Banks breaks ground on ‘cutting-edge’ cold storage
Banks Cold Storage recently broke ground on a new Ti Cold-designed facility near Athens, Georgia, about 70 miles east of Atlanta.
The 210,620-sq.-ft. facility is expected to open in early 2025, the companies reported.
The advanced temperature-controlled warehouse, featuring the latest refrigeration and freezing technology, will combine 65-ft. building heights with very narrow aisles (VNA) and two-deep, push-back racking for cube maximization in a unique “cutting-edge” design that’s new to North America, Ti maintained.
“Ti Cold is committed to advancing the cold storage industry by providing innovative solutions that give our customers a distinct competitive advantage,” Sam Tippmann, Ti CEO and president, said in a news release. “Banks features a rarely seen combination of state-of-the-art elements like two-deep, push-back racking, VNA, and 65-ft.-tall building heights.
“We are excited to deliver a rock-solid facility to Banks.”
The cold storage complex will feature a flexible, convertible design capable of maintaining temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Fahrenheit to minus-20 degrees F. The facility will use low-charge ammonia systems that consume natural, environmentally friendly refrigerant in low volumes, Ti said. Structural steel pallet racks will accommodate over 29,520 pallet positions. This includes QFM In-Rack Freezing System positions, which combine blast freezing technology and pallet racking. QFM freezes pallets up to four times faster than traditional blast freezers with the ability to reduce energy consumption by as much as 50%.
With this new facility, Banks will be able to offer clients third-party refrigerated logistics (3PL). As a 3PL, the company can store the inventory of its clients with the ability to pick, pack, and ship products directly from the facility, the company said. By providing warehousing, order processing, shipping, and receiving, Banks will help clients fulfill orders quickly and efficiently, without owning a facility themselves.
“We’ve dedicated the best of our time and attention to assuring Banks Cold Storage is a quality asset that will serve the area for decades to come,” Banks’ Phillip Turner said. “Everything from the location of the facility to the building features, to job creation and retention, Banks Cold Storage is committed to quality.”
