacking technology to load and store frozen food pallets. French fry maker McCain Foods, which recently underwent a $200 million expansion in Burley, is NewCold’s largest Idaho customer.
“This is NewCold’s second US operation and one of the largest cold-storage facilities of its kind,” said Jonas Swarttouw, NewCold’s US director. “Due to its concentration of food processing companies, strong labor force, and good supplier and government partnerships, NewCold chose Idaho for one of the most innovative and efficient frozen-food centers in the country.”
The new warehouse is 14 stories tall—with a cubic, vertical layout optimal for pallet storage. Its sleek, efficient design cuts down energy consumption by up to half the rate of traditional warehouses, the company claimed. In fact, the facility’s high bay—not accessible by facility workers—is kept dark, slashing electricity usage.
“This is an amazing development for Burley and the state of Idaho,” said Doug Manning, economic development director for Burley. “Not only does the subzero cold-storage facility bring jobs to Idaho, but it is paving the way for future logistics development here. We look forward to the exciting work NewCold brings to Burley, and the advancements it will continue to make.”
The cutting-edge facility nears a short-line rail facility that will be used to ship approximately 15% of NewCold’s stored foods. The remaining loads will be trucked to food-service clients or other warehouses, NewCold said.
“Bringing a global company to Burley shows just how rapid and expansive Southern Idaho’s growth has been,” said Connie Stopher, executive director for Southern Idaho Economic Development. “This recent foreign direct investment is a game-changer for the region and is a huge addition to our food distribution chain.”
NewCold’s Burley location will employ managers, planners, operators, maintenance workers, drivers and forklift operators—all of whom oversee an efficient inbound, storage, order fulfillment and outbound process, NewCold said. This begins with automatically loaded trailers at a production facility, which are carried to NewCold and automatically unloaded, scanned and stored with conveyor systems and cranes.
The warehouse stores foods at -5° F, with oxygen levels lowered to 16.5% for fire prevention. NewCold’s employees work from a low bay area to oversee the shipment process, and a pick floor, where orders are fulfilled, and additional services are provided.
NewCold currently has facilities in Australia, France, Germany, Poland, Tacoma WA, and the United Kingdom.
