Cold Zone, an Erlen Group Company, breaks ground on new cold storage warehouse in Springfield
The Springfield Business Development Corporation (SBDC), the Chamber’s economic development arm, has announced a $57 million expansion from Cold Zone, a leading provider of cold storage logistics solutions and a subsidiary of the Erlen Group. The company will break ground on June 20 on a new 170,000-square-foot facility, in Springfield’s Partnership Industrial Center West (PIC West) creating numerous job opportunities in the region.
Located within Springfield’s Enhanced Enterprise Zone, the state-of-the-art facility will feature temperature zones for both frozen and cooler products, enhancing our region’s role as a hub for food production and distribution.
“We are thrilled to unveil our latest project, which represents a significant milestone from Cold Zone and the Erlen Group,” said John Griesemer, CEO of Erlen Group. “With the demand for temperature-controlled storage and distribution solutions on the rise, our new facility in Springfield will enable us to better serve our clients while driving innovation in the industry.”
The new facility will be constructed on PIC West’s Site K, a 46-acre pre-qualified Certified Site that meets readiness standards established by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The site, certified in 2008 by the SBDC and its economic development partners, provided a shovel-ready location for business growth and can expand to accommodate 800,000 square feet of storage in the future.
Cold Zone’s investment in this new facility, and the additional capacity it creates in the company’s current location in Springfield Underground exemplifies the growth of Springfield’s manufacturing and logistics base.
“As the primary facilitators of economic development for the Springfield region, we are proud of the locally driven economic growth that this project illustrates,” said Chamber President Matt Morrow. “A $57 million expansion from Cold Zone, an existing and homegrown business, sends a message that Springfield has a great ecosystem in which to grow. Our team looks forward to telling this story to the consultants and businesses considering our region.”
The purchase of Site K marks the fourth site in PIC West to sell in the last 12 months, with more than 95 acres sold by SBDC during this time. Approximately 80 acres across six sites remain in PIC West’s original 388 acres.
For more information about Cold Zone and its services, visit www.coldzoneinc.com. To learn more about The Erlen Group, a family of industrial companies with operation in real estate, aggregates, and logistics, visit www.erlengroup.com.
