Americold Holds Ribbon Cutting for Facility Expansion in Russellville, Arkansas
March 26, 2024Russellville, Ark. (March 26, 2024) – Americold Realty Trust (Americold), a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics, real estate, and value-added services, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the latest expansion of its Russellville facility. State and local leaders, along with company executives, gathered in Russellville to celebrate the expansion’s ribbon cutting.
“We’re excited to expand our presence in Arkansas,” said George Chappelle, Chief Executive Officer at Americold. “This facility was built with state-of-the-art automation to support production and the supply chain for one of North America’s leading branded food companies. We continue to innovate to provide best-in-class service for our customers as we help them feed the world.”
Americold has invested $90 million and created 30 new jobs to expand its operations in Russellville. As part of the expansion, Americold constructed this new highly automated 131,000-square-foot cold storage and distribution facility at its existing Russellville location, adding 42,000 pallet positions and 13 million cubic feet to the facility.
“It was an honor to join the Americold team to open their newest expansion in Russellville. Low taxes, a friendly business environment, and my administration’s focus on education and workforce give Arkansas a competitive edge. I’m glad companies like Americold see our advantage and are doubling down on the Natural State,” said Governor Sanders.
“Americold is a leader in the temperature-controlled warehousing sector, and we welcome the company’s growth in Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “This ribbon cutting represents the company’s ongoing investment in Arkansas and highlights our state’s strength in the food and beverage industries, as well as our geographic importance in the distribution and logistics of the cold storage supply chain.
As part of Americold’s commitment to give back to the local communities it serves, Americold and Feed the Children will come together to support more than 300 Russellville families. Each participating family will receive a 25-pound box of food and a 15-pound box of personal-care essential items, immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Americold has been a partner of Feed the Children for more than six years. During its partnership, Americold has donated critical funds, and travelled hundreds of thousands of miles providing complimentary temperature-controlled transportation services of chilled and frozen goods that have helped feed hundreds of thousands of families across America.
Based in Atlanta, Ga., Americold is the world’s largest publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the ownership, operation, acquisition, and development of temperature-controlled warehouses. The company operates 245 facilities across the globe with 11 facilities in Arkansas.
“We are excited about the expansion of the Americold facility in Russellville, showcasing yet another great community partnership,” said Russellville Mayor Fred Teague. “The increased capacity will not only bring new job opportunities but will also allow Americold’s customer to increase production and distribution. Both Americold and its customer are valued community partners, not only contributing to local employment but also impacting families worldwide. They are great examples of our strong local industry in the Arkansas River Valley.”
"Americold's ribbon cutting is another example of tremendous growth in Russellville, said Dr. Megan Selman, president and CEO of the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Americold is a global company who adds value to our local economy and is an excellent community partner. This expansion highlights their commitment to investing in Russellville and creating quality careers for the people in our regional community."
###
About Americold Realty Trust, Inc.
Americold is a global leader in temperature-controlled logistics real estate and value-added services. Focused on the ownership, operation, acquisition and development of temperature-controlled warehouses, Americold owns and/or operates 245 temperature-controlled warehouses, with approximately 1.5 billion refrigerated cubic feet of storage, in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America. Americold’s facilities are an integral component of the supply chain connecting food producers, processors, distributors and retailers to consumers. To learn more, visit www.americold.com.
About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission
At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn’t happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. For more information, visit ArkansasEDC.com.
About Feed the Children
At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in 8 countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. To learn more about Feed the Children visit feedthechildren.org
