Americold Realty Trust was recently honored when its Russellville, Ark., facility was recognized as the winner of the 2024 Built By The Best Award by the Controlled Environment Building Association. This award further highlights Americold’s design, construction and operational capabilities, after this facility was recently named Site of the Year by one of Americold’s largest customers for its startup and ramp to full capacity.

The Built By The Best Award recognizes groundbreaking construction projects within the controlled environment sector. Americold, in conjunction with Stellar, constructed this highly automated 136,000-square-foot, 140-foot-tall cold storage and distribution facility at its existing Russellville location, adding 42,000 pallet positions and 13 million cubic feet to the facility.

This multimillion-dollar project features an ammonia refrigeration system, insulated metal panel exterior walls, an automated truck unloading system, an advanced fire protection system, and an automated storage and retrieval system that integrates with the gantry and loop connections to the loading docks. The expansion also introduced a modern breakroom, offices and a conference room while prioritizing sustainability with energy-efficient systems and a 25% reduction in water use.

“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,” said George Chappelle, chief executive officer at Americold. “We continue to innovate to provide best-in-class service for our customers and recognition like this is a testament to the design, build, and operating capabilities of our automation group as we continue to grow and help our customers feed the world.”

Source: Americold Realty Trust