Americold Logistics is a U.S.-based temperature-controlled logistics and warehousing company specializing in cold-chain infrastructure for perishable goods. Headquartered in Atlanta, it operates more than 230 facilities globally and is a global leader in temperature-controlled storage and distribution services, connecting producers, processors, distributors, and retailers with tailored, value-added services supported by responsive and reliable supply chains.
Since becoming CEO last September after more than 12 years with the company, what stands out as the biggest shift in the cold chain industry and the wider food and agriculture sector?
The biggest shift in the cold chain industry has been its globalization. Consumer preferences have evolved over the last decade, with demand for products at specific times, with high frequency and very high service levels. Customers no longer accept getting their favorite food or flowers only during certain seasons. People want products on demand, consistently, with higher requirements around food safety and quality.
The cold chain was not always set up for that. These demands force manufacturers, grocery retailers and food service providers to source products from multiple locations around the world and build more resiliency and redundancy into their supply chains. That requires cold chain infrastructure to be thought about differently. A good example is our facility at the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, which was built as a joint venture, RSA Cold Chain, in partnership with RSA Global. we built cold chain infrastructure directly on the port where none existed, enabling ocean freight instead of expensive expedited air freight. That allows higher volumes at lower cost and opens new trade flows and markets.
How would you describe Americold’s role in connecting producers, processors, distributors and retailers while preserving food quality along the supply chain?
The broader issue around food production is not whether there is enough production, but how it gets to consumers.
Thirty to forty percent of manufactured food is wasted because logistics are not in place to move it from where it is produced to where it is consumed.
Producers are not set up to ship directly to grocery retailers, restaurants or consumers, and cold chain integrity must be maintained the entire way. If refrigerated or frozen food loses that integrity at any point, the product is wasted.
Americold provides infrastructure across each node in the supply chain. Food is harvested and turned into finished goods at a production facility, stored in cold storage next to the plant, then moved to forward distribution centers where products from multiple manufacturers are mixed and shipped to grocery or food service networks. We also operate port facilities for imports and exports, giving us infrastructure across all four nodes in the chain.
Americold operates across the entire supply chain. Does that level of ownership bring risks, such as cybersecurity or operational exposure?
If there is an issue along the chain where product is lost or damaged, or in a worst-case scenario product that should be quarantined continues through the chain, the blowback usually goes back to the food manufacturer and their brand. When something goes wrong at the grocery store, consumers blame the brand, not the logistics provider. Our customers entrust us with protecting that brand.
That is why we maintain industry-leading food safety policies, cybersecurity systems and customer KPIs. If those standards are not maintained, you damage your customer’s brand as well as your own reputation. Protecting that trust is critical.
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, where do you see the main vulnerabilities in the cold chain, and what changes would help strengthen the system?
One of the most disruptive factors is trade policy. Supply chains are not easy to shift. You cannot decide overnight to source from another country or region because many geographies lack the infrastructure to support those changes. Resilient and redundant supply chains are essential for consumers to access products consistently and at a reasonable cost. But long-term infrastructure investment becomes difficult when companies do not know what trade policies will look like. When you are considering a $100 million facility, policy uncertainty can make companies pause.
What we want is stability. Americold is investing in a new facility at the Port of Saint John in Canada to route trade flows from South America and Europe directly into Canada’s eastern seaboard. Today much of that product moves through U.S. ports like Philadelphia or Wilmington and is then transported across the border, which is far more complex. Building infrastructure at Saint John can streamline that process, but it depends on trade agreements between Canada and Europe. We are also working with CPKC rail to move product from our Kansas City facility directly into Mexico by rail, allowing U.S. protein to move south more efficiently. These systems rely on trade policies remaining supportive.
Has uncertainty in global trade pushed Americold to diversify its customer base or expand into new sectors?
Yes, diversification is a focus, partly driven by changing consumer preferences. Consumers increasingly order products online, so we are scaling our e-commerce and direct-to-consumer operations, which opens the door to new types of customers.
We are also seeing shifts in where consumers purchase food. In the U.S. and other markets, smaller format stores and convenience outlets are gaining share. In Australia, for example, we recently began working with one of the largest gas and convenience store operators, On The Run, where we now handle store distribution and fulfillment. We are also exploring opportunities beyond traditional food, including pharmaceuticals and floral products.
Cold storage and logistics are energy-intensive operations, but they also play a crucial role in reducing waste and improving supply chain efficiency. How is Americold modernizing its facilities and logistics networks to operate more sustainably?
At the core of what we do is reducing waste. Maintaining cold chain integrity and moving food efficiently already contributes significantly to waste reduction. But we also focus on making our facilities more environmentally efficient. Many warehouses incorporate rooftop solar, LED lighting, motion sensors to reduce power usage and rainwater harvesting. We also use automation where it makes sense, allowing facilities to build vertically rather than expanding outward, improving throughput while reducing the number of facilities required over time.
We also create more efficient logistics solutions. Through multi-vendor consolidation programs, shipments from several manufacturers going to the same retailer can move in a single truckload rather than multiple trucks. By partnering with railroads and locating facilities at intermodal rail yards or ports, more freight can shift to rail or ocean transport, which are greener alternatives to long-haul trucking or air freight. Because Americold operates facilities where multiple customers store products, we have the scale and data to see where overlaps exist and organize consolidated shipments. That coordination would be difficult for individual manufacturers to achieve on their own.
Americold has been expanding internationally, including in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. What guides your expansion strategy over the next few years?
We do not build infrastructure in isolation and assume demand will follow. We work closely with customers to understand where they need infrastructure and how their supply chains are evolving. Our goal is to let manufacturers focus capital on production and retailers on expanding stores or refreshing fleets while we design and build the supply chain infrastructure. Using our network design and engineering capabilities, we identify where demand will be and build capacity accordingly.
We then work with the broader logistics ecosystem — rail companies, ocean freight providers and trucking companies — to ensure the transportation network can support those investments. By demonstrating where demand will be, we encourage partners to follow our investments and build out the broader logistics system.
Looking specifically at Americold’s operations, what is the biggest challenge keeping you up at night as you head into 2026?
Over the last five or six years, food inflation has significantly outpaced wage growth, particularly for lower- and middle-income consumers. That has changed buying habits. Consumers who once filled a large cart during a weekly grocery trip are stretching budgets more carefully, shopping more frequently and buying only what they need. They are also using leftovers more and wasting less food. That means slightly lower volumes for food manufacturers and less inventory needing cold storage.
Manufacturers are now focused on how to drive volume again while input costs remain high and prices cannot easily be rolled back. That means rethinking supply chains, inventory levels and efficiency. It is a challenge, but also an opportunity for companies like Americold to partner with customers and help redesign supply chains to drive efficiency and growth.
