Tag: cold storage

OM Podcast #48: Cold Storage, AI, and the Future of Industrial Facilities

In this episode of the Podcast, Professors Barry Render and Misty Blessley sit down with David Aschenbrand, Executive Managing Director at Newmark, to explore how cold storage and temperature‑controlled facilities are evolving in today’s operations and supply chain environment. Drawing on his background across logistics, transportation, warehousing, and industrial real estate, David explains how cold storage facilities support food, pharmaceutical, and other temperature‑sensitive supply chains, and what clients look for when developing or operating these specialized buildings.

The conversation highlights how facility design decisions—such as location, building footprint, dock configuration, and proximity to ports—can directly affect labor availability, transportation efficiency, and long‑term operational performance. David shares insights on the growing role of automation and AI in industrial facilities, while emphasizing the continued importance of skilled trades and hands‑on roles that support these operations.
The episode concludes with a discussion of what rising labor costs mean for cold storage operators. Together, the hosts and guest offer a practical look at how operations management, facility design, workforce trends, and technology intersect in modern cold chain and warehouse environments.

 

TRANSCRIPT LINK
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Prof. Barry Render
Prof. Misty Blessley
Dave Aschenbrand

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OM Podcast #44: Inside the Cold Storage Industry with Dr. Anna Johnson

Happy New Year!  In our first episode of 2026, Professors Barry Render and Misty Blessley sit down with Dr. Anna Johnson, Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Strategy at U.S. Cold Storage, to explore the fascinating world of temperature-controlled logistics.

Dr. Johnson explains how third-party logistics providers keep America’s food supply safe and efficient, why 98% of U.S. food storage is outsourced, and how sustainability initiatives like anaerobic digestion are reducing food waste.

Prof . Misty Blessley
Prof. Barry Render

The conversation also dives into industry trends—from the surge in capacity during COVID to the current state of the market—and highlights how AI, robotics, and digital twins are transforming operations, and creating new roles for skilled workers in this evolving sector.

Dr. Anna Johnson

 

Read the full transcript

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OM in the News: Why Cold Food Storage is Hot

Fresh lobster from Maine. Bags of frozen peas. Racks of ribs, shrink-wrapped in plastic. Americans have come to expect that with a click of a button, almost any item, perishable or not, can be delivered to their homes the next day. The companies that makes this all possible are logistics operators, such as Linage and Americold, that most of us have never heard of but all of us depend on daily.

The cold-storage industry dates back to the 1800s, when a booming business selling blocks of ice enabled developers to build warehouses that could preserve food and extend its shelf life, writes The Wall Street Journal (July 27-28, 2024).

Technological breakthroughs in the early 1900s led to mechanical cooling systems that created more reliable, long-lasting cold storage. The invention of refrigerated shipping containers, trucks and railcars lengthened the food supply chain, enabling goods to travel around the world under safe conditions.

Frozen, concentrated orange juice hit U.S. grocery shelves after World War II and pushed more Americans to buy home refrigerators and freezers. What came swiftly after it was the fish stick and the TV dinner. And because then everyone had a freezer, the food companies start making stuff to put in it.

Sprawling cold-storage warehouses were built farther outside cities as Americans moved to the suburbs and began shopping at supermarkets weekly, rather than picking up fresh food daily. “The way our modern food system works is based on refrigeration,” said an industry expert. Cold storage is “the reason you can have tomatoes in the winter.”

The specialty warehouses also enabled the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S. The importance of cold storage was highlighted during the effort to distribute Covid-19 vaccines as drugmakers rushed to get shots that required storage at ultracold temperatures into the world.

The pandemic also changed the way Americans eat. Consumers over the past four years have switched to eating more meals at home as they cope with rising food costs. Shoppers are ordering ready-made meal kits and eating more frozen food. Frozen-food sales rose to $74 billion in 2023, up 33% above 2019. More than 18 million square feet of new temperature-controlled space has been built across the U.S. since 2019.

Our Podcast #14 “Feeding the World Through Complex Supply Chains” also deals with this topic.

Classroom discussion questions:

  1. How does this industry differ from traditional supply chains?
  2. What other reasons exist for the growth in demand for frozen foods?