Americold Completes $90M Arkansas Expansion
The new facility adds 42,000 pallet positions.
Americold Realty Trust has opened the 131,000-square-foot addition to its cold storage and distribution facility in Russellville, Ark. The company invested $90 million in this expansion and estimates that it will create 30 new jobs.
Americold will support its production and supply chains for North American food companies with this new facility. It features automation systems and has an additional 42,000 pallet positions and 13 million extra cubic feet.
Construction began in 2021 and the investment was supported by a PILOT agreement with the city of Russellville, which reduces up to 65 percent of property taxes for the next 20 years, according to Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Americold also qualified for a state income tax credit program for job creation and a sales tax refund program for building materials and equipment associated with the project.
READ ALSO: Can Cold Storage Keep Its Cool This Summer?
The company’s Russellville facility is at 500 State Route 324. The existing building has a cross-dock configuration, 21,653 pallet positions, a drop trailer rot, blast freezing systems and chilled temperature rooms between -5 degrees F and 40 degrees F. Additionally, the property is rail-served and has a full suite of transportation services. It is close to Interstate 40 and Russellville Regional Airport, as well as within 76 miles of Little Rock, Ark.
Expanding in Kansas City, Mo.
The news follows the company’s announcement in February, when it entered into a joint venture partnership with Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The venture plans to invest $127 million in a cold storage facility in Kansas City, Mo.
The 335,000-square-foot development is still pending city approvals, but the partnership intends to break ground in the first half of the year. The collaboration is expected to add several new facilities across Americold’s U.S. development pipeline.
Big industrial spaces coming to Arkansas
In January, a distribution facility came online 45 miles from Russellville: Tempus Realty Partners completed a 530,000-square-foot property for its net-lease tenant, Westrock Coffee Co., in Conway, Ark. The coffee and beverage supplier will use the entire building for its warehousing, packaging and distribution operations.
Another significant property is CRG’s 1.2 million-square-foot build-to-suit in North Little Rock, Ark. The company commenced construction in June 2022 amid businesses in Central Arkansas expressing a need for large industrial space. The $105 million facility is operated under CRG’s The Cubes brand, on behalf of a national Fortune 100 home improvement company.
You must be logged in to post a comment.