NewCold and Fisher Construction Group Break Ground on NewCold’s Tacoma Automated Coldstore
The coldstore will use state of the art technology including automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to automatically move and store products in the ‘dark’ high-bay warehouse. The equipment and operators will be directed by advanced software systems, while products are kept in optimal conditions with all coldstore areas cooled down to sub-zero temperatures.
This advanced cold chain solution ensures that processes are sustainable, traceable, fully integrated with the processes of NewCold’s customers, and always at the very forefront of technological developments. It offers a high and consistent logistic service level, and above all, offer a more sustainable and better food safety alternative to more conventional coldstore solutions.
The futuristic multi-customer coldstore enables food producers, including Trident Seafoods, to optimize their cold chain management, with increased agility and responsiveness to better serve the needs of their domestic and international end customers, 24/7.
David Richardson, President and CEO of NewCold says, “With this ground-breaking, NewCold brings to Tacoma, the Pacific Northwest, and North America, 16 years of leadership in automated cold storage development and operations. Although our roots are in Europe, our heart is with global food producers where ever NewCold can bring value. We could not be more pleased than to stand as partners beside Fisher Construction Company and our sponsoring customer, Trident Seafoods. NewCold highly values trusted partnerships and the partnerships created to realize this efficient, giant freezer are very special. Our sincere thanks to the City of Tacoma for their critical support and guidance. Pierce county and the City of Tacoma are full partners, as well. They are easy to work with and clearly focused on economic growth through leading technologies and we are thrilled to be investing here.”
Randy Furtner, CFO of Trident Seafoods continues, “We have been investigating the possibilities of optimizing our cold chain with an automated coldstore for a long time. We went through a rigorous process with NewCold's team to make sure that the coldstore solution fulfills all our needs. NewCold's extensive experience in automated coldstore development and operation have helped us to realize our ambitions. We look forward to working together with NewCold in this generational coldstore project, which will play a pivotal role in our cold chain."
The state of the art freezer is a joint design effort and construction by NewCold and Fisher Construction Group of Burlington (WA). The facility will be one of the largest in the USA with a storage capacity of over 25 million cubic feet, comparable to the volume of Seahawks CenturyLink Field.
“Fisher is excited to partner with NewCold on this facility, their first in North America,” says Dan Powers, President, and CEO of Fisher Construction Group. “The unique method used to build this facility, and the technologies incorporated within facility are the way of the future, and we’re pleased to team with them and their storage partners to make it a reality.” Leading edge technologies used in addition to the automated pallet retrieval systems, are the building itself being supported by the structure of the storage racks which will hold the pallets of products, the low-oxygen environment reducing the risk of fire from the inside entirely, and the total building design needing only half the energy consumed by conventional cold stores to keep the products optimally frozen."
“NewCold is a great addition the logistics industry in Pierce County and Tacoma, employing up to 100 employees when fully operational, and providing vital support for the region’s robust food production capability,” says EDB President and CEO Bruce Kendall. “We are thrilled they are bringing their first US operations here. Their highly automated and energy-efficient facility will support Trident’s growing business and serve other customers.”
The permitting team at the City of Tacoma worked conscientiously to review permits and get the construction off to a smooth start. “From the very first meeting, this project was off to a great start with successful teamwork between company representatives, designers, project managers and our permitting folks.”
Fisher Construction Group:
A construction services company based in the Pacific Northwest, Fisher Construction Group designs and builds commercial and industrial facilities throughout the continental US and Alaska. Offering turnkey building solutions to the cold storage and food processing industries, Fisher’s team of builders, architects, structural engineers and food processing experts are known for building highly efficient facilities that deliver on investment. The company has steadily grown over the last five years to become the company that it is today with annual revenues of over $200 million.
NewCold:
NewCold is an integrated service provider for cold chain logistics based in the Netherlands. NewCold operates a European network of large scale automated cold stores and refrigerated transport serving frozen food producers in France, Germany, United Kingdom and Poland. NewCold is further expanding its operations globally, building on decades of know how in developing and operating advanced cold chain logistics solutions.
