In addition to creating up to 200 construction jobs, the warehouse will also create over 50 permanent positions.
On May 1, 2024, executives from one of the world's largest, advanced automated warehouse and cold chain logistics companies travelled to Coaldale to officially announce the construction of a $222 million state-of-the-art food storage facility in the newest phase of Coaldale’s industrial park.
A global leader in advanced food logistics, NewCold has 18 cutting-edge automated warehouses on three continents with a combined capacity of over 1.3 million pallet positions that use proprietary software and technology to ensure food safety and quality while being 50% more energy efficient than traditional cold storage facilities.
Once operational, NewCold’s approximately 45-meter-high, 30,000 square meter Coaldale warehouse will support the region’s expanding agrifood processing industry by providing a highly automated cold store for agrifood products awaiting both domestic and international export.
“This investment represents an incredible opportunity for Coaldale and our region,” said Cameron Mills, Director of Growth and Investment for the Town of Coaldale. “NewCold’s project represents the single largest private investment in Coaldale’s history, and will anchor Coaldale’s rapidly expanding industrial presence. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with NewCold and we’re honoured that they recognized Coaldale as the right fit for their business.”
In addition to creating up to 200 construction jobs, NewCold’s Coaldale warehouse will also create over 50 permanent positions with an eye to connecting with post-secondary institutions in the future to develop training programs aimed at diversifying available talent.
“We recognize Alberta’s growing importance in North America’s food supply chain, so developing a facility in the province is a key part of our strategic global expansion. NewCold is committed to building a better food supply chain that is more resilient and efficient. Our new state-of-the-art facility will bring advanced food logistics to Alberta, ultimately helping our customers serve theirs and benefitting consumers,” said Bram Hage, NewCold Founder and CEO.
“Developing our automated cold store in one of Canada’s largest and fastest-growing food production areas marks an exciting milestone of NewCold’s expansion in the North American market. We are grateful for the excellent collaboration from our Alberta and Coaldale partners in making this new advanced storage facility a reality. We look forward to becoming a long-term member of Coaldale’s entrepreneurial community during construction and operation of the facility,” said Jonas Swarttouw, NewCold Executive Vice President Commercial and Chairman in North America.
To enhance the efficiency of logistics in the area, NewCold – with assistance from the Government of Alberta’s Innovation and Growth Fund (IGF) – will partner with the Town to invest in the extension of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail connectivity to the property. This investment will ensure Coaldale has access to important rail infrastructure which is critical as the region continues to expand it’s agrifood processing industry to serve global markets.
"We’re thrilled to welcome NewCold to Coaldale and look forward to celebrating the grand opening of its brand-new, state-of-the-art, cold storage facility,” said Town of Coaldale Mayor, Jack Van Rijn. “With this historic investment, Coaldale continues to establish itself as a major logistics and investment hub within Canada's Premier Food Corridor. We are excited to welcome NewCold into our growing business community and would like to thank Invest Alberta, Minister Matt Jones, and everyone at the ministry of Jobs, Economy, and Trade for their support of this amazing project."
NewCold is poised to initiate construction, acquire equipment, and start hiring immediately, with the goal of having more than 50 employees onsite by the end of 2026.