NewCold to build $222 million food storage warehouse in Coaldale

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Vauxhall Advance

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Alberta’s agriculture sector is growing with a $222-million investment from NewCold to develop its f irst Canadian facility in southern Alberta.

“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 during an announcement in Coaldale last week. “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.” 

Alberta’s Investment and Growth Fund rural stream will support NewCold’s new facility in Coaldale, which will create more than 50 permanent and up to 200 temporary jobs. NewCold offers innovative and sustainable cold food storage solutions. 

“Alberta’s government is attracting investment like NewCold to the province because of our business-friendly policies and programs. The Investment and Growth Fund compliments the province’s low corporate tax rate, highly skilled workforce and commitment to reduce administrative burden, which means businesses can invest with confidence,” said Matt Jones, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade.

NewCold is one of the world’s largest, advanced automated warehouse and cold chain logistics companies. The state-of-the-art food storage facility will be constructed in the newest phase of Coaldale’s industrial park. 

NewCold was founded in the Netherlands in 2012, and their new facility will provide much needed capacity for Alberta food processors to increase production. The new facility will also leverage the province’s economic corridors, such as rail, to ensure NewCold’s customers can get their goods to market. 

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 per cent more energy efficient than traditional cold storage facilities. 

Alberta’s government invested $2 million through the Investment and Growth Fund to secure NewCold’s investment in a new Coaldale facility, marking their entry into the Canadian market.

“Agriculture is a key industry for Alberta, and NewCold’s investment is a win for both processors and producers. This project is a welcome boost to our economy and will help cement Alberta’s position as a leader in agriculture and agri-food investment,” said RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.

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. 

“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 benefiting consumers,” said Bram Hage, founder and CEO, NewCold.  

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. 

“NewCold’s $222-million investment is a major win for southern Alberta, creating more than 50 permanent new jobs and positioning Coaldale as an export hub. Collaboration among Alberta’s business-friendly agencies was key to NewCold’s final decision, with Coaldale, Invest Alberta and the province pitching in to help the company bring their vision to life,” said Rick Christiaanse, CEO, Invest Alberta Corporation.

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. 

“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.” 

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. 

“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.