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New Refrigerated Warehouses Planned

Photo via: Shutterstock

Kansas City’s logistics scene has been red-hot for a long time, but there will soon be a chill in the air. No, not because things are slowing down; it’s coming from a new collaboration between Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Americold Realty Trust, in the form of refrigerated warehouse facilities on the CPKC network.

With rail transportation as the anchor, the partnership will build what it says is the first facility of its kind in this market that will combine cold storage and value-added-services with expedited intermodal transportation to markets in the Midwest and Mexico. 

 “CPKC is pleased to collaborate with Americold to provide innovative solutions for our customers throughout North America with this Kansas City facility, the first of many we intend to build in the years to come,” Keith Creel, president and CEO of CPKC, said in announcing the partnership.

The news release announcing the deal did not specify a location for the new facilities. Neither did it describe in detail how big those buildings would be. But they will play a key role in global food logistics, said Americold’s CEO, George Chappelle.

“This partnership with CPKC leverages the strengths of both companies, and enables us to offer solutions together that we would not be able to offer separately,” he said. “The combination of Americold’s vast North American facilities network and world-class cold chain operating model with CPKC’s new MMX intermodal service and refrigerated assets will produce a new and unique offering to the food supply chain.”

CPKC recently announced the addition of 1,000 new 53-foot refrigerated intermodal containers to its network, more than doubling its existing fleet and bringing more shipping options to customers using the expanding Mexico Midwest Express premium intermodal service. The MMX temperature controlled service will move fresh and frozen produce, baked goods, candy and other food products northbound, while beef, chicken and pork will be shipped to southern markets. 

Published June 27, 2023