Americold’s Russellville location demonstrates the next generation of cold storage. The 300,000-square-foot facility is steps away from a Conagra plant. An expansion completed about 18 months ago added 136,000 square feet of space and took the building to new heights – 150-feet plus – and added 42,000 pallet positions served by automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS). From the Cold Corner speaks with Bryan Verbarandse, president of the Americas at Americold, on how the site is shaping the future of the cold chain.

In the heart of the “Texas Triangle,” Hays and Caldwell counties are putting food manufacturing on the map. Located midway between Austin and San Antonio, the region offers access to Interstate 35, allowing connection to Gulf ports. With development-ready land and a thriving BBQ scene, the area has attracted considerable F&B investment in just the last year. From the Cold Corner sits down with Mike Kamerlander, president and CEO of the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership and Scott Logan, president and CEO of Night Hawk Frozen Foods, to learn more.

According to a recent study by McKinsey, the heat pump market is expected to grow by more than 15% annually, especially in the food and beverage industry, where they are increasingly being incorporated into refrigeration systems. Industrial heat pumps use electricity as their fuel source instead of coal or gas, and they have the potential to be powered by completely renewable energy. Marc Gieseking, head of renewable energy solutions at Güntner, joins From the Cold Corner to discuss how heat pumps can be used in the cold foods industry.

James Armstrong, senior vice president of emerging business at SeaCube, discusses how portable, scalable cold storage reefer containers are filing a critical operational need.

A little over 10 years ago, Peter Fox opened the North American subsidiary of Germany-based SOMIC Group. A 35-year veteran of the packaging industry, Fox has worked for Kraft Foods, the Pillsbury Company, Delkor Systems and Interpress Technologies. He was named CEO of SOMIC Packaging in 2021. Last year, SOMIC Packaging moved to new headquarters in Minnesota, quadrupling workspace to 48,000 square feet and allowing assembly of all new North American purchased machines. In North America, SOMIC has installed hundreds of end-of-line packaging machines with about 60% of their equipment placed with manufacturers using a refrigerated environment. Fox joins From the Cold Corner to discuss end of line and retail ready packaging for the refrigerated and frozen foods market and more. 

From supply constraints on eggs, rising cocoa prices and damaged citrus crops, to ingredient disclosure regulations, recalls and changing consumer demands, cold foods processors and manufacturers face challenges at every stage of the production process. Eimear Robertson, chief technical officer for Kerry NA, leads the research, development & applications and regulatory & scientific affairs teams in North America. She shares some of the ways F&B manufacturers are meeting market expectations through reformulating products to reduce sugar and sodium, improve flavors and enable fresher foods.

Kelley Rodriguez, editor in chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods and content manager for FA&M, Alyse Thompson-Richards, editor in chief of FOOD ENGINEERING and Michael Levitt, editor of FOOD ENGINEERING, unpack highlights from the 26th annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo.

As consumer and regulatory pressure put plastic in the spotlight, the next few years looks to be pivotal in the area of food packaging. What are the key drivers in developing packaging and what should cold processors and manufacturers know to prepare for looming legislation and its impact on refrigerated and frozen food packaging. Kellie Alvarado, director of sustainability at Anchor Packaging, joins From the Cold Corner to unpack the latest in sustainable plastic packaging for the cold foods industry.

ERP and MES - Enterprise Resource Planning AND Manufacturing Execution Systems – two pieces of tech that can have a powerful impact on F&B processing and manufacturing. MES helps bridge the gap between the shop floor and enterprise systems, ensuring real-time visibility, control, and optimization of manufacturing processes. Meanwhile, ERP integrates business functions across the organization, streamlining operations from finance to supply chain management. Jim has nearly 30 years specializing in computer systems that provide operational capabilities and analytic tools to drive profit maximization, competitive advantage, and customer satisfaction for F&B manufacturers.  Join us as we unpack how these two systems work together to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and drive growth for cold and frozen food manufacturers.

Founded in 1980, the Refrigerated Foods Association is celebrating 45 years as the coolest association on earth. R&FF met with leaders at the 2025 conference in Orlando to learn more about RFA and how it serves the refrigerated prepared foods segment.

Designing and installing a refrigeration system on a cold storage or frozen food production facility is challenging in and of itself but one that needs to operate efficiently and consistently in Nogales, Arizona, -- one of the hottest ambient climates in the U.S. -- coupled with changing regulations meant a whole lot of hands on deck. On this episode of From the Cold Corner, Jeff Warther, senior key account manager at The Chemours Company and Luis Bustamonte, owner of Bustamonte Refrigeration, discuss the project and its challenges.

As one of the largest foodservice distribution companies in the country, US Foods, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2024 Distributor of the Year, helps 250,000 foodservice clients across the country succeed every day. Gene Carbonara, vice president of ecommerce and digital, at US Foods, joins the podcast to share more about how the distributor is using technology to enhance ecommerce and more.

FOOD ENGINEERING Editors Derrick Teal and Alyse Thompson-Richards and Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Editor Kelley Rodriguez discuss the major trends affecting food manufacturing in 2024 and what they expect to see in 2025. They cover food safety, automation, sustainability, mergers & acquisitions, and more. 

A private label powerhouse, Cafe Spice produces its own branded RTE meals as well as co-manufactured and foodservice products for customers including Whole Foods, Kroger and Amazon. The company late last year began manufacturing from a 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Beacon, New York, near their original, 50,000-square-foot site in New Windsor. The Beacon site, which now accounts for nearly 90% of the company’s output, is in its first phase of operation, with additional production lines coming in 2025. Cafe Spice has been named R&FF’s 2024 Processor of the Year. Sameer Malhotra, CEO of Cafe Spice, Ryan Bakst, R&D manager, Giovani Gomez, vice president of quality, and Virgilio Felix, chief operating officer, sit down with the From the Cold Corner to share more.

Their clean-label massive mozzarella sticks are a branded menu item at major concert venues like Madison Square Garden and in just over a year have made it into 3,500+ retail doors. The NFRA recently celebrated Big Mozz as the winner of its inaugural Penguin Pitch competition. Matt Gallira, CEO and founder of Big Mozz, discusses transitioning from a concert staple, to a foodservice superpower, to a retail CPG, bringing to the masses.

Justin Cook, lead Consumer Products researcher at Deloitte, joins From the Cold Corner to share more about Deloitte’s research into the refrigerated and frozen consumer and how F&B manufacturers and processors can work with grocers to win a bigger share-of-stomach.

Cold storage providers and distributors are always looking for ways to cut carbon footprints and boost the bottom line. For cold storage companies and 3PLs, energy is typically the second-highest operating cost behind labor. Technology can play an important role in combating rising energy costs by cutting consumption and helping cold chain operators identify their weak points. On this episode, we’re talking technology in cold foods distribution with Jason Massey, CEO and co-founder of Ndustrial, and Damaris Grütter, director of U.S. & Canadian markets at Stoecklin Logistics.

Automation – the word is everywhere in the food and beverage business – but many companies are looking for a starting point. On this episode, John Koury, consulting architect for A M King, a North Carolina based design-build firm, discusses how cold food facilities can maximize their investments and add automation alongside plant renovations or expansions.

FedUp Foods, the largest private-label fermented beverage manufacturer in North America, is beginning its next chapter of growth with construction of its third production facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. Renowned for creating health-conscious beverages such as Kombucha, Prebiotic Sodas, and more, the company currently serves nine of the 12 top private label programs in North America. The Wilmington facility will allow FedUp Foods to meet growing demand and offer new products, like cold brew coffee. On this episode, Zane Adams, co-founder, and executive vice president of Strategy and Development, shares more about FedUp Foods’ journey and the company’s latest production facility.

The better-for-you food movement is on fire and Saffron Road is among the F&B brands leading the charge. Inspired by world cuisines, and made with high quality, ethically sourced ingredients, all Saffron Road products are Halal-certified. Led by founder and CEO Adnan Durrani, the 15-year-old company is a Certified B Corp, with products found in over 25,000 U.S. retail locations. Last month R&FF Editor in Chief Kelley Rodriguez sat down with Adnan at Frozen IQ, in Fort Worth, Texas, where he spoke on a panel about sharing the benefits of frozen foods with consumers.