From the Cold Corner

Demographic shifts and the rise of online grocery and food delivery services are driving demand for strategically located, multi-node cold storage networks. Dennis Davis, senior director of business customer development at DHL Supply Chain and Josh Lewis, president at RL Cold discuss the partnership’s plans for 5 million square feet of new space across North America. 

The industry is entering a new phase where packaging design must account for the entire product lifecycle, from material selection and manufacturing to end-of-life recovery and reuse. Paige Greenberg, sustainable packaging engineer at Plastic Ingenuity, joins From the Cold Corner to discuss more.

In this episode, we're diving in to the story behind Swoop, the third place finisher in our annual Best New Retail Products contest. Meghan Dowd, co-founder of Swoop, tells us about everything from the initial concept to formulation, manufacturing, and what is next for the brand.

Teton Waters Ranch is expanding its footprint in the frozen aisle with a new line of raw burger patties that prioritize sourcing transparency, animal welfare and simplified ingredients. The product recently earned second place in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ annual Best New Retail Products contest.

The U.S. cold storage sector is entering a new phase, as operators balance softer inventories and cautious consumer spending with rapid advances in automation, sustainability and facility design. That evolution is reshaping how temperature-controlled facilities are built — and what they are expected to do. In the final episode of the Cold Storage Deep Dive podcast series, Jennifer Jewers Bowlin an...

Rob Chambers, Americold CEO, on optimizing a global food network, deeper customer partnerships and more.

My/Mochi is proving that global inspiration, social media trends and cross-functional execution can come together quickly—and successfully—in the frozen novelty aisle. The brand’s Dubai Chocolate Style Mochi ice cream was voted the first-place winner in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2026 Best New Retail Products contest. Brigette Wolf, chief marketing officer for My/Mochi joins From the Cold Co...

After a devastating 2023 fire, the family business returns to full production with a redesigned facility focused on flow, flexibility and long-term growth. Lindsay Skilling, Gifford’s Ice Cream CEO, and JC Gifford, COO of Gifford’s Ice Cream, join From the Cold Corner to share more.

Carmen Dodaro, retired CEO and board member, and Lisa Pinion, chief human resources officer, both with FCL Builders, talk culture in cold chain operations. Sponsored by: FCL Builders

Warehouse automation provider OPEX Corporation recently announced a technology partnership with Peltier to offer a first-of-its-kind, multi-temperature zone, multi-deep cold storage solution for automated fulfillment systems. Designed to maximize operational savings via labor, space and energy, the system allows grocery and ecommerce to enhance cold chain operations without freezer infrastructure....

Geoff Inch, senior vice president of producer services at the Circular Action Alliance, discusses implementing EPR and what food brands should be doing now. 

Food ingredients and additives are often tasked with more than just influencing taste or mouthfeel – they are increasingly a part of food safety. Garrett McCoy, senior manager, research, development & applications at Corbion, and Tushar Verma, senior scientist and team lead, food microbiology at Corbion, join From the Cold Corner to talk food safety in the cold case.

William Bigelow is the chief operating officer at Blount and recently took over as the next president of the Refrigerated Foods Association. R&FF sat down with him at the 45th annual RFA Conference to discuss his plans for leading the organization into its next chapter.

Opened in 2024, the Cold Solutions at Rush Creek team spent much of last year ramping up operation of a new multi-temperature storage facility built in a former mine outside of Kansas City. Joe Bardowski, President & Chief Operations Officer, Cold Solutions at Rush Creek, LLC and Terry Williams, chief engineer, Custom Refrigeration Solutions joins the Cold Storage Deep Dive special series to d...

When it comes to designing, engineering and building a cold storage facility, the devil is often in the details. Kort Williams and Adam Bortz joins the Cold Storage Deep Dive special series to discuss more. Sponsored by:FCL Builders

Bob Garrison, chief editor of Prepared Foods, Kelley Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, and Alyse Thompson-Richards, editor-in-chief of FOOD ENGINEERING, combine their unique perspectives and discuss the biggest trends impacting the food industry in 2025 and beyond.

When it comes to designing, engineering and building a cold foods facility, sometimes the best lessons are those learned on the job! Sponsored by: FCL Builders

Dave Campbell and Jeremy Klysen from Burns & McDonnell join the podcast to discuss designing cold food facilities for automation and more.

Founded as a food truck in 2014, Joe Nicchi initially brought soft serve to the streets of LA. In the decade since, he has scaled the business, entering over 5,000 retail doors and winning the grand prize of NFRA’s second annual Penguin Pitch: Emerging Brand Contest Recorded at NFRA Convention 2025

When selecting equipment from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) – such as refrigeration – there are many important questions to ask. The goal is to ensure the equipment will meet current and future needs in safety, efficiency, reliability, regulatory compliance, cost‐effectiveness and integration into your process. Chuck Taylor, senior vice president of Engineering at Republic Refrigeration...

Rebecca Marquez, director of custom research at PMMI. In addition to her responsibilities in PMMI Business Intelligence and Custom Research, Marquez oversees the design, execution, analysis and production of PMMI’s market research products for external and internal clients.

Americold’s Russellville location demonstrates the next generation of cold storage. The 300,000-square-foot facility is steps away from a Conagra plant. An expansion completed about 18 months ago added 136,000 square feet of space and took the building to new heights – 150-feet plus – and added 42,000 pallet positions served by automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS). From the Cold Corner speaks w...

In the heart of the “Texas Triangle,” Hays and Caldwell counties are putting food manufacturing on the map. Located midway between Austin and San Antonio, the region offers access to Interstate 35, allowing connection to Gulf ports. With development-ready land and a thriving BBQ scene, the area has attracted considerable F&B investment in just the last year. From the Cold Corner sits down with...

According to a recent study by McKinsey, the heat pump market is expected to grow by more than 15% annually, especially in the food and beverage industry, where they are increasingly being incorporated into refrigeration systems. Industrial heat pumps use electricity as their fuel source instead of coal or gas, and they have the potential to be powered by completely renewable energy. Marc Giesekin...

James Armstrong, senior vice president of emerging business at SeaCube, discusses how portable, scalable cold storage reefer containers are filing a critical operational need.