Tag: facility design

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
A Word document of this podcast will download by clicking the word Transcript above.

Prof. Barry Render
Prof. Misty Blessley
Dave Aschenbrand

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Instructors: assignable auto‑graded exercises using this podcast are available in MyLab OM. To learn more, view our earlier blog post featuring Chuck Munson or contact your Pearson representative: Find your rep