Melbourne, Australia: NewCold is to double the size of its Melbourne coldstore following a contract win with Simplot.
The 43-metre high site will expand from 115,000 pallet positions to 225,000 including 30,000 for ambient/chilled and 85,000 for frozen goods.
The expansion is scheduled to be operational in 2022 and Simplot will transition all its frozen products to NewCold in 2023.
Graham Dugdale, managing director, Simplot Australia, said: “Simplot is excited to be partnering with NewCold on our future Victorian frozen warehouse solution. We were attracted to NewCold’s fully automated AS/RS high bay solution, world-class systems, energy efficiency, and productivity, which stand above conventional cold storage solutions. The new facility will ensure Simplot can continue to efficiently deliver the products that Australia’s leading retail and foodservice customers depend on and ultimately provide an improved customer experience.”
Bram Hage, chief executive, NewCold said: “This is a great day for NewCold and the cold storage industry in Australia. It is very pleasing to see our continued investment and growth in Australia as we seek to build a long-term strategic relationship with Simplot.
“Our robust global pipeline includes the delivery of at least six new capital projects, as we continue to develop multiple large-scale automated facilities across Europe, Australia and North America. This momentum confirms a very positive future for customers and an innovation boost for the industry. As we continue to expand our global presence, we support local communities in efforts to foster economic growth and create high-quality employment opportunities.”
Abhy Maharaj, executive vice president, NewCold Business and Growth said: “Collaborating with respected partners like Simplot drives our success, as we share an ambition to transform the industry and reimagine the global food supply chain.
“We have invested and grown our regional head-office in Melbourne who will be leading the expansion development in close cooperation with our partners and stakeholders in Australia and Europe. We are confident that Oceania will continue to be an opportunity-rich region with at least another three new large-scale sites planned for development in the near future.”
The Melbourne coldstore has automated storage and retrieval systems to move and store products in the high-bay warehouse.
Construction of the extension started at the end of May 2021.
