GEODIS unveils first cold chain cross-dock facility in the Americas

Bidfood set to strengthen operations with the opening of new northeast depot

Dawsongroup tcs expands capacity to support businesses amid rising fuel costs

Callan JMB launches the Atlas Complex in Alabama to support pharmaceutical onshoring

Magnavale and Swisslog agree automation partnership for new Bristol cold store

The site includes a custom-built 5,200 sq ft temperature controlled addition divided into two zones: a 4,600 sq ft deep cold storage area maintained at 15–25°C, and a 600 sq ft refrigerated zone held at 2–8°C.

Located near O'Hare International Airport, the facility operates exclusively for healthcare products, handling pharmaceutical air and ocean imports and exports within GEODIS' 170-country network.

The Chicago branch holds IATA CEIV Pharma certification and is a Certified Cargo Screening Facility for exports, making it the first of GEODIS' four CEIV-certified U.S. branches to include cold chain storage capacity.

The investment extends GEODIS' existing cold chain infrastructure across Europe, which includes facilities in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany. (PR Newswire)

The 86,098 sq ft site will serve as the company's new Northeast hub, consolidating operations currently run from Gateshead and improving regional service capacity.

The facility features cold and chilled storage alongside a large ambient warehouse, a two-storey office building, and extensive external yard space.

Designed to achieve a BREEAM 'Very Good' sustainability rating, the depot incorporates low-carbon design features, 50 cycle bays, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The Durham depot is the first of two planned northern England openings, with a second facility currently under construction in Manchester. (Cold Chain News)

The company is mobilising additional deployable temperature controlled modules, offering flexible contract terms and secured rates, and enabling customers to trial solutions on a short-term basis.

The approach allows businesses to bring freezing, holding, and tempering capabilities closer to their production sites, reducing unnecessary vehicle movements and improving operational efficiency during peak periods and seasonal demand spikes.

The company positions flexible, rapidly deployable cold chain capacity as an increasingly important tool for managing risk and maintaining service levels amid ongoing market volatility. (Cold Chain News)

The company will adaptively reuse an existing historic campus in partnership with Monarch Property Management, enabling faster deployment than new construction and reducing capital intensity.

Callan JMB also announced a partnership agreement with Walker's Pharmaceuticals of India as the first on-site international partner.

The campus is planned to offer adaptable laboratories, QA/QC centres, clean rooms, and secure cold chain warehousing, with Callan JMB pursuing Foreign-Trade Zone subzone designation to enhance trade efficiencies.

CEO Wayne Williams cited the facility as a vehicle for multinational companies to meet U.S. government onshoring mandates. (Globe Newswire)

Swisslog's solution centres on an approximately 45-metre high clad-rack automated High Bay Warehouse, orchestrated by the company's SynQ warehouse management and control software, delivering real-time visibility, intelligent load sequencing, and FEFO/FIFO stock management.

The system builds on the automation deployed at Magnavale's Easton facility in Lincolnshire - the largest single cold store ever built in the UK.

Designed with no single point of failure, the Bristol site will also offer value-added services including blast freezing, picking, packing, and export handling, and will run entirely on renewable energy.

Amanda Cogan, Chief Operations Officer at Magnavale, described the appointment as "a major step closer to being able to provide the services our customers need in the Southwest." (BFFF)