Americold Realty Trust held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the latest expansion of its Russellville, Ark., facility. State and local leaders, along with company executives, gathered in Russellville to celebrate the expansion’s ribbon cutting.

“We’re excited to expand our presence in Arkansas,” said George Chappelle, CEO at Americold. “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. We continue to innovate to provide best-in-class service for our customers as we help them feed the world.”

Americold has invested $90 million and created 30 new jobs to expand its operations in Russellville. As part of the expansion, Americold constructed this new highly automated 131,000-square-foot cold storage and distribution facility at its existing Russellville location, adding 42,000 pallet positions and 13 million cubic feet to the facility.

“It was an honor to join the Americold team to open their newest expansion in Russellville. Low taxes, a friendly business environment, and my administration’s focus on education and workforce give Arkansas a competitive edge. I’m glad companies like Americold see our advantage and are doubling down on the Natural State,” said Gov. Sanders.

“Americold is a leader in the temperature-controlled warehousing sector, and we welcome the company’s growth in Arkansas,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “This ribbon cutting represents the company’s ongoing investment in Arkansas and highlights our state’s strength in the food and beverage industries, as well as our geographic importance in the distribution and logistics of the cold storage supply chain.

As part of Americold’s commitment to give back to the local communities it serves, Americold and Feed the Children will come together to support more than 300 Russellville families. Each participating family will receive a 25-pound box of food and a 15-pound box of personal-care essential items immediately following the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Americold has been a partner of Feed the Children for more than six years. During its partnership, Americold has donated critical funds and travelled thousands of miles providing complimentary temperature-controlled transportation services of chilled and frozen goods that have helped feed thousands of families across America.

Based in Atlanta, Ga., Americold is the world’s largest publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on the ownership, operation, acquisition and development of temperature-controlled warehouses. The company operates 245 facilities across the globe, with 11 facilities in Arkansas.

“We are excited about the expansion of the Americold facility in Russellville, showcasing yet another great community partnership,” said Russellville Mayor Fred Teague. “The increased capacity will not only bring new job opportunities but will also allow Americold’s customer to increase production and distribution. Both Americold and its customer are valued community partners, not only contributing to local employment but also impacting families worldwide. They are great examples of our strong local industry in the Arkansas River Valley.”

"Americold's ribbon cutting is another example of tremendous growth in Russellville, said Dr. Megan Selman, president and CEO of the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Americold is a global company who adds value to our local economy and is an excellent community partner. This expansion highlights their commitment to investing in Russellville and creating quality careers for the people in our regional community."

Source: Americold Realty Trust